I’ll be the first to admit to missing out on the allure of certain brand cachets, only to flip real quick when real wrist time is offered. In Glashütte this week, it happened again to my (wallet’s) chagrin, thanks to A. Lange & Söhne’s German charm.

While enjoying the alligator embrace of the new 30th Anniversary Lange 1 from Germany’s top dog A. Lange & Söhne, an entire catalogue of surprises hit me. The deep blue and rose gold of the 38.5mm model hit me hard. Not plucking, but furiously bass-slapping my heartstrings.

Visiting the brand in Glashütte this week, after trying on my favourite; the sleek, monochrome 1815 Chronograph and the indecently comfortable Odysseus, I finally had some quality time with the new Lange 1. As part of its 30th anniversary, we have been served a quad hit of the legend, in a sweetheart-sized 36.8mm for the Little Lange 1 and the standard Lange 1 of 38.5mm. With my predilection for smaller wristwear, they’re both perfection-close, but the 38.5mm version surprised me.

An airy dial composition like the Germanic-infused Lange 1 offers usually wears large, but this time, I was wrong. Sure, the deep indigo framed in 18k rose gold case might feel more compact than the typical silver-white, but whichever theory you subscribe to, the fit was superb on my close-to18cm wrist. The deep blue, annoyingly well-toned, alligator strap had the German feeling of stiffness that inevitably makes way for soft familiarity, and the 38.5mm diameter wears dead true to its size.

The case is a staunch reminder of German classicism and restraint. But with that restraint comes an obsessive sense of detail, starting with the case. The perfection is apparent in the small details like the soldered lugs, shapely with a slight bevel where they join the case, and the date adjuster at ten o’clock. Adjusting the instantaneously shifting twin date discs visible through their panorama split window is a haptic delight. The discreetly curved pusher is unusually brushed to match the middle case, with sharp bevelled edges giving it the look of a rounded 18K ingot of pink gold.

With the two sizes available, I’d be hard pushed to choose one Lange 1, both offering gently curved lug ergonomics. But this time, perhaps I prefer the largest, though 38.5mm is still pretty close to Goldilocks-sized for most. A couple of millimetres allows the golden ratio of the dial to make more of its asymmetric allure. And wearing it on my wrist in the Glashütte manufacture of A. Lange makes me understand it. Observing it dynamically on the wrist is a very different proposition to the Germanic precision of the press shots, like with any watch. The choice of a deep indigo competing with the lustre of pink gold simply endows the 30th Anniversary Lange 1 with a rich personality beyond its status.

There is a peculiar charm to the crisp white print encircling the dial, a precious use of a time-honoured German-language font that oozes class. There is much to be said for a design language where you recognise the brand origins of even the smallest part of a dial. Personally, I enjoy the pure delight of the tiny diamond-shaped hour markers. Only eight are applied on the nine o’clock main hours-and minutes-dial, but they twinkle visibly with the slightest sliver of light. To me, these details, even with the traditionalist touch of Roman numerals and charmingly serifed font on the big date, lends a timeless air to the Lange 1.

Turning around the Lange 1, it is all about the hidden complexities behind a large ¾ plate in German silver with visible gold chatons. The latest iteration of the Lange 1 movement, the L121.1, constitutes a baffling 368 parts, and a double hit of perfectionism. A. Lange & Söhne famously assemble their movements twice, with a full second clean of the optimised calibre before final assembly. The typical Lange ribbed pattern, usually known by its French Côtes de Genève nomenclature, hides 368 parts. And even if their finishing is hidden from view, the famous hand-engraved balance cock bridge says it all.

Watching the A. Lange & Söhne engravers at work was fascinating, especially as each has a signature style, recognisable after decades. But don’t be fooled by the flamboyant traditionalism at play, the L121.1 is quite the modern movement, including shock-resistance for the balance wheel, boasting eccentric poising weights and an in-house superior balance spring. If I had the choice, I would gladly rock a Lange 1 as an everyday watch, especially understanding the hidden treasure of the complex but sturdy calibre. A lottery win notwithstanding, I’d happily recommend this 38.5mm 18K pink gold version and freely admit to a strong sense of desire. Add the Little Lange in Platinum with the Onyx dial for big stealth wealth flex, and you might have a perfect two-watch collection for life.

