When we’re talking about Grand Seiko, it’s usually the dial that steal the headlines, but that’s not the case with the SBGH349 ‘Icefall’ Hi-Beat 1998 Revival. It has exactly the same dial as the SBGH347 that was released back in September. What makes the new edition different is that the steel case has been replaced by titanium.

The new titanium case is larger than its steel counterpart, measuring 40mm x 12.95mm. However, where titanium really excels compared to steel is in its strength-to-density ratio. What that means is you can achieve the same degree of resilience and strength from a titanium watch case at a much lighter weight. In fact, titanium is approximately 45% lighter than steel. Plus, thanks to Grand Seiko’s particular high intensity titanium, it remains nice and tough.

Grand Seiko don’t publish their watches weights so it’s difficult to numerically express the impact of this material change here. In principle though it means the ‘Icefall’ Hi-Beat 1998 Revival Titanium is much easier to wear for long periods of time without fatiguing the wrist. Whether that’s a working day or an evening’s soirée.

While the case is the updated feature of this watch, we should still touch on the dial. It’s inspired by the concept of an ‘Icefall’, a rapidly flowing portion of a glacier with a high proportion of crevasses. The pale blue tone with crevasse-like texture feels particularly wintery – it would definitely be worthy of inclusion in our Best Ice Dials article.

Beneath the icy surface is the hi-beat 9S85 automatic calibre. It has a power reserve of 55-hours and operates at a 5 Hz frequency, helping to ensure impressive accuracy of +5/-3 seconds per day. It’s the same movement as is found in the steel edition of the watch.

As you might expect from the upgrade in materials, the Grand Seiko ‘Icefall’ Hi-Beat 1998 Revival in titanium is a touch pricier than its steel counterpart, £6,650 compared to £5,950. That’s an increase of £700, which I think is a solid representation of the value difference between the materials when it comes to high-end watchmaking.

More details at Seiko Boutique.

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.

Watches are more than just tools to tell the time. They can be symbols of style, innovation, and sometimes, life-saving technology. The Breitling Emergency takes this idea to another level. Combining cutting-edge engineering with a bold design to create a timepiece that has genuinely made a difference in critical situations.

Breitling introduced this remarkable watch in 1995 as the first wrist-worn device with an emergency transmitter. Capable of broadcasting a distress signal to facilitate rescue missions. Designed with adventurers, aviators, and explorers in mind. The Emergency quickly became a favourite among those who venture into the world’s most remote and unforgiving environments. But this is no ordinary survival tool; it’s a Breitling through and through. Sleek, functional and ruggedly sophisticated, the Emergency seamlessly blends its high-tech capabilities with the brand’s renowned craftsmanship. Whether scaling peaks, flying over vast deserts, or simply making a statement, this watch carries the assurance that help is only a signal away.

Buckle up as we dive into how the Breitling Emergency pushed the limits of watchmaking while saving lives around the globe! It’s a watch that proves timekeeping can truly be a matter of life and death.

A Real Gamechanger

The saga begins with Ernest Schneider, who entered the Breitling spotlight in 1979. At that time, the brand was teetering on the edge of oblivion. Schneider steered the ship to safety through the quartz crisis by launching an iconic collection of watches that held their own against the tech tide. A Swiss Army signal corps officer during World War II and a passionate pilot, Schneider was no stranger to the importance of communication. During a NATO conference in the mid-1980s, he participated in discussions about emergency beacons and the growing number of false alarms wasting valuable resources. In these talks, the bright idea of a wristwatch with a personal locator beacon came to life. Following this, Breitling teamed up with Dassault Electronique to engineer cutting-edge beacon technology for their watches. A long decade of relentless innovation culminated in the stunning debut of the Breitling Emergency.

When it comes to party tricks, few can top the ability to summon a Sea King helicopter at your beck and call. Although, unless it’s a life-or-death situation, you’ll be liable to cover the full costs of the rescue. So don’t lend yours out unless you have deep pockets.

You Won’t Believe What This Can Do

The Breitling Emergency was launched in 1995 with a price tag of £2750. This watch was “the” essential accessory for pilots everywhere. It has a 42mm x 50mm titanium case and is equipped with a compass bezel. Combine that sheer practicality with the distress beacon feature, and you could say it puts even James Bond’s gadgets to shame

Resembling its predecessor, the “Aerospace“, the Emergency flaunted dual LCDs, a SuperQuartz movement and cleverly concealed antennas. Unscrew and fully extend these bad boys to activate the beacon, sending out a signal on the international distress frequency of 121.5 MHz. For the first five years, this technological wonder was exclusively for military types and licensed pilots. Eventually, after some persuasion from Breitling, it opened its doors to the public—just sign a waiver in case of any accidental calls for help. And if you genuinely needed the rescue, Breitling would even replace the watch for free!
This titanium marvel transmitted an amplitude-modulated signal every 2.25 seconds, along with the Morse code for the letter B (-…) every 60 seconds. It kept broadcasting for an impressive 24 – 48 hours, depending on battery life. And the range? It varied from about 50 km to a whopping 400 km, depending on the terrain.

If the truth is known, it was the Breitling Emergency that got me into watches in the first place. I have a vague memory of seeing the Cobra Yellow dial splashed across a page from GQ in the late 1990s. It was the coolest watch I’d ever laid my eyes on, it’s like the Swiss Army Knife of watches.

The End Of The Emergency 1

Fast forward to 2010, the Breitling Emergency I was eventually phased out. Having sold around 40,000 units and contributed to multiple lives saved, with Breitling not reporting a single false alarm! In 2009, the 121.5 MHz distress frequency was gradually retired, signalling that Breitling had to innovate again.

Enter Emergency II in 2013, a slick upgrade that was bigger, bolder, and better equipped. This time with dual-frequency distress beacons. This model featured both the classic 121.5 MHz and a new 406 MHz signal. Both are monitored by the international rescue program, Cospas-Sarsat. The size jumped from a modest 43mm to a mammoth 51mm, allowing for larger batteries and improved effectiveness. All while keeping it lightweight at only 144g, thanks to the anti-magnetic titanium case. The 21.6mm thickness might give your wrist a bit of a workout, but it still packs in all the features of its predecessor, including the convenient dual LCD.

