Baltic’s inherent intuition for producing well-designed watches imbued with just the right amount of vintage charm has won them lots of fans in a comparatively short space of time. They have also shrewdly managed to keep their prices relatively low by knowing just where savings can be made in production costs (such as movements used) without sacrificing the overall appeal. It’s for these reasons that I’ve been keen to get my hands on one of Baltic’s watches for some time, so when the chance came to review the new Baltic Bicompax 003 chronograph, of course I jumped at the chance.

The Case and Wearing Experience

Whilst I love smaller watches as of late, I am averse to watches that have shrunk in all dimensions bar thickness, as proportions can look ‘off’. For this reason, when I saw in the specifications that the 36.5mm Baltic Bicompax 003 was 13mm thick, my heart sank. However, after having it on the wrist for a week now, I can honestly say, don’t let this put you off! The reality is that this watch wears a lot thinner. In fact, it wears very well indeed. The case itself is just 10mm thick and the stunning high-domed Hesalite crystal takes up the remaining 3mm. The 1940s-style ‘stepped’ case also helps in this regard. Conversely, I’d also say that on the wrist it wears more like a watch with a 38mm diameter, thanks in part to the relatively long, elegant lugs and lug-to-lug measurement of 46mm. It all balances out nicely and will suit a surprisingly wide variety of wrist sizes.

The finishing on the elegant 316L stainless steel case is simple, being predominantly brushed, with just the dial side of the upper bezel, crown, chronograph pushers, and part of the caseback being polished.

The mid-case is slim and very elegant when viewed from the side and the stepped case is a nice feature. The lugs curve gently downwards, but the relatively deep caseback means that the watch does sit slightly proud of the wrist, but not annoyingly so. The circular brushed finish to the tops of the lugs appears to give a tonally bright, but less refined look than the linear finish to the case sides. The lugs are drilled, a nice feature which makes it easier to swap out straps that don’t have a quick release function. However, Baltic’s own straps are quick release, so swapping these out is even more of a doddle than using the drilled lugs. My watch came paired with the Beads of Rice bracelet (€60 option) and although there is quite a lot of flex in it, I found this combo to be comfortable, well-balanced and light on the wrist. I think the watch might look great with a dark coloured leather strap for added contrast.

The 20mm lug width gives the watch a wide and flat stance across the wrist. Given the design approach taken with this watch I’m a little surprised that Baltic didn’t opt for an 18mm lug width, which would have been truer to the vintage spirit. However, it might then look more dainty on larger wrists.

The screw-down caseback comprises a polished outer, brushed inner and exhibition centre, made from Hesalite. The unsigned push-pull crown is oversized, making it very easy to wind and set the time, a good move for a manually wound watch. Unsurprisingly, water resistance on the watch is just 50m. But then most people don’t buy a vintage-style chronograph for water resistance!

Baltic Bicompax 003 – Dial and Hands

First off, confession time! Whilst salmon dials seem to be a big crowd-pleaser amongst microbrand lovers, I’m not easily pleased when it comes to salmon dial watches. All too often they are either too pink or verge on brown. So it was with some trepidation that I unboxed the Baltic. It was a very dull day when I opened the package, and initially I was underwhelmed. I thought the dial lacked dynamism and the colour was more wishy-washy than I was expecting. However, I’m pleased to say that in better lighting the dial comes alive and has more light play. Now that I’ve lived with the watch for a bit, I think that the colour choice is a good one, leaning more towards copper, but with just a hint of salmon. 

I love that a combination of different finishes has been used. Arranged in a sector dial type design, the centre section has a grained finish, the chronograph sub-dials have a concentric circle pattern (what Baltic call ‘Azurage’), and the hour sector and minute track both have concentric brushing, separated by another thin band of graining. These textures help break up the dial in the absence of any contrasting or accent colours and also help bring the dial to life.

The fully polished flat leaf-style hour and minute hands are elegant and well proportioned. However, adding a longitudinal centre crease, chamfering or contrasting finishes might have helped improve legibility here. The slender chronograph seconds hand reaches right to the outer edge of the dial and has a circular counter-balance.

Polished dial furniture comprises pointer-shaped applied indices at each hour, with applied Arabic numerals for the 12 and 6. The outer minute track, running seconds and 30-minute chronograph registers are printed in black, as is the minimal dial text comprising brand name and ‘Bicompax’ model name. There is no lume, which is to be expected for this type of dressy chronograph.

Legibility and contrast are poor on this watch, especially in low light. Also, bear in mind that once you throw a wide bezel and stepped case into the mix, the dial itself is pretty small. This is fine for time-telling and for style, but not so great if you plan on frequently using the chronograph functions. So, if like me, 20/20 eyesight has long since disappeared in the rear-view mirror, you should probably consider one of the other two dial colours available, Silver Blue or Blue Gilt, both of which have increased contrast. I’m hoping that Baltic might also consider revising the salmon dial variant by giving it dark or blued hands for added contrast, wink wink.  

Bring on the Hesalite!

As any watch brand will know, choose Hesalite for your new vintage-inspired watch release and people will complain, choose Sapphire and people will complain. It’s a no-win situation. However, in the case of the Bicompax, there will surely be fewer distractors than normal. Why? Baltic have firmly planted their flag in the sand with this watch. They make no qualms about the fact that it has been designed to fully embrace vintage, not just pay homage to vintage, or pick and choose certain elements. They understand that this watch isn’t going to please everyone, so those that it will appeal to will probably welcome this decision. I know I do, as the high-domed Hesalite looks amazing and certainly adds to vintage charm. Plus, as I’ve recently discovered (after previously being scared to try it), small scratches can easily be polished out with Polywatch.

Baltic Bicompax 003 Movement

The Bicompax 003 uses the Chinese-made Seagull ST1901 manual winding movement. This column wheel chronograph is based on the Venus 175 movement and is now a mainstay choice of movement for Baltic. It’s non-hacking, has a 42-hour power reserve and beats at 21,600 vph, or six ticks per second. It doesn’t give the smoothest sweep to the seconds hand, but it’s well suited to this watch.

I’ve not handled a watch with the Seagull movement before and was pleasantly surprised at the winding action. However, the crown’s push-pull action takes a bit of getting used to. When you pull the crown out to set the time, the engagement feels vague with very little discernible click, and you’re never quite sure what position it’s in.

I chose to spec the optional exhibition caseback for my review watch as I wanted to show our readers the movement. And I’m glad I did, as the movement fills the viewing window completely, which is a good look. The architecture of the ST1901 also ensures there’s lots of visual depth, so if you love mechanics there’s plenty here to keep your attention. There’s a nice balance of colour, with steel, gold, blued screws and pink jewels. There are also small sections of Côte de Genève decoration.

At a glance, it’s a great looking movement. However, if you buy watches with exhibition casebacks because you like sophisticated finishing and craftsmanship that stands up to scrutiny under a loupe, you might prefer to opt for a solid caseback and save yourself £25 in the process. All-in-all though, when you consider that you’re getting a mechanical chronograph from a respected company for a starting price of just £540 in the days of frequent and rapidly escalating price increases, there’s a lot to be grateful for here.

Final Thoughts on the Baltic Bicompax 003

With this release Baltic is amongst the handful of trend-setters who have fully embraced vintage, rather than just dabbled around the edges. As I’ve been saying for while now, I think we’re starting to see brands shift from making vintage-inspired watches recreated at modern sizes, to truly vintage-sized pieces (KUOE, Nivada Grenchen, Baltic to name a few). Most brands that can afford to experiment with this approach will still offer core collections of crowd-pleasing sizes, whilst others are choosing to specialise. I’m not suggesting that these watches will be the biggest sellers, but there is certainly a growing niche for them.

I think Baltic is onto another winner with the reduced size Bicompax 003. They’ve timed its release well and I’m sure they’ll sell enough units to make it worth their while. I’d be curious to know how sales of this new 36.5mm size compare with its larger sibling, the Bicompax 002.

Other than field watches, there aren’t currently many truly vintage-sized watches on the market, even less so when you’re looking at chronographs. Therefore, at this point in time, the Baltic Bicompax 003 is a compelling package, especially when you consider its price point (from £540, or £625 as tested). This watch will likely appeal to two different types of buyers. The first will be those who already know that they love smaller watches and are looking for a watch with full-on vintage aesthetics. The second will be those who usually buy modern ‘full-size’ watches but are drawn to the romanticism of smaller vintage watches. The Baltic Bicompax provides the opportunity for them to take the plunge without breaking the bank, and without the risks that come with buying a genuine vintage watch.

