Affordable Watches - All components for Self Publishers

AffordableWatches
ByWatchTime.com
WATCHTIME.COM
WatchTimeisanaward-winningluxurywatchmediaplatformbasedin
NewYorkCity,andafoundingmemberoftheWatchExpertsExcellence
Network.WatchTime’swatchmagazineproductsreachamonthly
audienceofalmost800,000watchcollectors.WatchTimeisthemost
successfulwatchmagazineinNorthAmericaandoneoftheleading
watchmagazinesglobally.WatchTimeistheworld’sonlywatch
magazinewithtwoFOLIOFameAwardsforexcellenceinmediaevents,
sevenDigitalMagazineAwardnominations,aSmartCEOFuture50
AwardaswellastwoMequodaRocketAwardnominationsfor
outstandingdigitalaudiencegrowthandanApexAwardforexcellencein
electronicmedia.
FIVEAFFORDABLEZENITHWATCHESFOR
NEWCOLLECTORS
ZenithisbestknownasthecreatoroftheElPrimero–anintegrated,
automaticchronographmovementthathasearnedaplaceinthe
pantheonofhistoriccalibers.Today,thebrandisalsoknownand
appreciatedforofferingclassicallystyledtimepiecesandexcellentvalue.
HerearefiveZenithwatchesthewecanrecommendfornewcollectors.
PilotType20ExtraSpecial
Zenithtimepiecesaccompaniedaviatorsduringseveralearly,historic
flights.OnewentwithLouisBlériotinJuly1909whenhemadethefirst
flightacrosstheEnglishChannelinanairplanehebuilt,knownasthe
BlériotXI.Oneyearlater,LéonMoraneworeaZenithwhenhebecame
thefirstpilottoflyfasterthan100km/hour,alsoinaBlériotXI.And
whentheFrenchAirForcegearedupforWWIIin1939,itchoseZenith’s
Montred’AéronefType20foritsaircraftinstrumentpanels.
ThemodernPilotType20ExtraSpecialcapturesthelookofthoseearly
aviationwatches.Everyaspectofthedialisperfectlyproportioned.The
stylizedArabicnumeralsandthesubstantialcathedralhands,each
wearingagenerouscoatingofSuperLuminova,assureexcellentlegibility
inallconditions.
The45mmcaseandoversizecrowncapturetheessenceoftheearly
pilots’watches,asdoestheoiledNubuckleatherstrapwithwhite
stitching.ThecasebackisengravedwiththeelaborateZenithFlying
Instrumentslogo.Tokeepthepriceaccessible,thiswatchispoweredby
anautomatic,Swiss-mademovementprovidedtoZenithbyanoutside
supplier.(TheremainderofoursuggestedwatchesfeatureZenith
manufacturecalibers).
TheZenithPilotType20ExtraSpecialispricedat$5,400.
Zenith’sPilotType20ExtraSpecialcapturestheessenceofthe
company’searlyaviationwatches.
CaptainPowerReserve
Zenith’sCaptainlinedebutedin1952,andthecurrentmodelsadopt
aestheticcuesfromthebrand’shistoricalmodels.Ourfeaturedwatch,
theCaptainPowerReserve,alsorepresentsastepupintotheworldof
Zenithmanufacturemovements.
Thelookissimpleandelegant,withclassicdauphinehandspointingto
applied,facetedhourmarkers.Welikethesubtlerailroadtrackatthe
dial’sedge,completewithsmallRomannumerals.Theretrograde
RéservedeMarchedisplayat2o’clocktracksthemainspring’s50-hour
powerreserve.
Thecasemeasures40mmx9.25mm.Zenith’sin-housecaliberElite
685withautomaticwindingisvisiblethroughthesapphirecaseback.This
movementcontains179componentsandrunsin38jewelsat28,800
vph.Analligatorstrapwithapinbucklecompletesthepackage.
TheCaptainPowerReserveispricedat$6,500.
TheCaptainPowerReserveOffersclassicgoodlooksanda
manufacturemovementatanaccessibleprice.
PilotBigDateSpecial
OurfinalthreefeaturedwatchestakeusintotherealmofZenith’siconic
ElPrimero-poweredchronographs.Thevintage-inspiredPilotBigDate
Specialprovidesclassicgoodlookswitha42-mmcaseandrectangular
pushersflankingaslightlyoversizecrown.Thedialoffersawellbalancedbi-compaxlayoutwithcontinuoussecondsat9o’clockanda
30-minutecounterat3o’clock.Thislookharksbacktothechronographs
ZenithsuppliedtotheItalianAirForceduringthe1960’s,thoughthose
watchdidnothaveadatedisplayat6o’clock.
Thetelemeterscaleatthedial’sedgecreatesatechnicalaesthetic.The
double-digitbigdatedisplayat6o’clockreallysetsthiswatchapart.The
window-fillingnumeralsmakethedatedisplaypop.Allofthedisplays
arecrystal-clear,astheyshouldbeonapilots’chronograph.
UnderthedialistherenownedElPrimero4010automatic-winding
caliberwith306components.Itfamouslyrunsat36,000vphin31jewels
witha50-hourpowerreserve.