More details at A. Lange & Söhne.

Between the Essence and Field, Formex have pretty much nailed the everyday wearer. They’re the kind of watches you can wear anywhere at any time, stripped back and uncomplicated but impressively built for the money. All of that still very much applies to the shiny new Formex Stratos UTC, but with one caveat: those three little letters at the end.

While it’s not as common as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Coordinated Universal Time is to all intents and purposes, the same thing. It’s linked directly to the Earth’s rotation speed and International Atomic Time, so technically it’s a bit more accurate, but given the overlap, GMT and UTC watch functionally offer the same thing, namely a second time zone.

So, how have Formex approached the quintessential travellers’ complication? After all, complications really aren’t their thing. Well for one, they’ve not strayed far from their wheelhouse; instead they’ve worked with the modular maestros at Dubois-Depraz – the same manufacture that built the recent Perpetual Calendar module for Breitling – to create the most satisfying second time zone function I’ve ever used.

Part of the Formex Stratos UTC’s user-focused functionality is that it doesn’t fall into the usual discourse of ‘true’ vs ‘office’ GMT. The crown doesn’t move the GMT hand. Hell, it doesn’t affect the second time zone function at all, it’s simply for winding and setting local time. Instead, the UTC hand is moved using the chronograph-style pushers flanking the crown. The top pusher moves it anti-clockwise and the bottom pusher does the opposite.

I won’t put a number on just how long I was playing with those pushers, flicking the UTC hand backwards and forwards hour by hour. It’s a perfectly normal amount, honestly. While I didn’t instantly leave the country wearing the Stratos, it does make jumping across timezones in either direction incredibly easy to adjust for. And if that weren’t enough, there’s also a separate, if more subtle pusher to quickly change the six o’clock date subdial on the left-hand side of the Formex Stratos UTC. Any problems you have setting a travellers’ watch, the Stratos solves.

Formex aren’t the only brand to use this kind of system of course; Porsche Design looped in Dubois-Depraz for something similar. But paired with the rest of the watch, this might be the best dual timezone watch of the year – and at this price point, there’s no real competition.

A good part of that is the usefulness of the complication of course, but the rest is entirely down to that typical Formex build quality. We’ve shot their Field and Essence in the past, so I was expecting good things from the Stratos, and despite the greater number of moving parts, it’s every bit as solid. The bidirectional bezel is a little slidey but for something designed to move easily that’s about right, and the rest of the case is the good kind of chunky.

It’s punchy without being too big in either it’s 41mm diameter or 12mm height. It won’t be slipping under too many shirtsleeves, but it feels great on the wrist. The Stratos doesn’t slack on case finishing either, with plenty of brushed, sand-blasted and mirror- polished surfaces across the board.

Plenty of attention has been shown to the dial. A brushed outer ring and central dial with a grained minute track and date subdial give the Stratos a much more interesting look than any of Formex’s dials, save their stone pieces. Practically, the different finishes help with readability – as do the funky stylised 12, three, six and nine. Paired with some orange highlights on the UTC hand and its 24-hour scale, along with the UTC lettering and day/night indicator (that porthole at nine o’clock in case you were wondering), it’s clean, clear and cool.

We have the blue version here which I reckon is the best looking, but it also comes in black and green too. It’s available on four different straps, brown with white stitching, plain black, or black with orange stitching to match those highlights. This being Formex though, you want the bracelet. It’s as solidly built as the case, which is saying a lot.

Now onto brass tacks. Formex are an accessible watchmaker through and through. But, while the Field, their entry-level will set you back £890, the Stratos is considerably more at £3,320. That seems like a wince-inducing hike, but context is everything and for a superb, novel approach to the quintessential travellers’ watch – especially one this good- looking – I’d stack the Stratos against pretty much anything else in that price range.

Bottom line: do I like it? Yes, definitely. Will I buy it? If I was in the market for a GMT, I’d be hard-pressed not to.

More details at Formex.