Just Don’t Unscrew The Antenna

The only thing I have an issue with is its water resistance, as both models are only resistant to 50m. Which, of course, sounds deep enough, but not when you look at what that means in the real world, 50m = light swimming and it probably will be ok. Let’s hope you don’t fall into the sea then. This watch is more than just a personal distress beacon. The main hour and minute hands track the local time, while two separate digital screens provide access to various features. These include a stopwatch, a countdown function, a calendar, a secondary time zone and an alarm. Each is effortlessly managed via the crown located at the 3 o’clock position.

As for the price, let’s compare the two models: the Breitling Emergency I’s debut price was £2750.00, while the II came in at a jaw-dropping £15,350.00 for the top model. That’s quite a hike!

Lives Saved

Real-life rescues reign supreme in the Emergency’s legacy. From pilots ditching their planes over oceans to two British adventurers whose helicopter found its way down in the Southern Ocean, the Emergency has been there, helping people get home safely. After 9.5 hours, those adventurers were found in a life raft, all thanks to the watch on their wrists! At last count, over 20 lives have been saved by these incredible watches and the technology within.

As we inch closer to 2025, which marks the 30th anniversary of the Emergency, speculation is ripe. Will Breitling unveil an updated version? Only time will tell! And why hasn’t this life-saving tech caught on with other brands? Is it the cost of development or the niche market that Breitling has expertly cornered? After all, they’ve invested millions to fine-tune this technology, and we’re all better off for it! It’s also way cooler than a run-of-the-mill smartwatch, sorry Apple.

The Ultimate Tool Watch

This is the kind of watch you’d expect to spot sitting on a shelf in Q’s office. Waiting to be handed to a real-life James Bond or perhaps strapped to the wrist of an adventurer preparing to conquer K2. For me, though, it’s not about needing to summon a rescue team while shopping, it’s the feeling it gives you when you wear it. As a proud owner, I know its headline feature is technically redundant and I’ll probably never activate it. But there’s something undeniably reassuring about knowing that if things ever go sideways, this watch has my back, ready to save the day and leave me feeling like a hero.

So, keep your eyes peeled because whether you’re a seasoned pilot or an occasional adventurer, the Breitling Emergency is not just a marvel of engineering; it’s a genuine lifesaver and one I hope keeps evolving!

More details at Breitling.

Image credits: realwatchbrothers

Timor Modern Field 100M

Timor first came to my attention for their painfully perfect Dirty Dozen re-issue a few years back, so in my head they’re quintessentially vintage. Not so the Modern Field. It still has that field watch heritage, but in a high-contrast, blacked-out-with white-numerals look that’s a world away from classic. That said, it’s still offered in a vintage size at 36.5mm, so if you really want to amp up that SAS-worthy modern military vibe, you’ll need the Expedition overcase; a hardwearing black sheath you can screw over your Timor to up its rugged cred, complete with a range of coloured inserts. It’ll set you back another £150, but for an entirely new watch (or just another option), it might be worth it.

More details at Timor.

REC Lotus 98T/4

If you don’t know REC’s modus operandi by now, let me elaborate: take metal from an iconic car, aircraft, bike, whatever and repurpose it into a thematically appropriate timepiece. We’ve seen a few brands try it over the years, but none better than REC. That’s doubly true of the handsome new ode to Lotus, the 98T/4. The number comes from Lotus 98T chassis number 4, which donated the metal here, with good looks designed in collaboration with Classic Team Lotus in black and gold John Player Special livery. It’s a gorgeous chronograph with serious heritage for a decent (and currently discounted) price.

More details at REC.

Riley Watch Co. Howard Hughes Chronograph HH02

Any pilots’ watch worth its wings has a few different ‘marks’ under its belt and burgeoning aviation brand Riley is no different. The second generation of their colourfully handsome Howard Hughes Chronograph is slimmer and smaller – and therefore more wearable – than before, with all the same chronometric chronograph performance, applied indexes and inset subdials. It’s a subtle change, sure, but one that shows Riley is striving to improve their collection one run after the next. And who doesn’t love a colourful pilots’ watch?

More details at Riley Watch.

Fleux FLX003

It’s fitting that elsewhere in this issue we go over why some watches have triangle markers at 12 o’clock (in our Oracle Speaks section, if you’re struggling to find it), as Fleux has taken that idea and run with it. Inspired by the Omega Seamaster 300 Big Triangle, the Fleux FLX003 blows that 12 o’clock index up to gigantic proportions and teams it with a pair of broad arrow hands to create one of the most readable dive watches in the micro space. It still has all the elements of a vintage military diver, just with a lot more flair. We love it.

More details at Fleux Watches.

Studio Underd0g 01Series Gen 3

What do you do when your movement-maker decides to make life hard and impose brand-ruining restrictions? If you’re Studio Underd0g, you use the same manufacturer but make a better movement. In the wake of Seagull upping their minimum order to a hefty 10,000 movements, Studio Underd0g took the opportunity to create a bespoke new calibre with the Chinese manufacturer, a cool, blacked-out number with a 50-hour power reserve. Sure, it’s not sexy – until you look at it through the exhibition caseback. Plus, there are other quality-of-life changes in the new version, like a slimmer 12.9mm case, a larger crown and ‘Assembled in Great Britain’ lettering on the dial. It’s not as headline-grabbing as a passion fruit collab with Moser, but for the many, many (many) fans of the brand, these are all welcome changes, for just £50 more than the Gen 2.

More details at Studio Underd0g.

Heinrich Taucher Forged Carbon V2

We’ve seen a lot of intense lume over the past year or so, from more full lume dials than ever before to full lume cases. But quantity isn’t everything and the Taucher from Stuttgart-based Heinrich is showing a more inspired use of the glowing material. The bezel and dial of the 1970s-inspired design look like classic forged carbon, but here they’re infused with lume, meaning those random patterns glow in the dark. Paired with a wavy line of lume around the circumference of the bezel – and available in both blue and red – the Taucher proves that there’s more to glowing in the dark than sheer brightness.

More details at Heinrich.

Venezianico Arsenale Ultrablack

My colleague Michael all but called Venezianico’s Arsenale his favourite microbrand release of the year when the Venetian brand launched it earlier this year and it’s not hard to see why. It’s Parmigianiesque good looks and cool colours ooze Italian flair. Now though, they’re turning the lights out and incorporating one of my favourite microbrand releases (the Boldr Singularity) with a musou black dial. The paint absorbs 99.4% of light, so gazing into this particular abyss is an experience.