ThePilotBigDateSpecialispricedat$7,600.
TheZenithPilotBigDateSpecialoffersaclassicpilotlook,thefamous
ElPrimeromovement,andalargedatedisplayfor$7,600.
ElPrimeroOriginal1969
Ournextfeaturedwatchcarriesanamethattellsyoueverythingyou
needtoknowaboutit.ThisnewmodelpaystributetotheoriginalEl
Primerochronograph,launchedin,youguessedit,1969.That’stheyear
NeilArmstrongtookonesmallstep,WoodstockrockedupstateNew
York,andthefirstcommunicationsweresentthroughtheARPANET.
Returningtothepresentday,thisnewmodelfeaturestheunmistakable
designcodesoftheoriginalElPrimero.The38-mmcasealsotakesus
backintime.ThemovementistheElPrimerocaliber400with278
componentsrunningat36,000vph,or5Hz.Thisisthe“magic
frequency”forchronographs,becauseitallowseventstobetimedtothe
nearesttenthofasecond.Thisfastratemeanstheescapementticks
864,000timesperday,or315,360,000peryear.
TheElPrimeroOriginal1969retailsfor$8,600.
Zenith’sElPrimero1969capturesthespiritoftheoriginalmodel.
ElPrimero36,000VpH
IfyouliketheclassicElPrimerotri-compaxlookbutpreferalarger
case,Zenithhasyoucovered.Thismodelofferstheclassicdesigncues
oftheoriginals–oversize,overlappingregisters,boldhands,hour
markersandminuteschapter,andatachymeterscale,allina42-mm
casedesignedtosuittoday’stastes.Theincreasedsizeresultsina
morebalanced,symmetricallook.Thehourmarkersat3and9arenot
cutoff,andtheenlargeddatedisplaymovesto6o’clock.
Inthisiteration,theCaliber400ElPrimeromovementhas326
components,andofcourseitstillbeatsat36,000vph.Thechronograph
registerscount30minutesat3o’clock,and12hoursat6o’clock.
TheElPrimero36,000VpHispricedat$8,800.
TheElPrimero36,000VpHletsyouenjoytheclassictri-compaxlookin
amodern42-mmcase.
FIVEAFFORDABLEROLEXWATCHESFOR
NEWCOLLECTORS
Rolexisthemostrecognizableandmostcovetedwatchbrandinthe
world.HerearefivepopularRolexwatchmodelsthatareinstoresnow
andthatofferaccessible(forRolex,thatis)pricesforcollectorsofall
ages.
RolexOysterPerpetual
RolexcallsitthequintessentialOyster,andthepurestexpressionofthe
Oysterconcept.It’shardtoarguewiththat,andthiswatchprovidesan
excellententrypointintotheworldofRolex.
TheOysterPerpetualoffersitsownermanyoftheadvancesRolexis
knownfor,includingsomethebesttechnicaldevelopments.The36mm
904Lstainlesssteelcaseiswaterresistantto100meters,or330feet.
Thecentersectionofthecaseismilledfromasolidblockofsteel.The
crownusesthepatentedTwinlocksystemtokeeptheelementsatbay,
andthesapphirecrystalisvirtuallyscratchproof.
ThismodelispoweredbytheRolexmanufactureself-windingcaliber
3130.ThismovementbearstheofficialSwisschronometercertification,
and,likeallRolexmovements,itisknownforbothprecisionand
reliability.Theprecisionismadepossiblebyafree-sprungbalance,
prizedbycollectorsandfoundinthefinestmovements.Thepatented
blueParachromhairspringoffersexcellentprotectionagainstshocks,
magneticfieldsandtemperaturevariations.
The36-mmOysterPerpetualispricedat$5,400.
RolexOysterPerpetual
RolexExplorer
TheRolexExplorerisatrueicon,notonlyforRolex,butwithinthelarger
worldofrugged,precision-madetimepieces.Itfamouslyaccompanied
SirEdmundHillaryandTenzingNorgaywhentheybecamethefirstto
reachthesummitofMt.EverestinMay,1953.Thatachievementisone
ofmany,butitisemblematicoftheadventurousspiritthatguidesboth
Rolexinitsquestforperfection,andthosewhoconsidertheirExplorer
anessentialpartoftheirsuccess.
Launchedin2010,thenewestExplorerremainsfaithfultotheheritage
thatextendsbackto1953.BlueChromalighthourmarkersandhands
assureexcellentvisibilityinallconditions.The39-mmOystercase,the
Twinlockcrown,andthesapphirecrystalsecurethemovementagainst
harm.
Inside,theCaliber3132self-windingmovementisasrobustasitis
precise.Ofcourseitisanofficiallycertifiedchronometer.Thefreesprungbalanceisprecision-fittedbetweentwoParaflexshock
absorbers,developedandpatentedbyRolex.TheblueParachrom
hairspringassureshigh-precisiontimekeeping.
ThebraceletisfittedwiththepatentedOysterlockclasp,andwiththe
Easylinkcomfortsystem,whichallowstheusertoextendthebraceletby
5mm.
TheRolexExplorerispricedat$6,550.