If you read the title of this article and immediately thought “didn’t IWC already release a blue Ingenieur when they relaunched the collection in 2023?” You are completely correct. They did. However, that original blue model is officially called aqua and it’s more of a teal blue-green tone than a pure blue. Which brings us to the watch I have here for review, the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 Blue.

Off rip, if you’ve been hands-on with one of IWC’s current Ingenieurs, you’ve already been hands-on with this one. The case structure and design is exactly the same with a 40mm diameter and broad, integrated bracelet design featuring a wide, flat bezel with visible screws. It’s based on Gerald Genta’s original sketches for the Ingenieur SL when he had a crack at redesigning the collection in the 1970s.

On the wrist it’s very comfortable and with a thickness of 10.8mm there’s very little trouble tucking it under a cuff if required. Though it has such a perfect blend of bold sportiness and refined class that I can’t think of many situations in which you’d want to hide it away (other than perhaps walking around some of the more notorious areas of London). A key part in the cool style of the piece is of course the dial.

It features the same grid-like pattern as its stablemates, which on the white and black editions drew comparisons to a chess board, though that description features a fundamental lack of knowledge in how chess boards works – although as a side note a black and white checkered edition would be awesome. That’s not the case here though as it’s presented in a clear and visually striking blue. It’s a classic mid-tone, not as intense as electric blue, not as pale as the sky nor as dark as navy. Or even as green as aqua. When you hear the world blue, this is the colour you think of.

Turning the watch over reveals a solid steel caseback inscribed with IWC’s full name, International Watch Company, along with Ingenieur and the watch’s water resistance rating. That rating is 100m, a solid amount for a steel sports watch with integrated bracelet giving it great specs for everyday wear.

The price of the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 Blue is currently not confirmed, this is an update after an initial price was announced and initially published here but which is being revised by IWC. A certain part of me wishes that this launch was a bit more exciting than a colour change on the dial. It’s a bit basic. However, I also appreciate that it is a nice dial and I’ve always been a staunch defender of the idea that giving collectors more choice is only ever a good thing.

More details at IWC.

It might come as a surprise to learn that Horage is now 15 years old. Sure, that’s not the greatest length of time, but given how many watch labels have come and gone in that time, it almost makes them part of the old guard. And yet, despite a decade-and-a-half of horological disruption under their belt, there’s still something of the plucky underdog about them, as shown by launches like the Horage Omnium K2.

Granted, part of that is due to a relaunch in 2015, but it’s more thanks to their approach to watchmaking. I mean, did you see their Revolution 3 MicroReg? The thing’s nuts. Throw in tourbillons priced to not just move but put most watchmakers to shame and you have the kind of cool, disruptive brand Moser & Cie still wish they were.

If that all makes you think that their latest would continue the cutting-edge trend though, think again. The new Omnium isn’t some ludicrous chronometric experiment or accessible flex. It’s just a really, really nice watch. Because sometimes – most of the time in fact – that’s just what you need.

The Omnium as a model has some history to Horage. It was their debut timepiece back in 2009 and it was their relaunch model in 2015. It’s a larger part of their DNA than  affordable tourbillons, which is saying something, and is by far their most wearable watch – especially in this new, downsized version.

Previous Omnia were sized to 40mm, which was pretty svelte even for a dress watch back in 2009. But in keeping with the times, the 2024 edition has shrunk to 37mm. I am more than happy with the change. This is essentially Horage’s take on a classic dress watch, so smaller is better, but I’m glad they avoided that 36mm zone that would lump it in with the raft of Rolex Oyster Perpetual contenders. That 1mm extra does a lot of heavy lifting on the wrist and, with the incredibly slim bezel opening up the dial, it still has plenty of wrist presence.

The colourway here is called Frost Fire, which is one of those typically Swiss names that sounds like a 10-year-old’s made-up superhero. I can see where they’re coming from, with the combination of sleek silver dial and red solid lume numerals, but those sporty Arabic numerals aren’t too bright and the silver is a little too straightforward to be considered frosty.

Naming conventions aside, it’s a good look. I love pops of colour and those monobloc numerals against the layered dial add just enough personality to find that balance between fun and wearability. The handset is also fantastic, diamond cut, faceted and skeletonised. Adding to that adage of devil in the details, the sapphire crystal is also faceted, which is much, much harder to do than it sounds, turning a practical necessity into a design feature.