More details at Venezianico.

Micromilspec Monogram

While they initially cut their teeth in the custom watch world – specifically when it comes to military squadron watches – Micromilspec’s civilian, off-the-shelf debut, the Milgraph, didn’t have any customisation. Now though, the Monogram bridges the gap. Made from a similar chassis to the Milgraph, the new piece allows you to put your own stamp on the dial – literally. A family crest, a logo, letters, you can customise the dial how you want. Although I’d be careful not to take up too much of it; the diamond pattern, inspired by a Glock pistol grip, is worth leaving some space for.

More details at Micromilspec.

Detrash Gotham’s Vigilante

Batman is a name that we hear a lot in the watch world, though largely most brands are happy to let Rolex take the caped crusader’s name in vain. Not so Detrash, who have taken Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego to heart with the aptly named Gotham’s Vigilante. Almost entirely blacked out with a few hints of vintage Batman yellow, it’s made with 80% recycled steel so that you know you’re on the good team. With an automatic movement, solid specs and a strict limited edition, it’s also a steal. So maybe you’re not that good?

More details at Detrash.

Ubiq Dual Seaset

Colour, colour everywhere! Summer might be over but don’t let your wrist game cool off with this splash of colour from Singaporean microbrand Ubiq. The Dual gets its name from its two-colour bezel and the Seaset colourway – a tropical mix of orange and turquoise – is the kind of brightness I need in my life. Paired with a matching turquoise dial, and orange hour and second hands, it’s a splash of bold colour. Sure, there are more subtle colourways (the classy white and blue Navysilver, for example), but who needs subtlety? Especially at impulse buy levels of accessibility.

More details at Ubiq.

Back in the summer of this year Oceaneva introduced a new material to their professional dive watch in the form of the Deep Mariner Explorer II Pro Diver Damascus Steel. As a limited edition, the original model was a sell-out success and with demand continuing to be high, Oceaneva have answered the prayers of those who missed out with the release of 12 new Deep Marine Explorer II Pro Diver Damascus Steel colourways, also in limited numbers.

If you’re not familiar with Damascus steel, it’s a type of steel that’s manufactured through a meticulous process involving folding and hammering the metal using various alloys to increase the metal’s strength and durability. Historically it was used to forge impressive swords but here it’s used in watchmaking. Its most distinctive feature is the layered grain, which can be seen all across the Oceaneva’s 42mm case and bezel. Oceaneva source their Damascus steel from experts in Germany and no two watches are identical due to the natural grain of the material.

The same grained pattern is visible on some the dials as well depending on the model, including several colourful options achieved through ion plating. Speaking of colour, there are 12 colours to choose from, some of which are presented with multiple strap options. There’s blue, black, rose gold, yellow gold silver, coffee brown, red, sky blue and green. Those that don’t have the Damascus pattern are instead matte with block colours, creating an intense display.

However, don’t go thinking that the Damascus steel cases are an aesthetic stunt. These watches at their core are still the Deep Marine Explorer II Pro Diver. Which means they have a 1,250m water resistance rating which has been tested in real world aquatic environments. Most dive watch testing takes place in pressure chambers where they never come into contact with water. They’re also equipped with Swiss made Sellita SW200-1 automatic movements with 38-hour power reserves (it would be nice to see them upgrade to the newer stock that has an improved power reserve).

The real kicker though, as with all Oceaneva watches, is the value. The Deep Marine Explorer II Pro Diver Damascus Steel has a pre-sale price of £398 for the Damascus dial models and £358 for the standard dials. The watch is a limited edition of 1,000 pieces but each colour is a limited edition within that, with some models capped at just 30-pieces. Given the original collection sold out, expect these ones to go just as fast.

More details at Oceaneva.

Studio Underd0g has slowly become known as the comedic food-related wristwatch brand. While each new food watch continues to be fun, it would be nice to see them tackle some equally colourful but non-food ideas similar to those that kicked off the brand such as the Desert Sky and G0ofy Panda – both of which were recently relaunched as part of the 01Series Gen 3. For now though, we’re firmly in the kitchen as their latest collection of watches is a collaboration between Studio Underd0g and Wristcheck dubbed The Uneggspected Series, consisting of the B0iled Egg, Fried Egg and R0tten Egg.

Wristcheck are a leading digital watch marketplace aimed at appealing to the next generation of watch collectors. So, a collaboration with popular Studio Underd0g makes a lot of sense. Although the idea behind The Uneggspected Series was born from the rather unglamorous reality of owning a chronograph in the modern world. As Studio Underd0g’s founder, Richard Benc, puts it, “let’s be honest, how many people are really tracking their lap times with their chronograph these days? It’s time to celebrate a new era for the chronograph complication, one that will lead to perfectly cooked eggs, every time!”

All three of the watches in the collection are based on the 01Series Gen 3 just like those relaunched watches I mentioned in the introduction. Which means they measure 38.5mm x 12.9mm and house the Seagull ST-1901B manual-winding movement. It’s a bespoke movement produced by Seagull exclusively for Studio Underd0g featuring an all-black mainplate. It’s a solid movement with a 45-hour power reserve and swan neck regulator.

The first of the watches in The Uneggspected Series is the B0iled Egg. It has a pale yellow dial surrounded by a white tachymeter and equipped with small egg-shaped hour markers. Second is the Fried Egg, which flips the colours to have a fumé white dial with yellow tachymeter, which is like the flood of runny yolk escaping from the yellow 30-minute subdial. Last up is the R0tten Egg which has some of the most delightfully disgusting press imagery I’ve ever seen. It’s green with a cracked, ugly subdial like, well, a rotten egg. Ironically if it didn’t have the egg connection it would be the nicest of the three – just pretend its lime themed instead and the emerald green colour is great.

B0iled Egg and Fried Egg are each limited to 200 pieces while R0tten egg is more exclusive at 90 pieces. Evidently, they managed to cook most of their stock of eggs before they went bad. However, despite the different levels of exclusivity they’re all priced at $800 (approx. £630) and are exclusively available from Wristcheck. They are on sale from today.

More details at Wristcheck.

Breitling has been absolutely spoiling the UK this year with a suite of exclusive models that, in my opinion, are some of the nicest they’ve produced in the past 12 months. In February there was the smart, refined Chronomat and then shortly afterwards was the Superocean 44, which was similarly handsome. Now we have what might be the best looking of them all, the new UK & Ireland exclusive Breitling Superocean Heritage B20 Automatic 42mm.