My biggest gripe about the watch is undoubtedly legibility. Contrast is low, and the lack of angles, chamfering or alternating finishes on hands and applied indices doesn’t help. If you’re concerned about this, you have two choices. You could choose between the other dial colours, or you could look towards the 003s larger sibling, the Bicompax 002.

All-in-all, the Bicompax 003 is another interesting release from Baltic. It’s got killer looks, great overall design, and attractive dial finishing. It’s also configurable with different dial colours, caseback options and plenty of strap choices. Just as importantly for some, it feels like you’re wearing an actual vintage watch and it’s fun!

The post Baltic Bicompax 003 takes the vintage vibe up a notch appeared first on 12&60.

With that in mind, when I see someone who’s bringing a brand back to life and paying attention to those details, I sit up and take notice. One brand to catch my eye is Orator, which is currently relaunching with a new dive watch available on Kickstarter. 

A Brief History Of Orator

Orator is probably not a brand you’ll have heard of before, but its history stretches right back to the founding of its parent company, Schild & Co. SA., in 1888, until the advent of the Quartz Crisis that spelt the end of many Swiss brands. Schild & Co. produced a wide variety of wristwatches for both men and women, and from 1932 invented the first electric onboard clocks for aeroplanes and cars. 

The company had been using the brand name Orator certainly since the start of the 20th century, but it was in the 1960s that watches bearing the name achieved widespread popularity. During that decade Schild & Co. partnered with AMF Voit, who specialised in manufacturing diving equipment, to produce a line of durable dive watches. These were sold through Voit catalogues, and several styles would be produced over the years under a variety of brand names including Aqua-Lung, Schild & Co., Voit, and of course, Orator. 

The New Orator Sportsman

It’s the spirit of these iconic dive watches that the revitalised Orator brand is looking to recapture with its new dive watch. The Orator Sportsman is closely based on the skin divers from the 1960s that the brand is best known for. 

The case is naturally made from stainless steel and is 40mm wide and 12.9mm thick, which makes it perfectly proportioned to fit a wide variety of wrists. The Sportsman is water resistant to 100m and uses a screw-down crown and 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel with an aluminium insert. The crystal is a double-domed sapphire designed to mimic the acrylic crystals found on the original skin divers, and it comes with an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare. 

For the movement Orator chose the Ronda R150 automatic. It’s an unusual choice that’s not seen often in the industry, perhaps because the movement was only launched in 2016. However, that’s not to say you should be apprehensive about seeing it used here. Ronda is a well-known and reputable movement manufacturer, and the R150 boasts some decent specifications, with 25 jewels, a 40-hour power reserve, and a 4Hz beat rate. As a nice bonus, the Sportsman has a display case back through which you can watch the movement ticking away. 

The watch is available in either black or blue, with two dial and bezel variations to choose from. The first is the Sportsman Diver, which features a striking bezel insert that was a hallmark of the original Orator dive watches. It features a golden crown at 12, with golden numerals at the 15, 30, and 45 minute marks. The other markers in between are silver diamonds. The dial is a reproduction of the original, with a date at 3 and printed baton markers at 12, 6, and 9, and circles on the remaining positions. The markers use Old Radium Super-LumiNova, and feature a white border to add a touch of detail. The hands on the Sportsman Diver are simple gilt batons that mimic the baton hour markers, and they too are filled with Super-LumiNova.

The second variant is called the Sportsman Racer and features a more conventional fully graduated bezel insert with an all-silver print. The dial and handset are different too, with triangular hour markers at 12, 6, and 9 o’clock, and rectangular markers for the remaining positions. Meanwhile, the handset is a classic silver broad arrow design. 

Pricing And Availability

Regardless of which variant you go for, the Orator Sportsman looks to be an excellent recreation of a vintage skin diver, and the model ticks all the boxes for what you want when it comes to this type of watch. 

Only 888 pieces of the Orator Sportsman will be produced, and the Kickstarter campaign is now live. The full price of the Orator Sportsman is €1,180, however, there are several discounts if you preorder via the Kickstarter campaign. The first 100 orders will get the Super Early Bird price of €750, whilst the next 500 get the Early Bird price of €790, filled by the Late Bird price of €830 for the next 88. 

You can read more about the Sportsman on Orator’s website, or visit the Orator Kickstarter page here. 

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For me, Nivada Grenchen’s demise was one of the great losses of the Quartz Crisis. Which is why I was absolutely thrilled when the brand was revived back in 2018. Whilst I’m not aware of any connection to the original brand besides the name, the new Nivada Grenchen understands the importance of making use of the heritage of that name. 

As such, its models are all near-exact reissues of classic Nivada Grenchen watches. One of my favourites is the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver, which is available in a mind-boggling array of dial options, and with the choice of either a manual or automatic movement. So when Nivada got in touch to offer me a watch in exchange for reviewing it, I had a hard time choosing which to go for!  

In the end, I opted for the Orange Boy “SL” with a manual-wind movement on a beads of rice bracelet, the retail price for which is CHF1,795. This translates to approximately £1,481 or $,1843 at the time of writing. 

A Classic Case Size 

As I mentioned earlier, the watch is a near-exact reissue of the original Nivada Chronomaster, which includes the case being the same 38mm size as the original. This is considered small for modern chronographs, but it’s a key reason the Chronomaster feels like an authentically vintage watch. The bezel is actually slightly wider than the case too, which adds another millimetre to the size. The lug-to-lug is a pretty reasonable 46.5mm, which means the watch doesn’t feel tiny on the wrist. However, it’s still not a big watch, and if you’ve got large wrists you might find the Chronomaster a bit small for you. 

The reason I chose the manual wind version is because it’s just over a millimetre thinner than the automatic Chronomaster, and it measures a very reasonable 13.8mm including the crystal. A lot of brands insist on making their mechanical chronographs automatic, which makes them very thick, so I’m pleased to see Nivada offering both options. 

The beads of rice bracelet is pretty comfortable, and it helps reinforce the Chronomaster’s vintage look. The links are held in place by screws, which makes the bracelet easy to size, though they still feature the directional arrows for pins. This caused me some confusion when I initially got the watch, and it took me a while to realise why the pins weren’t coming out. 

The clasp is just a simple pressed foldover type, and whilst it’s period-correct, I would have preferred to see a more modern (and higher quality) clasp instead. However, this is a small gripe in the grand scheme of things, and it really doesn’t diminish my overall love of the watch. The lugs are also drilled, which allows you to swap out the strap with ease, should you get bored of the bracelet. 

A Look At The Dial

The dial sits beneath a domed sapphire crystal that matches the aesthetics of the acrylic used on the original, whilst offering vastly improved scratch resistance. The dial itself is clean and uncluttered, which makes it very easy to read. In fact, its simplicity hides the multitude of functions built into the watch that gives it its convoluted name. 

Firstly, there’s the chronograph, which can track up to thirty minutes using the bright orange central seconds hand and the sub-dial at three o’clock, the sub-dial at nine counting the running seconds. This is complemented by a tachymeter scale on the outside of the dial, and the minute track which has hash marks for fifths of a second. The sub-dial also has an eye-catching red segment to count down the first five minutes. It’s a feature that was originally designed for yachting, but which is somewhat redundant today. 

The bezel is a bidirectional friction bezel that rotates smoothly in either direction. Its aluminium insert features full 60-minute hash marks for tracking elapsed time up to an hour, as well as a small 12-hour scale for tracking a second time zone. The 12-hour scale isn’t the easiest to read, but it’s there should you need it. 

All this is complemented by a 100m depth rating that allows you to swim and snorkel with the Chronomaster, and a lumed dial and handset for legibility in the dark. The lume isn’t the brightest, but it should be adequate for daily wear.

A Solid Movement

When it comes to chronograph movements, the vast majority of watch enthusiasts prefer to see a watch using a mechanical movement, rather than a quartz one. The problem with this is that a mechanical chronograph can be quite expensive, and most affordable ones are powered by Chinese-made Seagull movements. 

For the Chronomaster Nivada chose to use the Sellita SW510 BH b. As I’ve said before, this calibre comes in both an automatic and a manual variation and features 27 jewels, a 4Hz beat rate, and a 48-hour power reserve. All of which makes the SW510 a solid choice of movement. Given that the Chronomaster costs just under £1,500 I think the use of a Sellita movement makes it a bargain for the price. 