Horage make visually killer movements and the latest K2 microrotor in the new Omnium is no exception. Blacked out plates with both cotes de Geneve and the brand’s signature grid embellishment, contrasting with gold lettering and microrotor and brass wheels… in my sometimes humble opinion is one of the best-looking movements around. Sure, there are plenty of insanely high-end calibres out there traditionally finished across every screw, but the K2 microrotor is just cool. It also has the specs to match, with COSC certification, a long weekend-proof 72-hour power reserve, and the silicon hairspring that you’d usually only find among the big watchmaking groups with the infrastructure to make them. All in all, a lot to love.

If the Frost Fire doesn’t do it for you, there are other options on the new Omnium. The other dial colours are dubbed Midnight Bleu and Pink Perfection, dark blue with white numerals and a pink-on-pink number that’s perhaps not the easiest to read. More importantly however – given that the silver and red is the obviously tasteful choice – is the case options.

Rather than just having a curated range of different dial and metal combinations, Horage lets you choose the case material you want. That means you can pick any dial and decide if you want steel, yellow gold or platinum (except for Pink Perfection in yellow gold, which is saving you from yourself if that’s what you were after). And it’s the same price across the board, meaning if you want any of them in steel, it’s CHF 4,590, CHF 11,990 for platinum, and CHF 14,990 for yellow gold. There is a slight discount for the precious metals, but only for the first five days and they’re not exactly impulse buys.

Inside, all the new Omnium models are the same and they all come on the same strap, so it’s up to you how much you want to pay for precious metal. You can even pay a smidge more to upgrade the plated gold buckle to solid yellow gold if that kind of thing really matters to you. I would just get the steel, but then I’m pretty basic. Give me a cool movement and a splash of colour and I’m happy.

At that base price of CHF 4,590, or just under the £4,500 mark, this is a seriously competitive watch. It needs to be, given the competition from big boys like Rolex and Omega at that level. But specs-wise and style-wise, the new Omnium is a solid contender. Not bad for 15 years’ work.

More details at Horage.

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The 1970s was a turbulent period in the history of the watch industry. It saw the advent of the quartz crisis that decimated the industry but also, by the end of the decade, became a golden era of integrated bracelet, steel sports watch design. Gerald Genta was at his prime with the Royal Oak, Nautilus and Ingenieur. But he by no means had the monopoly on this style of watch. It was in this atmosphere that the original Girard-Perregaux Laureato designed by Adolfo Natalini came to be. The legacy of which can be seen in the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38mm Sage Green.

Holding the watch up to the light, it’s easy to admire the flawless finishing across the steel case and bracelet. While integrated designs like this are now common to find in any material, steel is the OG. The practical nature of the metal, with its scratch resistance and anti-corrosion properties, makes it the ideal material for the bold shapes and facetted angles of this style of watch. The Laureato in particular makes great use of this in its octagonal bezel and the alternating brushed and polished finishing found across its design.

Strapping the watch on, it’s presented at a diameter of 38mm, which is the mid-range size nestled between GP’s 34mm and 42mm offerings. It’s a really, really nice size (it’s very thin too, with a thickness of just 10.02mm). It’s not so large as to compromise wearability but at the same time sacrificing no amount of wrist presence compared to the larger cousins. Of course, a key part in drawing people’s eye towards your wrist is the dial, which is where the Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38mm Sage Green really excels.

Girard-Perregaux first dabbled in sage green dials earlier this year with the launch of a 42mm edition in rose gold but for my money the colour works much better here, paired with the colder tone of the steel. Look up even the most basic aesthetic design guide to sage green and you’ll quickly learn that it pairs best with neutral tones like cream and beige and the cool silver of steel adheres to that philosophy much better than rich gold. Although gold isn’t fully absent as its present via the seconds hand and the GP logo that replaces the 12 o’clock numeral.

The pattern of the dial is a Laureato signature, Clous de Paris, a hobnail style of guilloché with a repeating motif of small pyramid shapes. It almost seems to trap light, reflecting off the many micro-surfaces, occasionally creating glimpses of a more intense green where it can otherwise appear quite grey a majority of the time.