RolexExplorer
RolexDatejustIITheRolexDatejustisthequintessential“goes
everywhere,doeseverything”timepiece.Whenmensaytheywanta
watchtheycanwearwithjeansaswellasasuit,thisisthego-to
recommendation.TheDatejustdefinesversatility.
TheDatejustalsorepresentsanothertime-honoredandtimelessRolex
design.Thoughithasbeenupdatedsinceitscreationin1945,itremains
aninstantlyrecognizabletalismanoftasteandrefinement.In2009,
Rolexlaunchedthecurrentmodel,theDatejustII.Withits41mm
diameter,thislatestincarnationsatisfiesthedesireforatimepiecethat
makesaboldstatementonthewrist.
TheDatejustIIistheonlywatchamongourselectionstoofferoneof
Rolex’smostwidely-recognizabletechnicalenhancements:theCyclops
lensabovethedate.InventedbyRolexin1953,thelensmagnifiesthe
date2.5times,makingitmucheasiertoread.Thedatedisplayitself
offersbothquickcorrectionviathecrown,andinstantaneouschanging.
The904LstainlesssteelOystercaseisavailablewithanotherinstantly
identifiableRolexhallmark:theflutedbezel.WhentheOysterdebutedin
1926,theflutingwasfunctional–itallowedthecrowntobegrippedsoit
couldbescreweddownontothecasetoguaranteeawatertightseal.
Theself-windingCaliber3136movementbearsthe“Chronometer”
designation,awardedbytheSwissOfficialChronometerTestingInstitute
(COSC).ItfeaturestheMicrostellavariable-inertiabalance,Paraflex
shockabsorbers,andParachrombalancespringwithBreguetovercoil
forimprovedtimekeepingprecision.
TheRolexDatejustIIispricedfrom$7,150.
RolexDatejustII
RolexSubmariner
TheRolexSubmarinerisinstantlyrecognizedanywhereontheplanet.It
exemplifiesprecisionunderpressure,anditexudesasenseof
adventure.Createdin1953,itwasthefirstwatchwaterprooftoadepth
of100meters,or330feet.
Wehaveselectedtheso-callednon-datemodelforoursurvey,
reference114060,asitrepresentstheentrypointintoSubmarinerworld.
ManythinkitalsorepresentstheSubmarinerinitspurestform.The
originalmodelsdidnotfeatureadate,andthistimepieceis,afterall,a
toolfordivers,whorarelyneedtoknowthedatewhenunderthesea.
Withnodate,thewatchoffersanuninterruptedtimedisplay–a
requirementforadventurersofalltypes.Rolexcallsitthedivewatch
archetype.Thatprettymuchsumsitup.
Today,the904LstainlesssteelOystercaseofferswaterresistanceto
300meters,or1,000feet.TheblueChromalightdisplay,protectedbya
sapphirecrystal,assuresexcellentvisibility.ThepatentedTriplockcrown
isreservedforRolextimepiecesbuilttovisitgreatdepths.Therotatable
60-minutebezelwithscratchproofCerachromceramicinsertallows
diverstotimetheirdives.Thebezel’striangularzeromarkerglows
Chromalightblue.DiversalsoappreciatetheOysterbraceletfittedwith
theGlidelocksystemforfineadjustmentofthebraceletlength.
Precisiontimekeepingisespeciallyimportantunderwater,andthe
Submariner’sself-windingCaliber3130movementinspiresconfidence
withitsCOSC-certifiedchronometerrating.Theheartofthemovement
istheadjustable-inertiabalancewheelwithgoldMicrostellaweightswith
ablueParachromhairspringthatoffersexcellentstabilitywhenexposed
toshocks,vibrations,magneticfields,andtemperaturechanges.The
height-adjustabletraversingbalancebridgeallowsverystablepositioning
toincreaseshockresistance.
TheRolexSubmarinerreference114060ispricedat$7,500.
RolexSubmariner
RolexMilgauss
TheRolexMilgausswascreatedin1956forengineersandtechnicians
whoareexposedtostrongmagneticfieldsintheirwork.Thesefields
canaffecttheperformanceinmechanicalwatches.Rolexsolvedthe
problembydevelopingandpatentingamagneticshieldforthemovement
thatallowedthewatchtowithstandfieldsupto1,000(“mille”inFrench)
gauss–theunitofmeasureforfieldstrength.TheMilgaussbecame
popularamongscientistsworkingattheEuropeanOrganizationfor
NuclearResearch(CERN)inGeneva.
In2007,RolexlaunchedanewgenerationMilgaussthatincorporatesall
ofRolex’stechnologicalexpertise.Thenewmodel’sorangeseconds
handshapedlikealightningboltisinspiredbytheoriginal.
Todayweencounterpowerfulmagnetseveryday,fromrefrigerator
doorsandtabletcomputercasestoandhandbagandbriefcaseclasps,
wearesurroundedbymagnets.Magneticfieldsarealsopresentina
rangeofindustries,includingtelecommunications,medicaltechnology,
aerospaceandelectrotechnical.