Final Thoughts

In my opinion, the Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster is a near-perfect reissue of one of the most beautiful watches of the era. Nivada made the right decision by being as faithful to the original as they could, as the Chronomaster feels just like a 1960s watch that’s come straight from the factory. 

And at just under £1,500 for a mechanical Swiss chronograph, the Chronomaster also makes for a tempting value proposition. It’s got a decent set of specifications and wears extremely well on the wrist. That said, I’m sure many people would want to see the watch made a little bigger to account for modern tastes. However, I’m glad that Nivada resisted the temptation to do that, as it would have robbed the Chronomaster of what makes it so incredibly appealing to fans of vintage watches in the first place. This is a watch that knows exactly what it’s trying to be, and it doesn’t make any compromises in order to attract those who want something different. 

You can purchase the Chronomaster from Nivada Grenchen’s website here. 

Plus, you can use the code 12and60#strap to get one free strap when you purchase a watch. Just add your strap and watch to the cart first, and then enter the code at the checkout page to get the discount. 

The post The Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver – A Perfect Vintage Reissue appeared first on 12&60.

Vintage-styled watches are crazy popular at the moment. It’s all the craze for new models and has been for a few years now. But where do you go to get a proper vintage watch? You can try eBay of course, or local car boots or even try your luck at charity shops. Or, you can try Chrono24.

I must admit, I’ve come into this article with relative naivety. I’m well aware that Chrono24 is an online watch marketplace, but that’s pretty much it. I’m not sure how trusted it can be, whether there’s any sort of protection for buyers, or how to use it.

So, let’s go on a journey together. By the way, I was asked to do this article and video by Chrono24, so it comes in conjunction with them. Let’s discuss Chrono24 themselves first, and then we can move into the sellers and using it as a buyer (in particular, of vintage watches).

Watch the video

First things first, the site was launched in 2003, so they have a LOT of data. They use this information to determine suitable prices for your watch based on the condition.

They’re taking the lead in innovative watch based technology too: their Watch Scanner is cool (you take a picture and it tells you what watch it is), and the valuation service has that epic amount of data behind it.

The Watch Collection area is where you can add your own watches and see how the prices fluctuate with a live valuation. For certain models, there’s also a “try it on” feature, where you can specify your wrist size and it’ll show you roughly how it’ll look.

How are Chrono24 as a company then? Can they be trusted?

It’s always worth checking Trustpilot, and to be honest it’s very impressive. At the time of writing, Chrono24.com has 4.8/5 with 17.5k reviews and Chrono24.co.uk has 4.8/5 from 5100 reviews.

So they seem to have quite a following and plenty of positive reviews. What else can they offer?

Their “Buyer protection” looks to be quite in-depth and thorough, ensuring buyers have a seamless process. This includes:

Escrow account

There’s no way of a seller getting your money and doing a runner, by not sending the watch. Your money goes into an escrow account, held independently, which is only released to the seller once you confirm you’re happy with the watch.

Authenticity guarantee

If you have doubts about whether or not a watch is genuine, Chrono24 will get it checked for you. If it’s not, you’ll get a refund. You can supposedly also send a watch back for a refund quite easily if the watch does not match the description.

I’m impressed. I’ve done my due diligence and I’m satisfied that Chrono24 is a great place to buy. I’m protected as a buyer in multiple ways, so I’m happier to hand over my hard-earned cash.

Now what? Now you look through the site and buy a watch! But, with nearly half a million watches on there, it can be a minefield. And whilst Chrono24 do a lot, they are limited as it’s just an online service. Unfortunately, it can’t completely stop unscrupulous individuals trying to take advantage, or sell watches they either don’t have or are not as the condition states.

So, I’ve put together a list of recommendations; a guide on buying used watches on Chrono24.

1. Do plenty of research

As with every major purchase, watch or not, you should research it until your eyes fall out. If you’re after a specific watch, search for known issues with it. It could be the movement is susceptible to a certain fault, or part of it is particularly prone to damage. Once you know the ins and outs of a model, you know what to look out for on used pieces. You can ask the seller about those specifics, even ask for more pictures to satisfy you. This brings us to our next point:

2. Ask for unique, additional pictures of the watch

Chrono24 only allows a certain number of pictures to be uploaded to an advert, so ask for more. If you want confirmation that the seller is legit, ask for the watch to be set to a specific time in front of today’s newspaper or in front of a website showing the date and time such as Time.is. This also takes us onto our next point:

3. Always buy the seller first

A legit seller won’t have any issues with answering your questions or sending additional pictures. You’ll be able to tell a lot about the buyer by their communications. If they’re a nightmare to deal with, it could be a sign that the purchase isn’t going to go well. If it’s a store or company selling the watch, have a Google and check reviews to see if they are good to use.

4. Don’t fall foul of “it’s too good to be true”

Because it probably is. The people who are selling on Chrono24 tend to know what they’re doing and know how to price their watches too. If an absolute bargain is what you’re looking for, then you’re better off scouring the local car boot sales and charity shops in case a little old withering lady tries to sell her husband’s old Rolex Sub for £20.

5. Don’t get too hung up on box and papers

The watch is all that matters. Do you actually care about the box? Will it just be chucked into the loft as soon as you get the watch? For watches that would still be in guarantee, then papers make sense. But if it’s a really old watch, do you need to pay extra? You could end up paying the same amount for a great watch and no box or papers as a watch in not as good condition that does come with them. It’s a tricky balance, but something to think about.

6. Enquire about any service history

Just like a car, regular maintenance on a mechanical machine will prolong its life. If the advert doesn’t state anything, ask the question. It might have had a service 10 years ago – but at least it’s had one.

So here are my top tips for buying off Chrono24, as well as a discovery of the platform. As with any major purchase, just take your time, be cautious and thorough, and you’ll end up with a watch you can treasure for a very long time.

The post Ultimate guide: buying vintage / used watches on Chrono24 appeared first on 12&60.

Bremont assembles its timepieces in the new Bremont Manufacturing & Technology Centre, aka ‘The Wing’. According to their site, this enables the full machining and manufacturing of Bremont’s watches. Pretty impressive stuff, that they make so much of a watch on British soil, to such a high spec, but keep the prices similar to other luxury watches.

So, is it worth £3295? Or are you better off going Swiss for a similar price, such as Oris? Let’s check it out.

The video review

The specs

• Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 13mm height x 49mm lug to lug
• Weight: 92g
• Water resistance rating: 30ATM / 300m
• Movement: BE-93-2AV (modified ETA 2892-A2)
• Accuracy: +10.9 sec / day
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 3 years
• Price: £3295
• Click here to view on Bremont.com
• Buy from Goldsmiths

I feel it makes sense to give special consideration to the aspects that make the watch stand out.

The S302 features a stainless steel Trip-Tick® case construction with a scratch-resistant DLC treated barrel. Bremont uses their case hardening process named B-EBE2000 (which doesn’t roll off the tongue), where the metal is heat-treated and defused with carbon, then bombarded with electrons. The result? Metal with a hardness rating of 2000Hv – seven times harder than standard steel, and therefore, more scratch-resistant.

And what’s “Trip-Tick” all about? The naming convention seems a bit unusual (as in, it doesn’t mean much to me), but the cases are constructed in three parts: the top of the case bezel, the middle barrel and the case back. Whilst it doesn’t mean you get any technological advantages, it does give Bremont watches a distinctive engineered look and feel, and allows them to use a variety of colours and materials for the central barrel, this one being DLC (diamond-like carbon) treated.

Something that many would deem insignificant, but has deeply impressed me is the crown. This thing is a delight. It has great grip and smooth action, is beautifully crafted, with an alluring orange ring with a painted tip with the logo.

The domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal has 9 layers of anti-reflective coating on the top and bottom, making it ultra hard-wearing. Top AR coating can scratch off and can be as horrible to look at as a ding on the case, but Bremont hopes to stop that from happening with their multiple layering approach.

The movement within the Bremont S302 is the BE-93-2AV, which is a modified ETA 2892-A2. It’s chronometer (COSC) certified, with 25 Jewels, a beat rate of 28.8k bph (8 ticks per second), and a 38-hour power reserve. What’s been modified? It has a Glucydur balance, Anachron balance spring, and Nivaflex 1 mainspring. These upgrades make the movement more robust, accurate, and more anti-magnetic. It’s also completely disassembled and modified in “The Wing”. Their custom rotors are delightful, so I’m pretty gutted that this watch has a solid caseback rather than an exhibition one and therefore we can’t see it. The +10.9 sec/day accuracy is disappointing as it’s COSC, but I’m going to put that down to it being a press loaner.