As the name suggests it has a 42mm diameter case in stainless steel, a very common size for dive watches as it rides the limit between utility underwater and wearability on land. One thing to note is that it’s on the chunkier side of things with a thickness of 14.35mm but that’s by no means egregious. It has a gorgeous 1950s inspired design with rounded lugs that’s been modernised with updated materials – specifically the black diving bezel is made from durable, scratch resistant ceramic.

Completing the monochromatic colour scheme, the dial has an anthracite finish that works well with the black of the bezel. The subtle differences in shade between the black and grey give the watch a hint of vibrancy while remaining smartly restrained. It’s also equipped with a 1950s heritage triangle handset, which I personally prefer to the Slow Motion square hands seen on recent Superocean models. It feels more dynamic. The same is true of the hour markers which are much slimmer than many dive watches but smarter too.

With all these details combined, the Superocean Heritage B20 Automatic 42mm makes for a versatile desk diver. Meaning it’s suitable for a wide range of activities from the office to the beach. Many desk divers opt for a hint of luxury but here they’ve kept the tool watch elements at the forefront of the design. It still has a 200m water resistance rating, which is perfectly adequate for a swim even if it’s not so intense as the various 300m Superocean models.

Inside, it houses the B20 manufacture movement, an automatic calibre with a strong 70-hour power reserve. It’s also a COSC certified chronometer, meaning it has succeeded in a strict array of tests to ensure its accuracy and reliability in multiple positions and in various conditions. It’s also equipped with a date window at 6 o’clock.

I stand by my opinion that this is the nicest Breitling we’ve seen all year. The heritage aesthetic is really appealing while the case remains practical and the movement is impressive. It’s also not cripplingly exclusive with 400 pieces available while still being limited enough that not every John, Dick and Harry will have one. It’s priced at £4,650 on steel mesh bracelet or £4,450 on textured rubber strap, the standard Breitling price ballpark. Plus, it’s exclusively available in the UK & Ireland.

More details at Breitling.

It has been barely two weeks since Omega released their latest versions of the Seamaster Diver 300M and yet here we are again with another one. However this time, instead of opting for minimalist monochrome, they’ve gone for a maximalist combination of contrasting materials and a coloured dial in the Seamaster Diver 300M Titanium and Bronze Gold.

Starting with the case, it’s produced from titanium, drawing inspiration from the 007 model that has informed a lot of Omega’s recent Diver 300M designs. It measures 42mm x 13.8mm, well-proportioned for a professional dive watch. What’s particularly striking about the structure of the case though is the integration of a second material: the bezel, crown and helium escape valve are made from Bronze Gold.

While it has gold in its name, Bronze Gold is first and foremost a bronze alloy. It’s exclusive to Omega and has been designed in order to minimise some of the major downsides of common bronze alloys. For example, it has no nickel or iron content, meaning it’s anti-allergenic (that’s in Omega’s own words, they probably mean hypo-allergenic) and helps the watch resist magnetic interference. Additionally, it’s been designed to resist patina, ensuring it stays the same rosy gold colour for a long time and also won’t discolour the skin if worn in direct contact with the wrist.

In an almost ironic twist, since the bronze elements of the design won’t turn green with patina, the dial and bezel insert are green instead. They are both produced in aluminium, which is a fun retro choice Omega have been following with several recent releases, rejecting more modern materials like ceramic. It’s certainly a trade-off as ceramic is more scratch resistant and won’t fade, but aluminium fits a market that loves all things retro.

The green dial also provides a nice contrast to the beige, vintage lume on the oversize diving hour markers, which have black borders to help them stand out even more. The beige colouring also pairs nicely with the bronze elements of the bezel and the Bronze Gold PVD coated hands. In a similar style to the silver monochrome edition I mentioned in the introduction, the dial here goes without the classic Diver 300M wave motif, giving it a clean aesthetic.

Powering the watch is the calibre 8806, a master chronometer movement with a 55-hour power reserve and automatic winding. It’s visible through the exhibition caseback where you can admire its immaculate finishing, the radial Côtes de Genève style pattern is very attractive, spiralling around the rotor and mainplate.

In terms of price, on mesh bracelet it’s £10,100 and on rubber strap it’s £9,400. That’s a considerable amount more than either the black or silver monochrome editions which are around the £5,600-£6,100 mark. Still, with the addition of a bi-metallic design, or technically tri-metallic if you include the aluminium, it does make sense. Personally, I still prefer the silver monochrome edition because I’m more of a minimalist than a maximalist when it comes to taste, but I can imagine a lot of people will love this watch.

More details at Omega.

There are a lot of collaborations between watchmakers and car designers. Off the top of my head I can name the Tag Heuer x Porsche, Richard Mille x Ferrari and Jacob & Co. x Bugatti. However, it’s not just prestige watch and car brands that can get in on the action. For example, relatively young microbrand Aera have teamed up with Porsche restomod specialists Rennsport to release the C-1 Rennsport Chronograph Limited Edition.

It has the same 42mm steel case as the standard C-1 Chronograph, but the dial has been reimagined to give it a motorsport connection. The twin, bicompax subdials that display chronograph minutes and small seconds feature 3D printed renditions of the famous Fuchs wheel used by vintage Porsches in the 1960s. It’s not the first time we’ve seen the Fuchs design grace a wristwatch as Union Glashütte tackled the concept last year, proving that it’s a match made in heaven.

Adding to the sporty vibe of the C-1 Rennsport Chronograph, the central chronograph hand, as well as the hands on the subdials, are presented in bright red. They’re also tipped in white, which provides a striking contrast to the matte black dial. On the whole it’s a very minimalist display that focusses on shape and colour. In that manner, it actually feels like a very German design despite Aera and Rennsport both being British. Although it does make a certain amount of sense as the Porsches that inspire both brands are German.

Inside, it houses the Sellita SW 510 bi-compax, elabore grade movement with 56-hour power reserve. Being the elabore grade means it has been adjusted to a higher degree of accuracy in more positions and also that it has a higher level of finishing (which is hidden by the solid steel caseback). It’s a worthy engine for this motoring collaboration.