Rolexusesseveralinnovationstokeepthesefieldsatbay.Thefirstline
ofdefenseisthemagneticshieldinsidethecase.Madeofferromagnetic
alloys,itsurroundsandprotectsthemovement.Thisinventionwas
patentedbyRolexin1956andhassincebeenfurtherimproved.
Thesecondlineofdefenseinvolvessomeofthemovement’skey
components,madefrominnovativenonmagneticmaterials.Theescape
wheelisfashionedfromanantimagneticnickel-phosphorousalloyusinga
complexprocesscalledUV-LiGAorultra-violetlithographythatRolexhas
masterin-house.TheoscillatorusesthepatentedblueParachrom
balancespring.
Ofcoursethemovementisprotectedfrommorethanjustmagnetic
fields.The904LstainlesssteelOystercaseandtheTwinlockcrownseal
outtheelements,offeringwaterresistanceto100metersor330feet.
TheRolexmanufactureCaliber3131movementisacertifiedSwiss
chronometer.
ToassurethattheMilgaussremainscomfortableonthewrist,the
OysterbraceletisfittedwiththepatentedEasylinksystem,whichallows
theownertoextendthebraceletbyupto5mm.
TheRolexMilgaussispricedfrom$7,650.
T
FIVEAFFORDABLEOMEGAWATCHESFOR
NEWCOLLECTORS
Omegahasproducednumerousiconictimepiecesovertheyears,
includingperhapstheworld’smostfamouschronograph,knownaround
theworldastheOmegaMoonwatch.Herearefivemodelsthatarein
storesnowataccessiblepricesforbothnewandseasonedcollectors.
OmegaSpeedmasterMoonwatchProfessional
Launchedin1957,theSpeedmasterissynonymouswithspaceflightand
adventure.Likemostgreaticons,thedesignhaschangedlittleacross
thedecades,meaningthattoday,theMoonwatchisrecognizedthe
worldover.Itfeaturesadistinctiveblackdialcoveredbyahesalite
crystalwithtrademarkthinhourandminutehands,asmallseconds
subdial,30-minuteand12-hourrecorders,andacharacteristiccentral
chronographsecondshand.Theblackbezel,withitstachymeterscale,
ismountedona42-mmstainlesssteelcasethatiswater-resistantto50
meters.
AttheheartofthischronographisOmega’smechanicalcaliber1861.
Thoughthishand-woundmovementhasbeenupgradedseveraltimes
overtheyears,itremainsessentiallythesameastheonethatpowered
thetimepiecesthataccompaniedNASAastronautsonsixtripstothe
moon.
TheMoonwatchisavailableonastraporabracelet.Eachwatchis
offeredwithaspecialpresentationboxthatincludestwoadditional
straps–a“NATO”strapandablackVelcrostrap.Alsoincludedarea
tooltochangethestraps,aSpeedmasterloupe,andabookhighlighting
theadventuresoftheSpeedmaster.
TheOmegaSpeedmasterMoonwatchProfessionalispricedfrom
$4,500,makingitaverygoodvalueamongnewchronographs.
Omega’sSpeedmasterMoonwatchProfessionaloffersquiteabitforthe
price.
OmegaConstellationCo-Axial
OmegalaunchedtheConstellationfamilyin1952,thoughintheUnited
States,thecollectionwasoriginallyknownbythenameGlobemaster,
duetoatrademarkconflictthatwasresolvedin1956.
ThedomeoftheGenevaObservatoryservedasthefamilycrest,as
Omegahadjustbrokenitsownprecisiontimekeepingrecordtherethe
prioryear.Thecupolawassurroundedbyeightstarsrepresenting
Omega’sgreatestchronometricachievementsattheworld’s
observatories,includingthe1931“cleansweep”attheObservatoryof
GenevainwhichOmegabroketherecordforprecisioninevery
category.
In1982,OmegalaunchedtheConstellation“Manhattan.”Thiswatch
introducedthefournow-familiar“griffes,”orclawsat3and9o’clock,
whichoriginallyheldthesapphirecrystalinplaceandhelpedensurethe
watchremainedwaterproof.
In2007,OmegaintroduceditsproprietaryCo-Axialcaliberswithnew
anduniqueescapementsofferinglessfriction,greatermechanical
efficiency,andexcellentchronometricperformanceovertime.The
performanceofthenewescapementissuchthateachOmegatimepiece
fittedwithaCo-AxialcaliberisaCOSC-certifiedchronometerdelivered
withafullfour-yearwarranty,whichisoneofthebestinthebusinessfor
amechanicaltimepiece.Theexclusivemovementishousedina38mm
casewithasapphirecasebackand100-meterwaterresistance.
TheConstellationCo-Axialispricedfrom$4,400.
TheConstellationoffersOmega’sproprietaryCo-Axialmovement.
OmegaSeamasterAquaTerraMasterCo-Axial
TheSeamasterAquaTerraisarobusttimepiecewithclean,distinctive
lines.ThedialsoftheAquaTerra150Mcollectionrecallthebeautiful
woodendecksfoundonthefinestluxurysailboats.Theexampleshown
belowfeaturesalacqueredsilverdialdecoratedwiththeTeakConcept
pattern.The18kgoldsecondshandiscomplimentedbydeepblue,
facetedhourandminutehands.