“P-51” vintage coloured Super-LumiNova has been used throughout, with decent strength and longevity.

Thus we move on to the vintage aesthetics. The discoloured / sandy complexion has a definite antique feel to it, which is proving to be very popular at the moment. The hour markers, hands, and bezel markings all work well together, alongside the coloured printwork of the logo, minute track, and 24-hour markings on the rehaut. It’s all very well colour coordinated.

The shape of the nickel satin hands also compliments the vintage feel; a modern take of a cathedral / sword crossover handset. The burnt orange GMT hand offers a bold foray away from this palette, offering ultimate legibility which isn’t overpowering. What’s more, the date window at 3 has a very subtle indented border to it, providing a clean transition between the dial and the colour-matched date wheel.

The uni-directional laser engraved ceramic bezel has a cool matte finish to it, and I particularly like the pip and triangle combo at 12. The markings are all super accurate, although excuse the scuff on this press loaner.

The S302 is loaded on a “Sahara Vintage” leather strap – which is very high quality but takes a little while to break in as it’s reassuringly thick. The creamy colour compliments the colouring of the dial well indeed.

What’s great about luxury watches is every part tends to be well thought out – and the buckle is no exception. It’s certainly not a regular tang buckle, with beautiful sweeping lines, alternating finishes and chamfered edges. The Bremont logo is tastefully and elegantly engraved and painted on the top bar.

The caseback features a detailed embossing of a Supermarine Seaplane, the link between Bremont’s aviation heritage and this being a professional dive watch. Again, good detailing and attention to detail here, as expected.

Final comments

At just over £3000, the Bremont S302 is firmly within luxury watch territory. And it’s easy to see why – the whole thing has tremendous refinement, through and through. Every aspect of the watch has been made the best it can be.

The Trip-Tick case is a delight, and the hardening means it’ll be ultra hard-wearing. So too, the 9 layers of anti-reflective coating on the crystal. The crown in itself is a work of art; the overall design is sophisticated and perceptive. The leather strap is thick and high-quality, and whilst the COSC movement isn’t fully in-house, it’s modified to a high degree. All of that, as well as being British-constructed? Little wonder why it’s the price it is. When compared to another brand, such as Christopher Ward and their brand new C63 Sealander, which in itself is a fantastic watch, the difference in quality is noticeable.

I always like to include any negative points on my watch reviews. I must admit, it’s difficult with the S302. Perhaps it could be slimmer? Some might grumble about the price? There’s no denying though that this is a lovely watch, and I’m convinced that owners will be very pleased with their purchase.

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Some eagle-eyed fans noticed some funny goings-on right after his departure, namely his name going down as a director for a new company applied to companies house. As the months progressed, his non-compete agreement expired, and Tribus was announced.

This new brand launched with an impressive lineup of watches and boasts the incredible coup of being the official timekeeper of Liverpool FC, the current Premier League champions. As a Liverpool fan myself, it’s certainly very exciting to see this collaboration. However, I’m not too excited about their defence of the crown. 

It’s key to note that this is a brand lead by Chris’s three sons: James, Jonathan, and Jake. Whilst Chris’s involvement may get the headlines, they will deserve the praise just as much. I interviewed one of the founders, James Ward, here.

It’s my pleasure to be one of the first review sites to get my hands on their staple model, the TRI-01. 

Coming in at £1,395, it’s certainly more expensive than an equivalent model from Christopher Ward (the brand). Is it worth the extra price? Let’s check it out.

The video review

The specs

• Dimensions: 41mm diameter x 12.09mm height x 50.5mm lug to lug
• Water resistance rating: 15ATM / 150m
• Movement: Sellita SW261, COSC certified
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 3 year
• Price: £1395 (UK) or £1162.50 (outside of the UK, without VAT)
• Buy here: https://tribus-watches.com/products/tri-01-small-second-cosc-gun-teal-black

The TRI-01 is the core collection of Tribus’ offerings and is available in a multitude of configurations. Just like Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, which comes in all shapes and sizes and flavours (they even launched a limited edition with crisps in), at the core it’s still Cadbury’s chocolate. Similarly (this simile is a stretch, I know) the TRI-01 Small Seconds COSC comes in 5 dial colours, with three different cases – steel, gunmetal, and black). For clarity, this is the teal dial with a gunmetal case. I must admit, I didn’t know what to expect with such an unusual colour, but it’s delicious. Just like fruit and nut. No Kettle Chips here. 

The teal is a real breath of fresh air. It’s distinctive, slightly wild and wacky – which fits the bill with Tribus. After all, have you seen their marketing? Everything about them screams alternative, much like Radiohead (it’s got to be “The Bends” for me). In fact, they themselves say that “they don’t want to be another vanilla watch brand”. And they “want to be bold and not be afraid to push the boundaries”. 

Tribus state that their main inspiration here was the timeless appeal of small-second hand dials of the 40s and 50s. I see what they mean; it has a distinctive vintage vibe to it, but still looks modern. 

The dial has a subtle layer of depth to it, due to the pleasant slight concave nature of the small seconds subdial at 6, as well as the 3D triangular hour markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9. 

The viewing pleasure of the dial is exemplified by the domed crystal, which not only provides excellent clarity, but also a dreamy mellow distortion at tight angles. 

Moving on to the case, the gunmetal finish looks cool. As expected, it’s impeccably crafted. What’s impressed me is the distinction they’ve still managed to acquire between the predominantly brushed finish and the occasional polished ridge.

The solid screw-in crown has the splendid three rings logo deeply etched on the end, with decent grip. It also lines up perfectly every time – is that a fluke? I’m not sure, but I’m happy to see it. 

The caseback is secured into place with 6 screws, with an exhibition window in the centre flanked by a brushed ring around it with various specifics. 

If spending this much money on a watch, I always prefer a bracelet. Saying that, the strap is beautiful leather as you’d expect. Some might view the buckle as being a bit out of place, in terms of the bulky / aggressive design when compared to the slightly more eloquent rest of the watch. I like it, but some may feel it doesn’t quite match. The polished gunmetal is really appealing, and the engraved written logo is classy. 

Lume? What lume? They may as well have not bothered with it. Although it’s supposedly X1 GL C1 SuperLuminova, the hands and hour markers have such a tiny slither of the stuff, it’s hardly noticeable. 

I don’t know about you, but whenever I see a watch is powered by Sellita, I just assume it’s the SW-200, their popular clone of the ETA 2824-2. So when I saw that this watch had the SW-261 in, I was most intrigued. I needn’t have been, as it just means the second’s hand is at 6. One vital ingredient that’s been chucked into the Tribus pot is that every one of their watches is COSC certified. That immediately puts the £1395 price tag into perspective, as there aren’t that many cheaper options than that. Certainly none under £1000. The specs are: high beat rate of 28.8k bph (8 ticks a second), 31 jewels, 38-hour power reserve, hand and automatic winding, and a jacking seconds hand. As it’s COSC certified, the average daily rate should be within -4/+6 sec/day.

Final comments

I know what most of you are thinking. How can a new “luxury” Swiss brand, no longer than a year old, charge £1400 for a watch? 

For me, if you drill into that question, it seems that many put a lot of focus on one thing in particular: heritage. After all, if this very watch had an Oris or Longines logo on, no one would bat an eyelid. In fact, people would be impressed with the fact that it’s not much more expensive than the Oris Big Crown or Pro Pilot, or Longines Heritage Railroad or Military, yet is COSC certified. 

Sadly, I feel that heritage in the watch world is starting to be watered down. How many times in recent years have we seen “heritage” bought – that is, a name, brand, or a label, from decades ago, re-introduced by someone completely disconnected from that bequest? All they had to do was pay some dosh to reuse that faux legacy. 

Therefore, with Tribus, I feel what should matter most, is not what happened in the past, but what will happen in the future. And it looks pretty great. They have experience at the helm in the form of Christopher Ward. They have that incredible coup of being Liverpool FC’s official timekeeper, which will maintain their impressive exposure. It’s clear that they’re in it for the long haul, and they will build their own heritage. 

So enough rambling. Do I feel the watch justifies the price? Or vice-versa, does the price justify the watch? I feel it does. Beautifully manufactured, gorgeous design, COSC specs, from a new brand that has muscled its way in amongst its contemporaries. 