As to pricing and availability, the Aera C-1 Rennsport Chronograph Limited Edition is £2,350 with only 25 pieces available. That’s £400 higher than the standard steel C-1 Chronograph, but I think that increase makes sense due to the exclusivity of the piece as well as the addition of extra technical elements such as the Fuchs chronograph display. Plus, it feels markedly different to the rest of Aera’s watches due to the Rennsport connection. It’s a fun play on the minimalist sports chronograph recipe.

More details at Aera.

Free diving is a sport that seems utterly terrifying to those who have never experienced it. Veteran divers can spend upwards of five minutes beneath the waves and in certain disciplines reach depths of over 50m – deeper than the majority of recreational scuba divers. In October Ollech & Wajs ambassador Siri Østvold competed at the Freediving World Championship in Kalamata, Greece, wearing the Ocean Graph. She achieved an incredible national record for Norway.

It’s interesting to hear the account of a professional diver using a professional tool watch. For example, while you or I might look at the Ocean Graph and immediately be drawn into the traditional dive watch spiel that it’s used to time decompression periods – the Ocean Graph even replaces the typical timer bezel with a decompression table for this purpose – Siri finds her own ways to make the timepiece work in her preparation.

Image credit: Federico Buzzoni

“Recovery periods between dives must be just as perfectly timed,” she says. “Time on the surface must be relative to a number of factors such as the depth and duration of the previous and next dive and an individual diver’s own physiology — everybody handles CO2 and O2 differently.”

The Ocean Graph is also perfect for freediving because with a size of 39.5mm x 15.8mm case it isn’t too bulky (while being no shrinking violet) and also features an incredible water resistance rating of 1,000m. It might sound like overkill (and it technically is) considering Siri can reach depths of around 60m but it’s important to remember that a watch needs to have a water resistance rating much higher than the depth you actually want to use it at due to the impact of water pressure and movement.

Image credit: Federico Buzzoni

Typically, we say 300m is the minimum you’d want to consider for recreational scuba so for a professional athlete, looking at a more serious water resistance rating makes a lot of sense – Siri is going up to 20m deeper without assistance. In fact, when the Ocean Graph was first developed in 1968 it was rated to 300m exactly because it was designed for recreational diving. It was the recreational counterpart to the more intense Caribbean 1000 that first attained a 1,000m water resistance rating a few years prior.

Part of the Ocean Graph being more recreationally focussed is the fun combination of colours found on its display. Siri says, “I really love the contrast of the chalky blue dial and the triangular orange markers, but the watch saves its best surprise for dusk when the green and orange lume come to life”. Of course, she gets to see more of the lume than most down in the darkness of the oceanic depths.

Powering the Ocean Graph is the Automatic ETA 2824-2 OW5P, an automatic calibre with a 38-hour power reserve. It’s equipped with an Ollech & Wajs machined rotor, although it remains hidden by the solid steel caseback. It’s a solid enough movement though it would be nice to see that power reserve increased. It has an overall price of £1,566 on woven perlon strap or £1,794 on bracelet.

One thing’s for certain. With a watch like the Ocean Graph on your wrist you can feel the confidence to push yourself to the limits just like Siri Østvold. And who knows, while she achieved a national record this year, perhaps next time she’ll walk away with a title.

More details at Ollech & Wajs.

The ‘Silicon Valley’ aesthetic is an interesting one. On one hand you have your Zuckerbergs and Musks who slouch around in non-descript t-shirts and on the other hand you have the tech billionaires who like to show it with tailored suits and high-end wristwatches (even renowned normcore fan Zuckerberg was recently seen wearing a Patek Phillipe 5236P along with a slew of F.P Journes). MB&F’s latest limited edition is unapologetically aimed at the latter though in a somewhat tongue in cheek manner. It’s the MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO Silicon Valley Edition.

The EVO has historically been MB&F’s sportiest model, if any of their haute horological creations can be labelled as such. What that means is they’ve kept it exclusively in titanium and zirconium for that lightweight, everyday wearability. For the Silicon Valley edition they’ve intentionally turned up the luxury dial by a considerable amount, swapping the case material to rose gold. As MB&F describe, it’s a golden case for the golden state – meaning California where Silicon Valley is located.

Gold is a somewhat impractical watchmaking material. Pure gold is actually a very soft material, meaning it’s easily scratched and bent. As a result, brands have to turn to tougher alloys that provide higher levels of strength and resilience. Rose gold specifically is an alloy of gold and copper, where the copper provides strength while also giving the metal a redder colouration, hence the name rose. The LM Perpetual EVO Silicon Valley is made from 18k rose gold, the most common type in the watch world, which is a mix of 75% gold and 25% copper. You can learn more about essential watchmaking materials here.

Moving beyond the updated and more luxurious case, the display is more or less identical to the existing LM Perpetual EVO models. That means it has a flying balance wheel front and centre, suspended by two arching bridges. There’s then the hour and minute dial offset towards 12 o’clock balanced by the months subdial at 6 as well as the date and days of the week at 9 and 3 respectively. Completing the list of functions are the leap year indicator and power reserve indicator nestled between the subdials on the lower half of the display.

In classic MB&F fashion, the movement powering these perpetual calendar complications is known simply as the LM Perpetual. It has a 72-hour power reserve and is comprised of an immense 581 parts. Considering how busy the calendars are for some of these Silicon Valley moguls, with a watch like this on hand they can plan their lives for the next 100 years. No doubt at least one of them will find a way to extend their lives that long, probably by absorbing the souls of people who didn’t read the terms and conditions on the latest gizmo.

The MB&F LM Perpetual EVO Silicon Valley Edition is a limited edition of just 18 pieces at a price of $210,000 + tax (approx. £166,000 + tax). It’s available exclusively through MB&F’s retail partner Stephen Silver at the soon-to-open MB&F Lab at Menlo Park, in Silicon Valley. It’s brash and luxurious but it’s also targeted at brash people with a lot of money, so MB&F know what they’re doing.

More details at MB&F.

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.

Zenith’s exploration of extreme environments started all the way back in 2021 with the Defy Extreme Desert followed by a subsequent Glacier edition. Now, completing the trio and officially ending this series is the Defy Extreme Jungle. A 1/100^th second chronograph dedicated to the majesty of tigers.

It’s worth stating that the Defy Extreme is quite a divisive timepiece. On one side you have fans who like its high specs and bold design and on the other side are those who find it all a bit too, well, extreme. Whichever camp you find yourself in, this new edition is not likely to change your mind. If anything, it pushes the extreme aesthetic of the watch even further due to its use of contrasting colours and wide variety of patterns and finishes.