Thestainlesssteel41.5-mmcaseholdsthebestfeature:anOmega
MasterCo-Axialcaliber8500COSC-certifiedchronometermovement
whichisspeciallymanufacturedtoresistantmagneticfieldsgreaterthan
15,000gauss.Unlikemostantimagneticwatches,theAquaTerra’s
movementcanbeviewedthroughatransparentcaseback.
Severalbrandsoffermechanicalwatcheswithmovementsprotectedby
antimagneticinnercases.Omegaimprovesonthatdesignbyfashioning
keymovementcomponentsfromnon-ferrousmaterials,makingthe
movementitselfimpervioustomagneticfields.Thisfeatureisespecially
importanttoday,asweencountermagnetsmorethanever,from
smartphoneandtabletcasestobriefcaseclosuresandrefrigerator
doors.
TheOmegaSeamasterAquaTerraMasterCo-Axialispricedat$6,000.
MagneticfieldsdonotaffectthisSeamasterAquaTerra.
FIVEAFFORDABLEMONTBLANCWATCHES
UNDER$5,000
Anappreciationforaffordablefinetimepiecesoftengoeshandinhand
withanappreciationforfinewritinginstruments.Bothrequirehighlevels
ofskilltoexecuteatthehighestlevel.Bothcombinemechanical
precisionwitharefinedaestheticthatexpressesone’spersonalstyle.
Today,Montblancisamasterofbothrealms.Herearefiveaffordable
Montblancwatchesforyourconsideration.
MontblancStarTraditionalCollectionDateAutomatic
Sinceitlauncheditsfirstwristwatchin1997,Montblanctimepieceshave
developedaninstantlyidentifiablestyle.TheStarTraditionalCollection
DateAutomaticofferssubtleelegancewithadashofflair.Stylized
Arabicnumeralsmarkthehoursinadistinctivefontthatimmediately
identifiestheoriginsofthistimepiece.Behindthenumbers,thedialis
decoratedwithanintricatespiralguillochépattern,whilethecardinal
pointsontheminutestrackappearinredtoaddatouchofcolor.The
secondshandcarriesthefamedMontblancstar-shapedlogo,asdoes
thecrown.Thestainlesssteelcasemeasuresaclassic39mmin
diameter,andasapphire-crystaldisplaybackprovidesaviewofthe
Swiss-madeautomatic-windingmovement.Analligatorstrapsecuredby
afoldingbucklecompletesthepackage.
TheMontblancStarTraditionalCollectionDateAutomaticispricedat
$2,875.
Montblanc’sstylizedArabicfontandtheguillochedialgivethiswatcha
distinctiveflair.
MontblancTimeWalkerCollectionVoyagerUTC
TheMontblancTimeWalkercollectionofferssportytimepieceswithbold,
modernstyling.TheVoyagerUTC’sabilitytotrackasecondtimezone
makesitperfectfortravelers,andthosewhoneedtoinstantlyknowthe
timeelsewhereontheglobe.Theprimarytimedisplaypresentsthelocal
timeona12-hourscale,whiletheskeletonizedhandwiththeredtip
displaysthehourinthesecondtimezoneona24-hourtrackonthe
flangesurroundingthedial.Thelightanddarkcolorsonthe24-hour
trackcreateaneasy-to-readday/nightindicator.
Thethinbezelonthe42-mmcasecreatesanopenlookthatgivesthe
watchaddedpresenceonthewrist.Thedesignallowsforanextra-large
dial,improvinglegibility.Theoversizecrownistexturedforeasy
operation,anditcarriesthetrademarkMontblancstar-shapedlogo.A
sapphiredisplaybackallowsaviewoftheautomatic-windingSwissmadecaliber.Astainlesssteelbraceletwithatriple-foldingbuckle
providesthefinishingtouch.
TheMontblancTimeWalkerCollectionVoyagerUTCispricedat$4,200.
TheVoyagerUTCisperfectfortravelersandanyonewhotracksthe
timeinanotherpartoftheglobe.
MontblancMeisterstückHeritageCollectionMoonphase
MontblanclaunchedtheMeisterstückHeritageCollectiontoravereviews
atthe2014SIHHwatchshowinGeneva.Thecollectionoffersclassically
styledtimepieceswithmoderndimensionsandexcellentvalue.The
MeisterstückHeritageMoonphasecombinesseveraltraditionaldesign
codesincludingabombédialwithsunburstfinish,appliedindexes,
faceted,gold-plateddauphinehands,anddifferentiatedpolishedand
satinsurfacefinishesonthe39-mmstainlesssteelcase.
Ofcoursetheeyeisdrawntothedeepbluemoon-phasedisplaywith
celestialbodiespresentedingold.Themoon’sphasesappearinthe
traditionalmannerinsidea“double-bubble”dialaperture.Thisdisplayis
incorporatedintothedateindicator,whichutilizesasimplebluedhand.A
displaybackallowsaviewoftheautomatic-windingSwiss-made
movement.Ablackalligatorstrapwithatraditionalprongedbuckleround
outthepackage.