And if you’re a Manchester United fan, don’t worry. You can still buy one. We won’t tell. 

The post Tribus TRI-01 Teal Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

This model is the Consillio, and Duxot has the following to say about it:

“Proportioned and styled in the 70s but built for today, the Consillio delivers the best of nostalgic watch design while arming itself as an unrelenting timepiece for modern wear.”

Certainly agree on the nostalgic watch design of the 70s. But with an RRP of $640 / ~£490, is it an unrelenting timepiece for modern wear? Let’s check it out.

The specs

• Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 12mm height x 47mm lug to lug
• Weight: 138g
• Water resistance rating: 10ATM / 100m
• Movement: Seiko NH35?
• Accuracy: -1.5 sec/day
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $640 / ~£490
• Buy here: https://duxotwatches.com/collections/consillio/products/consillio-dx-2007-11

How does the watch wear? Very well indeed. On my 7” wrist, the 40mm diameter feels great and very comfortable. The size and shape of the case are most definitely inspired by watches from the 70s, so if you love that vintage vibe then the Consillio has it in droves.

The case is a distinctive tonneau shape, with lugs which contain the end links of the bracelet. Another very 70s thing to do.

The case has a vertical brushed top and bottom, with polished sides. The side profile is more or less a flat barrel, although I do like the slight tuck in and the bottom edges.

A flat sapphire crystal sits above the case, with pretty decent clarity.

The bezel action is firm but purposeful and has a decent click. It’s pretty annoying that the alignment is slightly off though. The insert is painted aluminium, not the most exciting but I do like the splash of dark orange.

The screw-in crown has the Duxot “D” engraved in the end and is rather quaint in size. The caseback features the logo in the centre, with various specifics surrounding it.

The dial is relatively straightforward, clean and effectively simple. The printed Duxot logo itself immediately introduces a retro vibe, which is aided by the syringe hands and bold applied baton hour markers; both of which have a rustic brushed finish.

The dark orange of the bezel insert is again introduced with the funky seconds hand, which features a lume-filled block near the end. The lume is fairly average.

Moving on to the bracelet, which is designed to be just like the Rolex President style. This style was first released in 1956 for the launch of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date and features distinctive semi-circular 3-piece links. The links wrap around the wrist well and aid the comfort. However, I’m surprised by the finishing on these links. With a bushed top and bottom alongside polished outer edges, I would expect the corners where the two finishes to meet to be a clean line. However, it’s easy to see that the polished finish overflows into the brushed finishing which shouldn’t happen.

The buckle is a standard, solid-looking locking deployant clasp. It has a brushed top and polished sides to match the bracelet, as well as polished pushers. The Duxot logo is neatly and accurately engraved on the top it has 4 micro-release pins which allow you to get a pretty great fit.

Duxot hasn’t specified the exact movement, but rather state that it’s a “Self-Winding Japanese Automatic Movement With Date Display”. Whilst I can’t say for certain, as it’s a low beat rate of 21.8k bph, I’d be willing to bet on it being a Seiko NH35. A solid and dependable movement in itself, but not something that justifies the high RRP for me.

Final comments

I rarely find a watch that disappoints me. Mainly because when selecting watches to review, I do my best to filter out poor watches so I only review decent ones that are worth my time reviewing and your time to read. Unfortunately, disappointed is exactly how I feel with the Consillio. I won’t lie, the RRP of $640 / ~£490 is wildly overpriced for a watch with average specs and a wonky bezel insert. It’s very confusing to me, as Dartmouth Brands clearly know how to make a solid budget timepiece – just look at Spinnaker and Avi-8!

Sure, it looks great, especially if you like the 70s retro vibe that comes along with it. But in terms of the Consillio, I’d rather have a Spinnaker for half the price. Perhaps their other models will be a much better option; we’ll have to wait and see.

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Their first offering – the Chronicle is a vintage-inspired field watch that draws from field watches of old and blends that with newer modern design elements that bring these watches right into the modern era. But can old meet new in perfect harmony?

Prototype Specs

• Lug-to-lug: 43.5mm
• Lug width: 20mm
• Thickness: 12mm
• Case: 316L stainless steel
• Crystal: Domed Sapphire with 2 layers of AR / 1 under & 1 over
• Dial: Metallic Blue Sandwich dial
• Lume: Swiss Super-Luminova
• Movement: Sellita SW-200-1
• Water resistance: 100m
• Strap: Full-grain vegetable-tanned Italian leather

Retail Specs

• Case: 36.5mm
• Lug-to-lug: 43.5mm
• Lug width: 20mm
• Thickness: 12mm
• Case: 316L stainless steel
• Crystal: Domed Sapphire with 5 layers of AR
• Dial: Metallic Blue Sandwich dial
• Lume: Old Radium Swiss Super-Luminova
• Movement: Miyota 9039
• Water resistance: 200m
• Strap: Full-grain vegetable-tanned Italian leather
• Leather watch roll for up to 3 watches
• Buy from: https://mitchmason.com/products/chronicle-steel-blue
• Price: $449

It’s easy to see where the inspiration for the dial comes from though Mitch Mason has put their own twist on it thanks to its vintage flourishes that are merged some more contemporary elements. Starting with the main dial – it’s metallic with some fine brushing that disappears in certain lighting and pops in others. The numerals at 3,6,9 and 12 are cut into the dial in a sandwich style that not only looks great but helps to give it some depth, these are then filled with a vintage-esque style cream luminescent compound that I’m not usually a fan of, but for me it works. The rest of the numerals are printed in a contrasting white and are double-digit, this is an important choice as the designers wanted there to be a strong sense of symmetry. Below the 12 you’ll spot the printed branding and model name in a high contrast white and orange. Bordering the main dial you’ll find a train-track style minute track with four large areas of lume and smaller batons that again give that perfect symmetrical look. Finally is the rehaut which is clean and is done in a brushed finish, this was the right choice as anything else would simply detract from the dial too much.

When it came to designing the hands, the inspiration there might surprise you – I know it did me, the designers at Mitch Mason drew from something not to be expected and that was a knot of twine. The goal here was to showcase that the watch intertwined both the contemporary and vintage. The design is – as far as I’m aware, unique, this is something you don’t see all that often and it’s very nice to see that they clearly haven’t just picked a set from a supplier. The hour hand is anything but boring and clearly has had a lot of thought put into it. The minute hand by contrast a little simpler yet still fits the overall aesthetic perfectly. Finally, the seconds hand; it’s long, slim and bright orange which gives the dial that pop of contemporary and of course some colour interest. And it’s to be noted that this will slightly change in the final production units. The styling will remain though the hand will be slightly shorter.

I’m honestly a fan of the dial and it’s truly so much nicer in the metal than you’ll experience simply looking at the photos. The hands are however a little more polarising, though they are growing me the more time I spend with it.

When picturing a field watch, what comes to mind? A Hamilton Khaki, a CWC perhaps or maybe even a Rolex Explorer and what do they have in common? A traditional field watch look that is distinct. Mitch Mason didn’t want that, they wanted something different, is that risky? A little, but in my opinion, it paid off. Instead of opting for the circular case and straight lugs, they took a leaf out of Seiko’s book – not literally, but their “Grammer Of Design” by Taro Tanaka. This principle, if you will, helped shape the design of Seiko’s, Grand Seiko’s and King Seiko’s throughout the late 1950s and well, to this day. If you’re interested in this, I’d highly recommend reading into more. But, how does this involve the Chronicle, well it’s clear that someone did their research and implemented some of the four tenants into the design of the case, this can be seen with the beautifully chamfered edges, the clean lines, the way the case finishes transition from one to the next and the overall profile. A simple circle this is not and I for one am glad they threw the rule book out here, it’s one of the most interesting cases I’ve had the pleasure of viewing in person. Of course, this prototype has a few rough edges that need a little refining, but I have been assured that the fit and finish will be improved. It’s hard to explain what the final watch will be like when you only have a prototype, but from I have had hands-on with, it’s great and will only get better. I did notice a bit of a gap between the caseback and mid-case, but hopefully, that will be an area that gets addressed, other than that, it looks well done though some areas need a few final touches.

The crown is another area that will be slightly tweaked, at present the crown has a turbine-style pattern cut into it for grip, I personally like this as is, but the team at Mitch Mason have decided to tweak it in order to improve the aesthetic and feel. The new design will feature fewer deeper engraved ridges which in theory will give more purchase on the crown for manual winding and setting the time. As far as I’m aware the crown will remain signed which is great as it’s very well done.