Starting with the case, it measures a broad 45mm in diameter and is constructed from a combination of brushed titanium and Tiger’s Eye gemstone. The stone is specifically used for the chronograph pushers and the dodecagon portion of the bezel, emphasising the layered appearance of the design. The Tiger’s Eye pattern finds particular resonance because the dial itself also features a tiger stripe motif.

Specifically, the scales of the tricompax chronograph subdials are bright orange with tiger stripes. It contrasts wildly with the green translucent glass of the openworked dial. The overall impression is much like tiger stripes in fashion, bold and unapologetic. It will undoubtedly be a magnet for criticism but it’s also fun. In terms of functions, the dial displays hours, minutes, small seconds, 1/100^th second chronograph, 30-minute timer and 60-second timer. It’s a testament to how fast a 1/100^th second chronograph really is (rotating once per second) that a regular 60-second chronograph function becomes a subdial.

Powering these impressive functions is the El Primero 9004 movement. It uses a dual escapement system, one for the regular time functions that operates at a hi-beat 5 Hz frequency and one for the chronograph that has an insane 50 Hz frequency. In a mechanical watch that’s incredibly high. The power reserve is given as 50-hours, which I assume doesn’t account for the power intensive chronograph being active the whole time.

The Zenith Defy Extreme Jungle is priced at CHF 25,900 (approx. £23,000) in a limited edition of 50-pieces. Not to put too sharp a point on it again but this is not a watch that will appeal to everyone but with it being so exclusive, not everyone can get one. One thing’s for sure, with this behemoth on the wrist, you’ll certainly be the apex predator around.

More details at Zenith.

I’m sure everyone reading this is wondering when we’ll be doing our collaborative follow-up to the Christopher Ward Shoreline. Don’t worry, news on that in due course – but for now, the collabs don’t stop coming, the latest of which is a particularly lovely number from our friends over at Fratello: the Fratello x Czapek & Cie Promenade Transparencies Viridian Green.

Green is apparently this pair’s colour as Fratello and Czapek & Cie’s first collaboration was on the gorgeous Antarctique Passage de Drake, with it’s gorgeous, scaled dial and integrated bracelet. While the colour here is the same Viridian Green though, that’s the only similarity.

For one, the dial, the focal point of the Antarctique has been removed almost completely. Almost, because the sapphire covering the open movement has been given a green tint, allowing a look at the micro-rotor movement underneath like through water. It’s a novel twist on the elegant, 38mm Promenade case, which is certainly home to some of Czapek’s more novel dials.

Perhaps most unusually, the smokiness of the dial emanates from the small seconds subdial at 4 o’clock. We’ve seen gradients from 6 o’clock before, but not this. It’s not ground-breaking, but it is a fun twist on fumé, drawing the eye to a particular focal point.

The movement underneath all that green smoke is Czapek’s signature SXH5 movement, the in-house calibre inside a good chunk of their stable these days. That means a 60-hour power reserve, 4 Hz frequency and a platinum micro-rotor, unusually made from recycled precious metal. It’s finished to the degree you’d expect from a proper prestige watch – enough that you can see why you’d want to open up the dial.

Speaking of prestige, we’re used to seeing most collabs fall into the accessible category, but Czapek & Cie are anything but. So, it shouldn’t come as too big a surprise that the Fratello x Czapek & Cie Promenade Transparencies Viridian Green will set you back EUR 32,000 (approximately £26,500) for one of the 50 pieces. It’s a pretty steep amount but then this is a gorgeous collab that fans of Czapek & Cie will undoubtedly leap on.

More details at Fratello.

In case you haven’t heard – which I would find personally insulting – for the last few months, we here at Oracle Time have been running our own annual awards. They’re the first and only watch awards shortlisted and voted for by our readers, meaning that the results aren’t down to us. We didn’t get a panel of our industry cronies to decide between them, we didn’t sell the categories to our favourite advertisers, nothing like that, just horological democracy at work.

There are ten categories, running the gamut from dive watches to haute horology, and everything in-between. You may even be able to guess some of the winners from the eight-watch shortlists we’ve been promoting over the past few months – so don’t forget to let us know how many you got right. More importantly, this is the first time we’ll be revealing the results of the completely open Readers’ Choice award – the de facto Oracle Time Watch of the Year 2024.

So, now that the votes have been counted (far more than last year, might I add) let’s take a look at this year’s winners of the Oracle Time Watch Awards.

Best Dive Watch | Christopher Ward C60 Trident Lumiere

When we reviewed Christopher Ward’s latest diver back in August, we knew it would be a serious contender for dive watch of the year. It’s a watch that takes the concept of lightness and runs with it in different directions. There’s the dial, which not only has one of the most eye-catching orange colourings we’ve come across – even in the orange obsessed sub-genre of diving watches – but has solid Globolight indexes. This is the same sort of material Christopher Ward use on their ‘Glow’ watches, so it almost goes without saying that it’s incredibly bright. Then there’s the case, which is light in a very different way, in full titanium.

Less obvious refinements include the newly svelte thickness, which thanks to a new Sellita SW300 movement, slims things down to just 10.85mm, meaning it sits better on the wrist than ever before. It also ups the power reserve to a more-than-respectable 56 hours. All of that, plus professional diving specs for £1,985 makes this a no-brainer for the Best Dive Watch of 2024.

More details at Christopher Ward.

Best Chronograph | Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional White

It seems to be a trend this year for serious watchmakers to update their classic models in favour of anything too risky and while that’s likely to generate fewer headlines, I’m entirely in favour of it. Sure, it makes my job a little less interesting, but the pure, clean simplicity of a Speedmaster with a white lacquer dial makes up for it.

Let’s not beat around the bush here, this is nothing dramatic. It was initially teased by Daniel Craig, which was likely the reason for some of the hype around the new watch more than the watch itself. Still, the pristine white takes the high-contrast, ultra-legible formula that took the Speedmaster to the moon and gives it a refresh.

Old school Speedy-heads are still catered to, too, with some welcome historical touches – the DON bezel and Alaska Project colourway key among them – and a gorgeously finished manual-wind movement. It’s not as authentic as the Moonwatch Professional, but it might be the best Speedmaster of the year, if not a good deal longer.