Undoing the butterfly clasp and slipping the watch off lets you take a look at the exhibition caseback. It reveals the GP03300-2476 automatic movement housed inside, which just like the case is finished immaculately, including the pink gold rotor. It sports a 46-hour power reserve and operates at a frequency of 4 Hz. In terms of functions, it’s a classic time and date model with hours, minutes, seconds and date.

It’s priced at £12,700, which is not an inconsiderable amount, highlighting the other, less used moniker of integrated bracelet sports watches, Sports-Luxe. However, considering that this watch was created following requests from GP’s own fanbase for a smaller, steel sage green edition, I’m sure there will be plenty of appetite for it. Alongside this model, GP have released a second version in Midnight Blue, which will likely be just as anticipated, though I personally prefer the green.

More details at Girard-Perregaux.

Most watchmakers leverage their ambassadors for big, flashy campaigns, shouting about the newest watch in their collection in a tightly marketed flurry of pomp and ceremony. Then there’s Daniel Craig. The former 007 has recently swapped sharp suits for slouchy cool, but his wristwear game is still on point. While he’s no longer the consummate superspy, he’s been clandestinely showing snapshots, not just of his own collection of Omegas, but upcoming watches even our counterintelligence operatives can’t dig up.

We first saw it happen with this year’s white lacquered Speedmaster, a crisp, tasteful refresh of the classic Moonwatch. But the under-the-radar flexes don’t stop there. While at the Olympics, Craig was spotted with a completely new Seamaster 300M on his wrist. The proportions and distinctive bezel made the collection obvious, but the black, metallic dial was entirely unknown.

Well, now we can shed some light on that particular piece of information. Craig was wearing one half of a two-piece new run of models that mixes up the usual ceramic look of modern Seamasters. Craig’s was the half in black, both bezel and dial in black aluminium with those signature engraved waves that we know (and some of us love) on the dial. The one we have here though it a bit more of a departure – and arguably the more interesting.

Titanium in the first instance might sound like a bit of a downgrade from ceramic and, well, it is. It’s not as hardwearing or high-tech by a stuntman’s death-defying leap. But it is more practical on something that’s designed to take some serious knocks, as it’s not only more lightweight, but it’s a lot less brittle. It’ll scratch but it won’t shatter or chip. Which is key for a diving bezel mounted on a steel case.

Perhaps more importantly, the new pieces take the metallic bezel directly from the coolest Bond watch in years that didn’t have an embedded laser, the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition from No Time to Die. Say what you want about the film, the wrist game in it, heading back to military heritage style, was beyond reproach.

Drop the military colours and NATO strap of that watch and you land somewhere near this new edition. The new 300M has a similar 42mm silhouette with its generally unused helium escape valve, but in monochromatic silver case, bezel, dial and strap. The dial is so pared back that it’s even dropped the collection’s famous wavy engraving, and the result is one of Omega’s cleanest, sleekest divers for a long, long time.

On the wrist it sits like a host of other Seamaster Diver 300M models. The lighter bezel’s not noticeably different, but the less busy dial does give the look a bit more impact in a tone-on-tone cool sort of way. I love monochrome watches almost as much as I paradoxically love bi-colour for that 1970s retro style and this version of the Diver 300M ticks all the boxes.

That’s doubly true of the strap, which is a work of art. The insanely comfortable mesh ensemble has that ‘shark-proof’ chainmail construction but pairs it with reinforced holes for a pin buckle deployant clasp combo for easy adjustment.

This isn’t the first time it’s been done – again, it’s taken directly from the Bond watch – but as we had the limited edition on the NATO, it’s the first time I’ve personally tried this kind of strap on. I’m sold, wholeheartedly.

Inside, the watch is Omega business as usual with the Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre 8806. The magnetic resistant, George Daniels descendent has a weekend-proof 55-hour power reserve and is tested well beyond what COSC would ever do. It’s also nicely finished, which you can see through the exhibition caseback, even if this is one of the times I’d have thematically preferred a solid caseback instead. Military heritage style and all that.