To the screw-down caseback and it’s probably one of the nicer ones I’ve seen to date, it features a highly decorated design with a lot of fine detail. Starting with the outer ring that’s high polish and houses the cut-outs for easy removal of the caseback, you then move inwards to an area that’s finished with some fine brushing and features some very cleanly done engraving that denotes some of the specifications. Now that’s all very nice but it’s the middle where things get interesting. The centre portion of the caseback is beautifully done with varying elements of design and finishes that show Mitch Mason really care about the small details. In the centre of the caseback, you can see a prominent coat of arms surrounded by mirrored floral pattern, a set of crossed swords perched above three stars and topped with the Mitch Mason name on a ribbon-style banner. Finally, just a finishing flourish there are some areas of a radial brush that captures and plays with the light.

It’s a fair amount visually to take in, but so well one and I really appreciate that they’ve carried the symmetry that was so prevalent in the dial and implemented it here.

We sometimes see that straps – in-particular leather ones fall by the wayside and get overlooked in favour of some off the shelf affair, but that isn’t the case here. Mitch Mason have gone that extra mile and provided a strap that is both well made and attractive. The blue leather we have is lovely, starting with a shade of blue that almost perfectly matches the dial, the ever-so-slightly textured outer layer, the smooth inner layer and some neatly done yet imperfect stitching that shows it’s hand-done; it’s brilliant. I also really appreciate the taper that gives the design some character and well class too. The buckle is top-notch as well and has elements that mimic the case, again another little detail that shows they care. The finishing is great and the buckle and tongue feel sturdy and solid. The final plus point is the inclusion of quick release spring bars, a real must-have for any strap in my opinion.

The only slight criticism of the strap I have found is with the solitary keeper, I’m just not a personal fan, don’t get me wrong it’s well done, I just prefer having two than one large. So, nothing against it, just a personal preference.

So, the style and build are great and I have no complaints on either front, however, it’s the size where I find it’s ever-so-slightly let down. I have a six-inch wrist and it does fit though I noticed it is quite tight, this isn’t helped as the next adjustment hole down is just a smidge too loose. Again this is a personal issue and won’t affect all, but it did need mentioning. I would also like to add that I think one extra hole would be great too as then those with slimmer wrists could enjoy the strap and not feel the need to swap it out.

Using the Chronicle daily has been mostly great, but with this prototype, I have one slight issue that I hope gets resolved, so let’s start with that. I found that the crown action doesn’t feel all that nice, it’s a touch rough feeling and a bit gritty; it could just be the prototype though it just doesn’t feel nice. It’s weighty too though that is more reassuring than concerning. Its again another area I can’t dive too deep as the movement, crown and stem mechanism will all change, so take this with a pinch of salt as it’ll be changing. Speaking of the crown I actually like it, it has plenty of grip and is a nice size to get a solid connection with it. This will change in the final model, though again I can’t really comment on that.

One thing that will not be changing is the comfort and well it scores highly. I know I said that the strap is a touch too tight and too loose but on the looser size it was extremely comfortable to wear. The strap wasn’t so loose that it moved freely, it just wasn’t as snug as I’d personally like, given that though, the strap is smooth, flexible and supple providing a really nice feel on the wrist, it’s one that I can comfortably say I’d be happy keep if a few minor tweaks were made. Of course, comfort is highly subjective as we’re all different, so it’s always worth having a backup if you need. The watch head is pretty spot on too, it’s not as curvy as some and the profile is the same, yet it conforms really well to my wrist shape and size. Speaking to Benedict on this he stated he was a fellow slim wristed man and wanted to design a case that would suit us as well as everyone else, this is not an easy task though I can say for me, it wears great. Normally watchmakers design the watch for the many which makes sense, so it’s really nice to see when a watchmaker considers those outside the most popular range.

It’s pretty amazing how much emphasis is placed on lume with companies going to extra lengths to ensure it’s up to par or better, so how’s the Chronicle? Well in a word, great. Mitch Mason and Benedict decided to opt for an old-style Radium lume from the Swiss. This lume – in the day, has a vintage hue that works extremely well, usually, I like crisp white lume, but I honestly don’t think it would have worked here. As for the performance, I am again impressed, it’s not Seiko good but it is impressive. The lume has a distinct blue-green hue that is so visually appealing, it may not be as bright as BGW9 or Lumibrite, but I would happily sacrifice that for the visual look of it. So it might not be torch bright but it does have some good staying power and lasts a significant amount of time, plus with the two easily distinguishable hands its so easy to tell the time when the sunlight starts to fade.

As you’ve noted from the spec sheet the movement in the prototype will change in the final production model, the prototype we have on hand features the well respected Sellita SW-200-1 whereas the retail model will see somewhat of a down-grade and house the equally respected Miyota 9039. Why this was decided is quite simple as a Ben from Mitch Mason kindly explained. Paraphrasing from our discussion, he said that Sellita movements are in high demand at the moment and are thus hard to obtain, they are considerably more expensive too. It also has a date wheel making it thicker and heavier than the Miyota, as well as having a phantom date position. As the Miyota has no date function this aligns perfectly with our model. The Miyota 9039 is a respected movement and the microbrand community appreciate that.

In terms of performance, both the Sellita and Miyota perform superbly as they both have fantastic levels of feedback which gives you a reassuring sense of longevity and durability. The Sellita does edge it however offering just a slightly heightened sense of this, though there isn’t much in it. I also noted that previous 9 series Miyota’s I’ve had experience with seem to have less resistance when turning the crown, this particular Sellita feels a touch more resistive though to be noted – it is a prototype.

Both the Sellita and Miyota are hi-beat (28,800bph) which provides a lovely sweep to the seconds hand that is just so nice to see, they also share more similarities and feature manual and automatic winding and hacking seconds. Where they differ is that the Sellita has 26 jewels whereas the Miyota has 24, the Sellita has a power reserve of 38 hours which is less than the Miyotas 42. The Sellita also has a date position which the Miyota does not, this is perfect as on the retail version there will be no ghost date position. In reality, the Miyota may feel like a step in the wrong direction, but on paper and the real world, there honestly isn’t that much in it, plus if anything was to go wrong down the line, a 9039 would be cheaper to repair or replace than the Sellita.

It’s clear that Benedict wanted to make an impact with his debut and it’s certainly left an impression on me. There’s honestly a lot to like about the Chronicle and only a few key areas of concern which are getting fixed with the final production model. As is, the Chronicle is such a strong offering for a very fair price, it manages to successfully merge its vintage-inspired past and all the new elements to create a watch that hasn’t been done before.

I’ll say it again, it’s so refreshing that Benedict hasn’t fallen into the safe zone and done something a little more daring and I respect him for that. I can imagine it’s a tough call to make, deciding to play it safe or risking it all and I’m glad that he’s took the risk and tossed out the rule book if you will, the industry needs more newcomers that aren’t scared to venture out of the safety zone and give us something new because, without brands like this, the industry would be a little stale. Hopefully, we’ll get hands-on with the production model and see how or if it’s been improved, but I have to say, Mitch Mason and Benedict are ones to keep a close eye on.

Words by Weston Dakin
Pictures by Joshua Clare-Flagg

The post Mitch Mason Chronicle Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

As previously said, the brand was revived in 2016 but remains true to the family routes and is now headed by Cornelius Huber. Cornelius received the first Circula watch made back in 1955 as a wedding gift, this spurred him to carry out the revival of this family brand. Initiating a Kickstarter campaign in 2017, they raised funds to modernise Circula watches fully. And although they offer both Quartz and automatic models in their classic designed pieces, the star of the show has to be the Heritage Automatic – featuring a NOS movement from Pforzheim.

The movement featured in the heritage Automatic is a P.U.W (Pforzhiemer Uhren-Rohwerke GmbH), initially manufactured back in the late seventies. These were placed into storage at the time of the quartz crises and have been recovered by Circula watches. Each of the movement’s parts are carefully cleaned in an ultrasonic bath before the movements are carefully assembled by hand by Circula’s watchmakers then oiled and adjusted for accuracy. Check out Circula’s website for a more detailed history on the movement and some links to interesting articles around watchmaking in Germany.