TheMontblancMeisterstückHeritageCollectionMoonphaseispricedat
$4,600.
TheMeisterstückHeritageMoonphaseoffersclassicgoodlooks
MontblancStarTraditionalCollectionWorld-TimeGMTAutomatic
TheWorld-TimeGMTAutomaticoffersease-of-use,andsomebragging
rights,inaveryattractivepackage.Thiswatchincorporatesapatented
systemthatallowsthesettingofalldisplaysviathecrown,anditwon
the2011GrandPrixd’HorlogeriedeGenèveinthe“PetiteAiguille”
category.
Thecasemeasures42mmx12.6mm.Onthedial,thesilver12-hour
handshowsthetimeinthewearer’spresentlocation.Thesmaller,redtippedGMThandtracksasecondtimezoneona24-hourscalethat
usesdarkandlightcolorstocreateasimplebuteffectiveday/night
indication.Theouterringindicatesthecorrespondingworldtime.The
patentedsettingsystemcontrolsalldialindicationsfromthecrown,and
disconnectsthemovementfromtheGMTandworldtimeindicators
wheneveratimezonecorrectionismade.Thismeansthemovement
continuestokeepaccuratetimewhilethewatchisbeingreset.The
mechanismisintegratedintoself-windingSwiss-madecaliberthatis
visiblethroughasapphirecaseback.
TheStarTraditionalCollectionWorld-TimeGMTAutomaticispricedat
$5,000.
TheWorld-TimeGMTAutomaticoffersapatentedsettingsystemanda
GPHGaward.
MontblancTimeWalkerCollectionWorld-TimeHemispheres–North
AttendeesatSIHH2014agreedthatMontblancknockeditoutofthe
park,andthetwoTimeWalkerWorldTimeHemispheresmodelswere
amongthebrand’shighlights.Whyaretheretwoofthem?Becauseour
planethastwohemispheres.Here’showitworks.
Likeatraditionalworld-timewatch,thehourandminutehandsdisplay
theowner’slocaltime,andaflangewiththenamesof24majorcities
surroundsthedial.Thisiswherethingsstarttogetalittlenon-traditional.
OneofthewatchescoverstheNorthernHemisphere,andtheotherthe
Southern.Theouterflangesoneachwatchlistonlymajorcitiesinthe
hemispherethatwatchcovers.Thewatchshownbelowisthe“North”
version.
Theflangewiththecitynamesdoesnotrotate–itisfixedinplaceso
thecitynameslineupwiththelocationsofthecitiesonthemapsthat
adornthedials.Eachmapshowstheappropriatehemispherewiththe
geographicNorthorSouthPoleatthecenter.Themapisinterruptedby
aringthatsitsbeneaththedialmarkedwiththehoursfrom1to24.
Turningthecrownrotatestheringtodisplaythetimeineachofthe24
timezones.Nowforanothertrick:the24-hourringfollowsthedirection
oftheEarth’srotation,soontheNorthernHemispherewatchitrotates
clockwise,whiletheSouthernHemisphereversionrotatescounterclockwise.Thatmeanseachversionrequiresitsownuniquemovement.
Whatifyoufrequentlytravelbetweenhemispheres?Allisnotlost.Each
watchcontainsamapoftheoppositehemisphere,withitscitynames,
engravedonthecaseback.
It’sallabitmind-bendingatfirst,butitmakesforagreatlookingand
distinctiveworld-timewatch.Or,shouldthatbe“half-world-time”?
The“North”version,shownbelow,ispricedat$5,000.
Nowifyou’llexcuseme,I’mofftofigureoutwhereYakutskis.
TheWorld-TimeHemisphereswatchesofferuniquelooksand
functionality.
Theopposinghemisphereanditsmajorcitiesareengravedonthe
caseback.
FIVEAFFORDABLELUXURYWATCHES
FROMSIHH2014
Atthebigwatchshows,thebrandstendtopromotetheirhaloproducts
–theoneswithallthebellsandwhistles,andthehighestprices.These
productsalsotendtograbtheheadlinesbecause,let’sfaceit,“threehandwatch”isnotassexyas“tripletitaniumtourbillon.”Howeverinthe
realworld,mostofuswillnotpurchasethetripletourbillon.Fortunately
forthoseofuswhodon’thaveasmuchdoughasPizzaHut,several
brandspresentednewandnoteworthywatchesinthe$6,000-to$12,000range(whichisaboutasaffordableasitgetsatSIHH),manyof
whicharejustmakingittoretailers’shelvesnoworverysoon.Inthis
report,Ipresentfivevalue-pricedofferingsthatcaughtmyeye,listed
belowfromleasttomostexpensive.
IWCAquatimerAutomatic
RegularfollowersofSIHHhavelikelynoticedIWC’spracticeoffocusing
onindividualcollectionseachyear.ThisyeartheAquatimerwasupto
bat,andIWCrolledoutseveralnewmodels.Theentrypointisthe
AquatimerAutomatic,andit’savailablewithblackorsilverdial,andona
straporabracelet.At42mmindiameterand14mmthick,the
AquatimerAutomaticisthesmallestmodelinthenewcollection,and
thoughit’stheentry-levelwatch,itstilloffers300meters/1000feet
waterresistance.Italsofeaturesthemostconspicuoustechnical
modificationIWChasbestowedonthenewAquatimerrange:an
innovativeexternal/internalrotatingbezel.