Of the two pieces in this new metal bezel collection, I prefer this version over Craig’s. At a glance, it’s harder to tell the difference between his and the previous ceramic version (even if in the metal it’s quite easy), and dropping those waves gives the all-silver version its own, stripped back personality.

As for its place in the wider Seamaster Diver 300M collection, this one is priced at £6,100, compared to £5,600 for the normal, ceramic version. That’s an unexpected increase on what can at best be called a lateral move. Granted, that bracelet requires a lot more effort to create than the usual three-link number I’m comparing it against, but that still feels like the price went in the wrong direction. Still, if you want the best-looking Diver 300M in Omega’s collection, it just looks like you’re going to need to pay out – because that’s definitely what this watch is.

More details at Omega.

While they might not be quite so prolific as brands like Seiko and Tissot, Tag Heuer produce a lot of watches and always have a steady release schedule throughout the year. So, at this point, I’m sure we’ve all seen a lot of Carreras and a lot of Monacos. What’s surprising is the fact that Tag Heuer continue to find new styles and creative outlets within these designs. Case in point, the new Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph Pink Skeleton, which I have here for review.

Taking it out of the box, I’m immediately struck by the vivid use of colour which is unlike any Monaco I’ve seen before, except perhaps for the Skeleton Limited edition in DLC and turquoise. The 39mm titanium case has a black DLC coating, which is matched by the black, skeletonised bridges of the chronograph display. Then, like a burst of neon light the hour markers, chronograph seconds hand and chronograph subdials are hot pink. It’s bright, bold and bombastic, which is entirely the point because it’s inspired by the vibrant lights of the Las Vegas Strip.

Tag Heuer have used bright colours before so that in itself isn’t that surprising, just look at the Skipper. But here, the mood of the Monaco Chronograph Pink Skeleton feels different. This isn’t a trackside sportster, a high tech F1 tool or even a cross-country grand tourer of a watch. No, this is a piece of Hot Wheels, Need for Speed, Fast & Furious, Burn Out insanity. And I kind of love it. An illegal street race under the bright lights of Las Vegas where you stop for a quick hand of poker with Vin Diesel, Brad Pitt and John Belushi at the Bellagio between laps.

On the wrist, it can’t fail to put a swagger in your step. The lightweight titanium is incredibly comfortable to wear and measuring just 39mm in diameter, it’s not overbearing either. It’s eye catching without being ostentatious because the darker, black portions of piece help keep it in check. Plus, the embossed leather strap with rubber backing is also comfortable and does a good job of preventing it from slipping.

Focussing in on the dial further, the Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph Pink Skeleton has the signature skeletonised display that Tag Heuer have used across a few Monacos now. It reveals the inner workings of the calibre Heuer 02 beneath as well as exposing the date function at 6 o’clock beneath the small seconds counter. Admittedly that small seconds hand is so small that it can be quite difficult to see but hey, we’re here for the vibes more than anything else.

The calibre Heuer 02 is also a great movement with automatic winding, an 80-hour power reserve and a nice level of finishing thanks to the Geneva Stripes visible though the exhibition caseback. It also has a really nice action on the square pushers for controlling the column wheel chronograph, which is a large part of the point of a column wheel mechanism in the first place because it activates smoothly without the risk of any jarring resistance.

That all brings us to the price: the Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph Pink Skeleton is £9,850. That’s exactly the same as their previous DLC coated titanium Monaco Skeletons so at least it’s consistent, even if it is admittedly quite a high price. Still, when you pair it with the sweet underglow of a night-time street racer, this is a watch that hits the spot.

More details at Tag Heuer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at Dennison.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For a chance to win the Formex Field Petrol Blue simply sign up to become an Oracle Time member before January 3^rd 2025. What better way to start the new year than with a watch worth £890 on deployant leather strap? Plus, by signing up to the membership you’ll receive a host of additional benefits including receive 10 print editions of the magazine straight to your door, invitations to exclusive events and priority access to future collaboration watches.

More details at Formex.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at Ming Watch.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at Carl F. Bucherer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at Seiko.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at Yema.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at Neotype.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at Rado.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at Avi-8.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at March LA.B.

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details at Seiko Boutique.