The PUW calibre 1661s used in the heritage Automatic then is essentially a 50-year-old movement that has been brought back to life to create a watch faithful to the Circula pieces decades ago and that, I think is very special indeed. With an accuracy of -10/+15 seconds a day, I had no problem with the timekeeping of this piece and the power reserve of 40 hours was perfectly acceptable. So all things considered, a lovely movement with an exciting backstory attached to its rebirth. But what about the rest of the watch?

Thankfully Circula haven’t cut corners in other areas. The watch as a whole is a fantastically finished piece. It’s not elaborate or highly stylised which in a microbrand normally raises alarm bells for me. The Circula is a classically designed piece with hours, minutes and seconds in a case of 41mm made of 316L stainless steel. The three-piece case features polished bezel, brushed sides and a case-back secured by four screws that has a display window to view the movement.

The version I had had a stunning blue sunburst dial featuring hour numerals and a small dotted minute track around the outer edge. The hour and minute hand are both lumed using Super LumiNova, and both the handset and numerals are highly polished. From a case point of view, the watch is wonderfully finished, the polishing is done very well, and the subtle brushing to the mid-case gives the watch an exquisite look. The crystal used is a sapphire, so this will please many and ensure that scratches are very unlikely. The case back gives the specific number of the release. So as you can imagine, there is a finite supply of these movements, and so they are released in batches of around 500, so it’s nice to see this recorded as these are all limited editions. The crown is nicely finished with a grippy knurling and engraved which just finished things off beautifully for the watch itself.

You also get a choice of straps which is another area I regularly see even big manufacturers cut corners. Again not the case with Circula. The one I had was handmade in black leather with circula signed hardware. It feels like a quality made strap and for a change one that if this were my watch would probably stay on the watch. If you did want to change it however the strap has quick release spring bars which is another nice touch.

So you can probably guess that I’m quite impressed with the Heritage Automatic from Circula where most microbrands are trying to make a splash with crazy designs or sell a heritage that is only skin deep. Circula do the opposite; they produced a very well finished simple piece with a movement they saved and carefully cleaned and rebuilt to as new standards. While the movement is undoubtedly the draw for this piece, it isn’t a movement in a shoddy case and a cheap strap attached. It feels like care went into the production of this watch, and it feels like a quality product with that being the case. Add to this that these are limited numbers, and I think this is quite a unique piece from a brand that cares about what it’s doing. Would I change anything? 5ATM water resistance? But this is a dress/everyday watch, not a sports piece so maybe that would be picky? The hands are lumed as stated but would be nice to have a lumed pip at the 12 o’clock position. Other than those minor details I think the Heritage Automatic from Circula is a fantastic piece from the brand and I’ll be watching to see where they go from here! After all, I believe they have set a high bar for themselves with this one!

Specifications

• Case: 316L Stainless Steel
• Movement: NOS rebuilt P.U.W 1661s 40hr power reserve
• Crystal: Double domed sapphire with AR coating
• Water resistance: 5-ATM
• Case size: 41mm
• Lug Width: 20mm
• Lug to Lug: 48.5mm
• Price: from €890
• Buy here: https://circulawatches.com/en/heritage-automatic-circula/

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Upon looking at the listing for the Heritage, we noticed that it’s mentioned the design of this watch is based upon a previous model that Rotary had released decades ago. After some digging in the archives, we uncovered a watch made in the 1950s that bears a striking resemblance to the modern Heritage. It features the same handset, similar markings, an identical font for the numerals and a case akin to the new release. Learn more about it here.

SPECS

• Case diameter: 40mm
• Case thickness: 12.5mm
• Lug-to-lug: 50mm
• Lug width: 20mm
• Case material: Rose Gold Plated Stainless Steel
• Crystal: Bubble domed mineral
• Dial: Silver White
• Movement: Miyota 821a
• Water resistance: 50m
• Weight: 58g (approx)
• Warranty: 2 Year
• Price: £249
• Buy here: https://www.rotarywatches.com/en/the-rotary-collection/timepieces-watches/gs05144-70

Given the diameter and style of the Heritage, one would assume that it would wear nicely on most wrist sizes, however, with the longer lug-to-lug measurement of 50mm that is unfortunately not the case. The lugs do slope down in typical vintage fashion though it doesn’t help on a wrist as thin as mine – six-inch to be precise. Because of this, we can’t recommend this watch if you have thin wrists unless you don’t mind a slight overhang from the lugs. Those with larger wrists could accommodate this better, and it would have a nicer wrist presence as a result. I would have liked to have seen a watch with a diameter and lug measurement that was more in-keeping with vintage dimensions though given this watch is new, this is is just how most watches of this style are now. The thickness of the watch is also slightly more than you might expect, coming in at 12.5mm it is thicker than most watches of this style. We can attribute that to the period-correct bubble mineral glass and the automatic movement.

There’s no question as to where the Heritage draws it’s inspiration, the aesthetic is undoubtedly vintage. From the slender tapered handset to the Arabics, this exudes vintage charm but with a modern twist. Around the dial, you’ll find a mix of polished Rose Gold numerals and circular markers that beautifully contrast against the Silver White sunburst finish. This all fuses in a fashion that is very pleasing to the eye and is remarkably legible too. Around the perimeter, you’ll find a simple minute track done in a style similar to the watch upon this is based. Under the twelve you’ll find the cleanly printed Rotary branding with the model name printed in Red underneath. Above the six – again printed, you’ll see it simply says ‘Self-winding’ and ‘21 Jewels’ referring to the movement. Surrounding the six numeral are the words ‘Limited Edition’ rather than Rotary’s usual ‘Since 1895’.

The case of the Heritage is made from Stainless Steel though there is no mention as to the grade, however, given the £249 price tag, we can assume it’s likely to be 316L. The case is then specially coated with a Rose Gold PVD finish which is very well done. The case profile and shape invokes that of a vintage watch with the three-tier design and lugs that are a perfect match. The lugs I have to say are often overlooked, but I appreciate the extra craftsmanship that has turned ordinary into something far elevated. The twisted nature of them is not only elegant, but it also blends with the aesthetic so seamlessly and adds to the appeal. I do, however, wish that they weren’t stepped and flowed from the mid-case in a more refined manner, that would be the icing on the cake. The fit and finish are great with very nice thanks to tight tolerances and a solid well-constructed feel.

Travelling to the right-hand side of the watch you’ll find the crown; this is a standard push-pull affair though the texture is well done and provides plenty of grip. The size is well proportioned and fits the design to a tee. On the crown, you’ll find that it is signed with the Rotary logo, which is a nice touch.

The caseback of any watch is where you can tell that corners have been cut, many will leave this area blank, some will have their branding and the specifications, whereas some will go the extra mile and decorate it. Rotary has gone down a different route and opted for an exhibition style caseback to expose the movement. This area is high polish and has the specifications subtly engraved around the window. The caseback is a simple press-on which is perfectly acceptable as watches of this design are not meant for adventures near water. Given that, the water-resistance is 50m which is more than some in this field.

At the heart of the Heritage you’ll find a Miyota 821a which is a modified variant of the Caliber 8215, this was not mentioned in the listing which is an inconvenience for those that like to know the inner workings of their watch. We discovered it was a Calibre 821a after researching into the 8215 and uncovering this modified variant.
As for the movement, we do wish that Rotary had gone the extra mile and added a custom rotor, though the original one does allow you to see the extra detailing done. So it’s a swings and roundabouts thing meaning it’s down to personal preference.

In terms of specifications, the 821a has a power reserve of 42 hours which is approximately what I uncovered during testing. The accuracy is stated at between -20 to +40 seconds per day which is broad, and I would say that the Heritage has been better than this as it is keeping time very well. Unfortunately, I can’t measure the accuracy to a high degree, but I know that it’s a few seconds behind my phone and easily within the tolerances. The beats per hour is 21600 giving it a nice sweep, though not as smooth as higher beat movements. We are okay with this as higher beat movements tend to need servicing more regularly due to the extra friction. The 821a also hacks meaning it’s a lot easier to set the time to a higher accuracy as the seconds hand stops once the crown has been pulled. The movement is also handwinding and it takes approximately 40 turns to give it a full power reserve.

We’d also like to note, this is a movement that has a date complication meaning it does have a ghost date which can be heard engaging, though not a deal-breaker, it makes me wonder why they didn’t opt for a no-date movement.