Thebezelsystemcombinestheadvantagesofaninternalrotatingbezel,
whichisprotectedfromdirtandseawater,withtheeaseofuseofan
externalrotatingbezelthatcanbeturnedevenbyadiverwearing
gloves.Theinnerandouterbezelsareconnectedbyaslidingclutch
system.Theclutchislocatedinsidethesmallhousingmountedonthe9
o’clocksideofthecase.Asyouwouldexpect,theinnerbezelonly
rotatescounterclockwisetopreventthediverfromaccidentallyextending
thedivetime.ThedivetimescaleiscoatedwithSuper-LumiNovaintwo
colorsforclarity:greenfordisplaysrelevanttodivetime,andbluefor
thehourdisplay.ThoughthenewAquatimercollectionfeaturesmore
IWCin-housemovements,thatbenefitdoesnotappearatthefirstrung
ontheladder.TheAquatimerAutomaticispoweredbyIWCcaliber
30120,whichisbasedontheETA2892.
TheAquatimerAutomaticinsteelonarubberdivers’strapwillbepriced
at$5,750.
PaneraiLuminorBase8DaysAcciaio–44mm
LastyearPanerailauncheditsP.5000in-house,manual-windmovement
intwoLuminorMarinamodels,andfor2014,theP.5000findsseveral
newhomes,includingthe44mmLuminorBase8DaysAcciaio.This
maybeanentry-levelPaneraibut,inmyopinion,itticksjusttheright
boxes.TheclassicLuminorcaseandcrownguard,coupledwiththe
blacksandwichdial,createsapurePanerailookthatishardtofault,and
thoughitmaybePanerai’sSportster,the44-mmcasesuitsthosewith
average-sizewristsandunderstatedtaste.Whenyousay“Panerai”to
anaveragewatchenthusiast,thisisthelookmostofthempicture.
TheexhibitioncasebackprovidesaniceviewoftheP.5000movement,
thoughtheviewconsistsprimarilyofamassiveplatethatprovidesgreat
structuralrigidity,butlittleaestheticpleasure.Themovementrunsin21
jewelsataclassic21,600vph,or3Hz.Inanothersignofstrength,the
balancewheelissupportedbyasturdybridgethatisfixedbytwo
screws,beneathwhicharethreadedringsthatturninbothdirections.
Thisconstructionfacilitatesadjustmentstotheendshakeofthebalance
staffpivots,anditprovidesaddedshockprotection.Thevariableinertia
balanceisanotherhat-tiptotraditionalwatchmaking.Theeponymous
eight-daypowerreserveisachievedbycouplingtwospringbarrelswith
toothedrims,inseries.Paneraisaysthetwinassemblyenableslonger,
thinnerspringstobeused,resultinginalongerdurationandgreater
uniformityindeliveringenergytothemovement.
PaneraitellsusthattheU.S.pricefortheLuminorBase8DaysAcciaio
iscurrentlysetat$7,800,butthatthisissubjecttochange.
CalibredeCartierDiver
IWC’snewdivers’watcheswereabigstoryatSIHH,butCartier’snew
divers’watchgeneratedmorebuzz.TheconceptofaCartierdivers’
watchseemstogetpeopletalking,andtheproductisveryniceaswell.
Visually,theCalibredeCartierDivercarriesoverthesignaturedesign
cuesintroducedin2010withthelaunchoftheoriginalCalibredeCartier.
HowevertheDiverisnotjustaCalibrewithanewbezel.Cartierre-
workedthecasetomakesuretheprettyfacehassomesubstance
behindit.FourlittlenumbersrequiredthattheCalibrecaseberebuilt:
6425,asinISO6425,theinternationalstandardfordivers’watches.
Thissetofstandardsisnoteasilymet,andindeedrelativelyfew
watchesonthemarketareISO6425-certified.Inanutshell,the
standardscoverthebezelanddial(motionandelapsedtimedisplay);
legibilityinlightanddarkconditions,anabilitytotellwhetherthewatchis
running(usuallysatisfiedwithaluminoussecondshand);magnetic,
shock,andchemicalresistance;andstrapandspringbarstrength(the
straporbraceletandthespringbarsmustwithstand45poundsof
stress).Thewatchmustalsobewater-resistantto100meters
[corrected–originalread300meters].
Tomeetthestandards,Cartierhadtodesignanewwatchcasefromthe
groundup,andtheydiditwhilekeepingacarefuleyeonthebrand’s
designcodes,whichmeantkeepingthecasethin.Thenewcaseisonly
11mmthick,despitetheuseofathickersapphirecrystal.Ascrew-in
crownhelpsassure300meterwaterresistance.Thedivers’bezel
rotatesin120incrementscontrolledbythreeclicks,enablinghalf-minute
adjustments.Thedialiswell-suppliedwithSuper-LumiNovaforexcellent
visibilityunderwater.BeneaththedialticksCartier’sin-housecaliber
1904MC.Themovementfeaturesceramicballbearingsinthebidirectionalautomaticwindingsystemandtwinmainspringbarrelsto
guaranteeconsistenttorquedeliveryduringthefullpowerreserve.