More details at Omega.

Best Accessible Watch | Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 40mm Gradient

We didn’t call this the perfect summer wearer for no reason. The PRX is one of those scant handful of modern watches that you could actually call iconic and, while a lot of that is largely drawn from the 1970s archives of Gerald Genta, it’s Tissot’s accessible twist on the formula that has made this particular integrated bracelet sports watch a firm favourite.

This time the Swatch Group brand has upped the ante with a gorgeous gradient dial. Rather than the more traditional fume, where the lighter part is in the centre and the darker at the periphery of the dial, the split is between top and bottom, going from pale and icy to almost purple. It still has that signature, Royal Oakadjacent Tapisserie finish, too.

We can imagine in the New Year that Tissot will flex similar designs across the horological rainbow, but for now, with a price tag of £640, this makes for one of the coolest accessible watches around right now – and the winner for 2024.

More details at Tissot.

Best Dress Watch | Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Moonphase Retrograde

The vintage-inspired wave ever crashes, with brands moving away from those core decades of the 1960s and ‘70s to the ‘50s and ‘80s instead, the former of which is firmly in Vacheron’s wheelhouse. In fact, they have a collection dedicated to clean ‘50s style in the Patrimony. It was a collection that was the prestige watchmaker’s focus for 2024 and, while I personally loved the base automatic Patrimony, the new moonphase model evidently struck a chord with our readers.

It’s not hard to appreciate why this is a winner. The Patrimony Moonphase has its titular complication at six o’clock as per usual, but rather than a full circle it’s an arch instead. It works the same as a standard moonphase – marked out to a precise 29 ½ days – but the shape echoes the unusual retrograde date across the top half of the dial. The result is something that looks like a dual retrograde without actually being one.

Pair the novel layout with the ‘50s dress watch refinement of golden pearl minute markers, elegant, elongated hour markers and a silky, silvery dial and you have an absolutely stunning dress watch, as suited for 2024 as it is 1954.

More details at Vacheron Constantin.

Best Travel Complication | Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium

When the Spirit Zulu Time was launched back in 2022 – and to a lesser extent, the time-and-date version from the year before – I didn’t realise quite how fantastic the reception would be. Longines weren’t best known for pilots’ watches and the ‘pilots inspired’ nature of the Spirit could have felt like they were jumping on the aviation bandwagon – if it weren’t so confidently done. Instead, it has become their best received watch in years.

The Spirit Zulu Time Titanium doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, it adds the quality-of-life upgrade that is lightweight titanium, making that comparatively chunky case a joy to wear on a daily basis. The darker metal also works nicely with the gilt black and gold dial, which could have been stripped off everyone’s favourite Prince of retro, the Black Bay and given a cockpit-focused facelift.

It perhaps doesn’t expand the collection in the same way as the new flyback chrono that it was released alongside does, but for my money – and apparently, a lot of yours – this fills a GMT shaped hole I didn’t know I had.

More details at Longines.

Best Field/Pilot’s Watch | IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert

IWC got ahead of the coloured ceramic curve when they released the Mojave a few years back (you know, discounting Rado) and the sandy colour has been a mainstay of their collection ever since. Sure, they’ve dabbled in crisp white, forest green and other military-adjacent combinations, but the aptly named desert ceramic is hard to beat.

Of all watches, this is the one that should have always been draped in the Mojave colours. For one, it’s the Top Gun; both the ceramic and watch itself are inspired by the legendary silver screen pilots’ academy. Here though, it’s the 41mm version rather than the previous Lake Tahoe and Woodland Green versions, making it much more wearable for those of us not determined to strap it over a flight suit.

The pushers and crown that you might assume are titanium are, in fact, ceratanium. I won’t give you too much applause if you guess what two materials that’s a contraction of. Either way, the contrasting dark grey rounds off a watch of stoney neutral tones – which is fitting, given that ceramic and ceratanium are rock hard.

More details at IWC.

Best Microbrand Watch | Beaubleu Seconde Française

Part watch, part Art Deco orrery, French brand Beaubleu’s debut effort nails that sweet spot between a quirkiness just shy of pretension and excellent, elegant wearability. It perhaps doesn’t come as a surprise that founder Nicolas Ducoudert isn’t a watch designer by trade – at least exclusively. His background is in cars and more nebulous luxury products, meaning he comes at Beaubleu with fresh eyes. And it shows.

The key to the Seconde Française (or French Second if you didn’t pass year 9 French) is its trio of hands. All three are unique, oversized circles with the tip of a hand protruding from the balloon edge to accurately point out the time. While the hours and minutes are firmly secured in the centre however, the second hand drifts around the circumference of the enamel dial. Essentially, it’s a mystery watch rendered in that particular French je ne sais quoi and, more importantly, sans Cartier pricing.

Indeed, what makes Beaubleu a worthy 2024 award winner isn’t necessarily the overall design of the Seconde Française (although that helps) but it’s surprisingly accessible price tag of £1,065 (ex. VAT & customs).

More details at Beaubleu.

Best Integrated Sports Watch | Czapek & Cie Antarctique Green Meteor

Gone are the days when integrated sports watches were what you launched when you’d run out of ideas. And thank God for that, those days sucked. But the success stories from the movement are still around, the Czapek & Cie Antarctique being key among them. Sure, it’s a little dressier and a good deal less industrial than most of the competition, but it’s still very much a sports watch – if one for the more well-heeled of sportspeople out there.

There have been numerous interpretations of the Antarctique since its inception, including the scaled Passage de Drake that in my mind made it a modern classic. But this year, the brand revealed their limited-edition Green Meteor and it’s an absolute stunner. The dark, mineral hue and its clear Widmanstätten pattern (the cross-hatching on a meteor, for your next quiz night) brought together in the otherwise rigid and flawlessly machined case make for an absolutely gorgeous prestige proposition.

It’s a small thing too, but for me what really makes this watch one of my favourites of 2024 – and something I’m glad has received the recognition it deserves – is that red-tipped second hand. Sometimes that’s all it really takes.

More details at Czapek & Cie.

Best High Complication | Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual

Fittingly for the Best High Complication of 2024, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s annual slice of insanity, launched at Watches & Wonders, reads like the wishlist of a master watchmaker prone to hyperbole. The headliner is the Heliotourbillon, a tri-axis take on the classic gravity-defying cage that spins like a top at nine o’clock, given plenty of room to breathe with a dial cut-out.