The Heritage arrives on a genuine leather strap with a croc pattern, this I think was the right call as it fits the watch perfectly. At the top of the long side of the strap, it starts at 20mm and then gently tapers down to 17mm at the end giving a classy look. It measures in at 124mm length and has 8 adjustment holes that have been very well done and look clean. The croc pattern is slowly starting to wrinkle and is ageing quite well. In terms of comfort, the strap has a soft inner side that feels nice against your wrist, it’s also reasonably supple and isn’t too rigid. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough adjustment holes for me to get a perfect fit, though it was still comfortable to wear.

The top part of the strap is around 85mm and houses two leather keepers, one of which is free-floating and both are well made. The stitching throughout looks uniform, neatly done and is colour matched to the strap as to not detract from it. The buckle design is very elegant and features some prominent branding that is still tasteful. The buckle feels solidly made and is nicely secured in place. I appreciate that they haven’t simply gone with a standard ‘off-the-shelf’ buckle as it shows care and thought has been applied.

As a whole the Rotary Heritage is a timepiece befitting of the name, the design is classy, elegant and refined which is further bolstered by the strong build quality and extra flourishes like the beautifully done lugs and dial. One of the slight drawbacks is the use of the Miyota 821a as it has a ghost date position, here we would have liked to have seen Rotary opt for something different just to add that extra fine touch to the watch as a whole. However, given the choice, we are glad they opted for the 821a over the 8215 as it is far more attractive movement to look at through the exhibition caseback and it has the hacking seconds function. I am also personally not a fan of how the red on the second’s hand and dial work with the colour scheme, though that is a personal preference, and you might have a differing opinion as this is how it was done on the watch it is based upon.

One other minor complaint is the extra-long lugs, yes the design is striking and stunning to look at, though it means that it sadly wears too big on my slimmer wrist and could likely on yours if you have a similar wrist size too. To combat this we would have liked to have seen a variant with dimensions more in-keeping with that you’d expect from a timepiece from that era – though that is not what was delivered.

So, even with all the above in mind, this is still a well-done timepiece that almost perfectly blends its vintage elements with its modern design traits into a compelling well-done watch.

The post Rotary Heritage Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

As soon as you start to flick through the pages, the amount of information in this book is mind blowing. I can honestly say that whilst I am not interested right now in explicitly purchasing a vintage Rolex; I naturally appreciate what the brand has done for watchmaking in general, therefore the book is still of great interest to me – and should be for any watch aficionado. I love the fact that it’s more of a detailed historical book – which is why it appeals to general fans of the brand, not just those looking to purchase a vintage piece.

On top of that, one of the main phases of watch collecting is developing a deep interest in vintage timepieces, Rolex or not. This book also touches on general information that anyone who is serious about watch collecting should know. This is particularly the case with the introduction section, where Colin helps us understand the difference between “antique” and “vintage”.

Illustrations / visual aids

It’s not just a book of words. Being in the design industry, one of the first things that struck me was the great illustrations throughout the book. Examples can be found below. The amount of time and thought that must have gone into creating his book is impressive.

Pg 6 – vintage Milgauss

Pg 9 – case and crown

Pg 39 – evolution of the Rolex coronet

Pg 47 – hand types (names and descriptions) – vital information for any watch fan

Pg 49 – crowns

Book structure

The first 5 chapters contain the kind of information that anyone can, and should read; such as general historical information on vintage watches as well as Rolex-specific.

Following this, we then go into the nitty-gritty for a number of models. Firstly, some antique and pocket watches. Then the juicy models: Submariners, Sea Dwellers, Yacht-Master, Oyster Perpetual, Milgauss, Explorer and Explorer II, to name a few. Each model covered has a detailed introduction and also a summary of every model number in tabular format and what they mean.

Finally, we are provided with information about the different types of bracelets found on Rolexes (such as oyster, jubilee and president) and the end links, the movements found within (with a very detailed table of the specs of each caliber), and other accessories (such as boxes, booklets, tags and papers).

Colin’s final words in the epigraph provide some eye-opening stats about the counterfeit market. Even vintage Rolexes are copied nowadays – and his hope is that this book will bestow the reader with enough knowledge and ammunition to not be caught out.

That, it certainly does. As mentioned in the offset, this is not a book you’d read in bed for some “light reading”. This is a collection of facts and figures – and information overload and perfect for those looking for vintage Rolexes. On top of that, it’s interesting enough for those who have a general interest in the brand to be able to enjoy it, such as I.

Questions to the author

I’ve also had the pleasure of putting forward some questions to the author, Colin A. White:

How long did it take you to collate all this information?

Most watch collectors invariably end up with stuff and junk related to their watches. Typically boxes, receipts, user manuals. With time this grows to include books, merch and other trinkets. My watch-junk collect has survived several purging but has grown for over 20 years. It came to include old watchmaker service manuals, adverts and articles from old magazines, auction catalogs and of course a ton of bookmarks and links.

When I finally decided to pull all this data together and consolidate it all, it took about 6 months of work.

Which section was the most challenging?

Chapter 7 – Professional Watches. This is the one most casual collectors become interested in first. It covers favorites like the Submariner, GMT Master and Explorer. There are just so many references and variations and the data is simply not clean, clear-cut or definitive. Unlike other manufacturers, Rolex doesn’t offer an Extract of Archive service and will not verify or validate their vintage watches. This leaves a lot of wiggle room for uncertainty and subjectivity. This is part of the attraction of vintage Rolex! Throw in transitional references, special editions, production defects, and things get complicated quite quickly.

Which part are you particularly proud of?

Probably the data – all the tables, charts and timelines on the 1,400+ references. I’m not aware of another book that’s tried to make such a serious effort to catalog everything. And while I’ve done my best to clean and validate the data, I’m pretty sure it’s incomplete. There are bound to be obscure references I’ve missed and I encourage readers to highlight things I missed or got wrong.

During production I used Amazon Mechanical Turk to crowd source the data validation. I talk about this process in the Introduction. I think this is a first for this kind of book. Being a data-guy by trade, I go to length to explain the data is not perfect but simply as good as I can make it, given my time and budget.

If you had the choice of any of the watches featured, which one would you have?

I have my heart set on a GMT Master 1675/8 with the brown nipple dial. I’d have to liquidate much of my modest collection to afford one, and frankly I’d be too paranoid to wear it!

I’ve become more interested in the precious metal models as I learned more about them. The King Midas is a good example – an absolutely amazing watch with a really interesting design pedigree. Not not your everyday GADA watch, but an amazing piece to have in a collection!

What can we expect next?

I was really surprised by the warm and generous feedback on this book. One of the biggest requests was for more photos and more historical context. And a Spanish edition!

So I’m working on a more graphical desk reference in hard cover. It’ll be called the Chevalier Edition and will feature real watches you’ll commonly find in the market – not your museum pieces offered to elite collectors at premium auctions. It’s taking a closer look at case, dial and bracelet refinishing. Also introducing some of the professionals in the industry, their work and their techniques. And of course, space flown Rolex thanks to help from the guy behind MoonWatchUniverse. With the 50th anniversary of the Speedmaster Professional, the Rolex story has been eclipsed, so I’ve spent quite a bit of effort documenting this.

And of course the Spanish translation of the Classic Edition! My Spanish is very limited so it’ll be fun trying to figure out how market this. If any of your Spanish speaking readers want to give me some advice, I’d love to hear from them!

Buy here for UK: https://amzn.to/3dx3iFY

Buy here for USA: https://amzn.to/2WVAdhv

Colin White can be reached on Instagram @morning_tundra or morningtundra@vrfg.io

The post The Vintage Rolex Field Guide Overview appeared first on 12&60.

It really is a lot of watch for your money; but can you look past the hardened mineral crystal instead of a sapphire crystal?

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 14mm height x 46.5mm lug to lug
• Weight: 97g
• Water resistance rating: 20ATM / 200m
• Movement: Seiko NH35
• Accuracy: +2.2 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price:
  • $285 / ~£215
  • Use code WIAA15 for 15% off: $242.50 / ~£185
• Buy here: https://www.spinnaker-watches.com/collections/spence/products/sp-5066-01

The video review

The post Spinnaker Spence SP-5066 Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

The specs

• Dimensions: 39mm case / 40mm bezel diameter x 13mm height x 47mm lug to lug
• Weight: 91g
• Water resistance rating: 30ATM / 300m
• Movement: Seiko NH38
• Accuracy: +17 sec/day
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: pre orders start at $269 / £220, RRP $349 / £285
• Buy here: https://pancorwatch.com/watches/

The video review

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