TheCalibredeCartierDiverinstainlesssteelonarubberstrapwillretail
for$8,200.Asteelbraceletraisestheantetoto$8,900.
CalibredeCartierDiver
In1903,Jacques-DavidLeCoultrerosetoEdmondJaeger’schallengeto
create“theworld’sthinnestmovements”.In1907,theirencountergave
risetoLeCoultreCalibre145–aLépine17-lignepocket-watch
movement–thethinnestintheworldatjust1.38mm.Jaeger-LeCoultre
hasbeencreatingultra-thinmovementseversince.Today,theMaster
UltraThinnameholdsaspecialplaceintheheartsofmanyenthusiasts.
AtSIHH,JLClaunchedanewmodelina38.5mmx7.58mmcase,and
becauseitwillbeavailableinsteel,itfindsitswayontoourlist.This
watchoffersclassicgoodlooksandawell-respectedultra-thinautomatic
manufactureCaliber896movementthatstandsjust3.98mmhigh.It
consistsof223partsanditrunsin32jewelsat28,800vphfor43hours
onasinglewind.
Thesteelmodelbearsreference1278420,anditwillretailfor$8,500.
MontblancMeisterstückHeritagePerpetualCalendar
AtSIHH,Montblanclaunchedanewcollectionoftimepiecestohonorthe
90thanniversaryofthebrand’sfamousMeisterstückwritinginstruments.
TheMeisterstückHeritageCollectioncontainsfourtimepieces.The
Pulsographbi-compaxchronographgeneratedthemostbuzz,butforour
purposes,youcanhardlydobetterthantheperpetualcalendarinsteel.
TheMontblancHeritagePerpetualoffersanabsolutelyclassic
presentation.Thecasemeasures39mmindiameterand10.24mm
thick.Smallbluedhandsprovidethecalendarindications.Thedateis
shownat3o’clock,thedayoftheweekat9,andthemonthat12.On
theinnerscaleofthemonthdisplay,theleap-yearcycleisshownbya
bluetriangleandared“4”indicatestheleapyear.Themoon’sphases
aredisplayedinawindowat6o’clock,andthemoon’sageisindicated
indaysatthiswindow’supperedge.
Theautomatic-windingmovementisMontblancCaliberMB29.15.Each
calendarindicationhasitsowninsetbuttoninthesideofthecase,
allowingeachindicationtobesetindependently.Themovementticksat
28,800vphandhas25jewels.Thepowerreserveis42hours.Each
MontblancHeritagePerpetualCalendarwatchissubjectedto
Montblanc’s500-hourqualitytestatthemanufactureinLeLocle.
AccordingtoMontblanc,thetestverifiestheaccuracyofthewatch’s
rate,itswaterresistance,thefunctionalityoftheindividualdisplays,and
thetimepiece’s“overallperformanceandrobustness.”Eachwatchthat
passesthe500-hourtestisissuedatestcertificate.LastyearatSIHH,
Jaeger-LeCoultrepresenteditsMasterUltraThinPerpetualCalendar,
andenthusiastsswoonedwhentheylearneditwouldbeofferedinsteel
pricedat$19,900.MontblancmaynotyethaveachievedJLC’sbrand
aura,andMontblanc’sperpetualdoesnotofferafour-digityeardisplay,
butinsteel,Montblanc’sperpetualcalendarispricedatonly$12,800,
whichmakesitabonafidehautehorlogeriebargain.
FormanymorenewwatchesfromSIHH2014,clickheretoorderthe
newWatchTimeE-Special:TheWatchesofSIHH2014,availablefor
instantdownloadintheWatchTimeShopforjust$2.99.
IMPRINT
WatchTimemagazineistheleadingwatchmagazineinNorthAmerica
andoneoftheworld’smostrespectedauthoritiesonluxurytimepieces.
PublishedworldwidebyEbnerPublishingInternational.
EbnerPublishingInternational,Inc.
274MadisonAvenue,Suite804
NewYork,NY10016
E-Mail:[email protected]
YOUPUBLISH
www.you-publish.com
YOUPublishturnsanydigitalcontentintoadynamice-book.Ready-to-sellonany
distributingplatform.
Byautomatingtheproductizationofcontent,YOUPublishexpandsthemarket,brand
exposureandinfluenceforpublishers&websites,forwardlookingcompanies,and
bloggers,whilesimultaneouslyprovidingapreviouslyuntappedrevenuesource.
YOUPublishwantstobecometheSaaSutilityforthecontentindustry,monetizing
theseassetswithasuiteofdigitalmedia:TheYouTubeofdigitaltext.
YOUPublishGmbH
Werastrasse84
70190Stuttgart
M:info(at)you-publish.com
W:http://www.you-publish.com
Geschäftsführer:AndreasDollmayer
AmtsgerichtStuttgart,HRB748882
USt-IsNr.:DE295139162