That should probably be enough. It’s certainly the flashiest part of the watch. But then there’s the fact that, despite taking up a ton of energy, that Heliotourbillon doesn’t impact the power reserve of the main watch. That’s because the Duometre actually has two barrels, one for timekeeping, one for complications.

If a whole barrel for a tourbillon seems overkill, that’s because it is. This particular beast also includes a perpetual calendar and moon phase. Because of course it does, the thing has a grand total of 655 components. Pure insanity.

More details at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Readers’ Choice 2024 | IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar

And here we are, finally, your choice for Watch of the Year 2024: the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar. I have to admit, I find some thematic harmony in the idea of a calendar watch being crowned our Watch of the Year, but as with all of these awards, it wasn’t me that decided this – or even a panel of judges – but our readers who, it seems, have impeccable taste.

We actually interviewed Professor Brian Cox, he of BBC space documentary fame, and he was as enamoured by the Eternal Calendar. Given just how impressive a timepiece it is, I’m not surprised. I’m pretty enamoured too.

First off, it’s a secular calendar. To explain what that means, you need to know how the Gregorian calendar works. It’s not just a leap year every three years, but every three years except centennials unless divisible by 400. That means your poxy perpetual calendar will go out of whack every couple of centuries or so. Not so this, which includes an extra wheel that turns over the course of centuries. It’s an incredible achievement that very few watchmakers have ever been able to put into production. I did say production, meaning I’m not counting Furlan Marri’s insane one-off.

So, it’s the most accurate calendar watch out there. But the Eternal is also the most accurate moon phase ever built, knocking specialist Andreas Strehler off the top spot he’s held for decades. It’s accurate for 45 million years, which turns ‘you only look after it for the next generation’ into ‘you look after it until Star Trek Next Generation is a reality’.

More details at IWC.

Minute Repeater watches are regarded as among the most prestigious, one of the three major complications. They make use of exquisitely produced hammers and gongs inside their movements to give auditory voice to the time, allowing the wearer to tell the time without so much as a glance at their wrist. In fact, Parmigiani’s latest piece unique, the L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse makes use of this fact to do away with a conventional dial altogether.

This is the first in a series of five unique minute repeaters that Parmigiani are creating, each crafted with individual and striking aesthetics. For this edition the core concept is the golden ratio, which is why the Grand Feu enamel display features a pinecone pattern that follows the ratio. Michel Parmigiani cites pinecones as a key piece of inspiration for him, as they are the perfect meshing of the Fibonacci sequence with the golden ration and reveal the hidden beaty of mathematics visible in nature.

For a similar reason the brand new 42mm white gold case features a caseband decorated with Doric columns. The Parthenon in Athens is an architectural marvel that makes use of Doric columns too and which some believe was constructed using the golden ratio. Hence, the inclusion of these shapes on the watch brings together the achievements of nature and the achievements of man in a single objet d’art. The same concept informed the relaunch of the Toric earlier in the year.

Turning the Parmigiani L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse over to view the caseback reveals that there actually is a time display after all, it’s simply hidden on the reverse of the watch instead of the dial. Looking at this rear dial, it has a central disk of white jade following a similar guilloché style to the main enamel dial. Around the periphery is a time scale with dot hour markers for hours and minutes. The hands themselves are presented as floating H and M letters for the Hours and Minutes.

However, while the dial, case and rear time display are all superb, the killer feature of this watch is of course the movement inside. It’s the PF355, a manual winding calibre created by  Renaud Papi. It has a 72-hour power reserve and is equipped with the flagship minute repeater complication. In order to ensure a high quality of sound it uses oversize cathedral gongs that wrap around the movement almost twice, creating a deep, rich sound. That sound is further boosted by the resonance chambers built into the case.

As a fun touch, the Parmigiani L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse is provided with a custom watch display box. It’s made from Risoud spruce, a popular luthier’s material that has great acoustic properties. Plus, the unique shape means that depending where you position the watch, there are subtle shifts in the sound it creates, allowing you to tailor the auditory experience even further.

More details at Parmigiani Fleurier.

While neo-vintage watches are killing it at auction, neo-retro designs are proving just as popular when it comes to new releases. Neo-retro designs are essentially those inspired by the 1980s – early 00s, like the new Timex Automatic 1983 E-Line Reissue. It’s Timex’s first automatic reissue watch (previously they’ve done a lot of quartz reissues) and it drips with cool 80s funk.

It’s fairly small, measuring just 34mm x 12mm in steel, which is in keeping with its retro styling. The rounded square shape is nicknamed a ‘TV Dial’, due to its similarity to the shape of a television from the 1980s, the period when Timex created the original watch that inspired this reissue. It’s paired with a sleek, single-link, expandable bracelet nestled inside the wide, flat lugs. In fact, the style of the lugs is very similar to other popular 1980s designs like the Tissot PRX that was released a few years prior.

Moving to the dial, it’s worth noting that there are a few alternative colourways. There’s a golden edition and a turquoise version however those aren’t ‘Reissue’ models. The name Timex Automatic 1983 E-Line Reissue specifically applies to the silver dial option with vertical brushed finishing. The silver tone means that depending on how the light strikes the watch it can look bright white due to its reflective qualities.

The display itself is very minimalist with gently facetted bathtub hour markers and similarly shaped hands. There’s a date aperture at 3 o’clock and the dial is inscribed with ‘Timex Automatic’ and ‘Water Resistant’. Although while the little wave motif might make you think it’s suitable for the pool, the water resistance rating is only 50m, so it’s more suited to surviving a spilled poolside cocktail rather than being in the water itself.

Inside, the watch houses the Japanese Miyota 8215 automatic. It’s a well-respected workhorse movement with a 42-hour power reserve and -20 / +40 seconds per day. Admittedly those aren’t exactly stellar specs but that’s offset by its accessibility and ease of repair (even the smallest service centre likely sees more than their fair share of them). Plus, let’s not forget the simple fact that this is an automatic movement when Timex have done tons of quartz reissues, making it quite special.

The Timex Automatic 1983 E-Line Reissue is priced at just £190, which makes it a fantastic value proposition. The combination of a cool 80s style, an automatic movement and steel construction for less than £200 is nothing to be sniffed at. Frankly it’s an insane price.

More details at Timex.

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.