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Japanese Watches


SEIKO PROSPEX RANGE GETS A TRIO OF RETRO GOODNESS

March 9, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

What do we make of the latest Seiko Prospex editions? Well they capture the
retro spirit perfectly, and those ice blue and white dials have a touch of Grand
Seiko about them, which is a good thing.

The Uemura model, with its chunky case extension to protect the crown has got us
in two minds. In some ways it’s a retro stand-out touch, but in practical terms
we imagine it might dig into the back of your hand when worn? It’s just the
oddness of its truncated line, it doesn’t flow. Seiko watches should have
flowing lines, harmony, balance – yes?

Prices are approx 1300 euro for the two blue dial models and 1400 for the white
dial Uemura.

Here’s the info from Seiko;

Seiko’s reputation for reliable and durable diver’s watches was forged in the
1960s and 1970s when they were chosen by adventurers and researchers on
expeditions to the north and south poles.

Today, Seiko introduces into the Prospex collection modern re-interpretations of
three legendary diver’s watches from this period that draw their design
inspiration from the glaciers that these pioneers saw and that shape the
landscapes and seascapes of the Arctic and Antarctic. Each one has a dial that
evokes a different shade of glacial ice, from deep blue to white.

Inspired by the first Seiko diver’s watch, created in 1965

The power and beauty of polar glaciers are captured perfectly in the intricately
patterned dials. The deep-blue dial watch is based on Seiko’s first diver’s
watch from 1965 which proved its reliability when used by members of the
Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition from 1966 to 1969.

1968 re-visited, in two tones of ice blue

A light blue dial and a darker blue bezel grace a new re-interpretation of the
landmark 1968 diver’s watch which was the first Seiko watch with 300m water
resistance and a 10-beat automatic movement.

A re-interpretation of the watch worn by Naomi Uemura in the 1970s

A white dial is encased in the same distinctive shaped case as the 1970 classic
which proved its strength and endurance when worn by the Japanese adventurer
Naomi Uemura in the years 1974 to 1976 when he completed a 12,500km solo
dog-sled run from Greenland to Alaska.

All three watches are powered by the tried and trusted Caliber 6R35 which
delivers a power reserve of 70 hours. They are 200 meter water resistant and are
presented on steel bracelets with secure clasps and extenders. The cases have a
super-hard coating and the crystals are of sapphire with an anti-reflective
coating on the inner surface to ensure high legibility from every angle. All
twelve indexes have a generous coating of Lumibrite, as do the hands,
to maximize legibility in the dark.

These three watches join the Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean series. This program
delivers financial and other support to Seiko’s chosen marine charities. All
three watches will be available at the Seiko Boutiques and selected retail
stores worldwide from June 2022.

To learn more about the various projects of the Save the Ocean initiative, 
click
here: https://www.seikowatches.com/global-en/products/prospex/special/keepgoingforward/savetheocean/

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British Watches


BREMONT WILLIAMS WR-22 IS A POTENTIAL WINNER

March 9, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

It’s been a long time coming but Bremont is finding its own identity and
creating some classic designs that collectors can invest in.

Bit of history here; For a few years I worked in a Manchester pawnbrokers and
can tell you that in 12 months only one person asked to see the two Bremont
watches we had in the window. Ten blokes a week would ask to see a Rolex or a
Breitling by comparison.

Bremont are not seen as bankable investments and yeah, that shouldn’t really
matter if you love the watch but let’s be honest, much of the Swiss market is
driven by the hope that one day your watch will be worth 20-40K secondhand.

Just looks right.

Designs like the ALT-1 and Martin Baker leave me cold, they look massively
overpriced for what they offer in terms of looks on the wrist. They lack punch,
the sort of second glance that you give a classic Alfa Spider or a Ducati 916 as
it blats past.

But this Williams tie-in watch really has an elegance that other collab jobs
from Bremont lack. Some of the Bremont Norton watches for example looked like
old pocket watches, and that is never a good look for wristwatches.

It was a bad day in Hell when Bremont signed a deal with that scam artist at
Norton motorcycles. Even worse when they designed this 1910 pocket watch dial.

No this one has a symmetry that just works. The colours are right; red, white
and blue. The 70s styling details are also a big attraction, like those `stepper
piston’ pushers on the side of the case.  The vinyl grooves on the sub dials are
another 70s detail from chronographs of that era. Perfect.

Inside there’s a Swiss movement, tweaked by Bremont. Chronometer level accuracy,
custom rotor with see-thru caseback. It’s nicely executed all round. All housed
in a 43mm case, which is good news when spending almost six grand as it gives
the buyer a feeling they bought a statement watch. Probably as big as most
people need.



You get a Williams team wheel nut with each watch too, but let’s forget about
that detail. It isn’t important. What matters is that Bremont are capable of
designing and making a Swiss watch in the UK that competes with the best from
TAG, Chopard or Zenith when it comes to motorsport/retro chronographs.

I’m not saying the Bremont will hold its value as well as say a blue dial
Carrera, but it should do better than the Chopard Mille Miglia, which also
struggles to find buyers secondhand, despite being a beautifully made retro
chrono watch.

It retails at £5995 and has a three year waranty. More info here.

 

bremontchronographmodelslatestnewnewswatchwilliamsWR22
Micro Brands


INDIE BRANDS: HERON GLADIATEUR OFFERS CLASSIC STYLE

March 9, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

We had a heads up from Heron in Canada, who have a new 41mm wide, automatic
model in the pipeline. It’s on Kick right now and fully funded already, with
prices on pre-order starting at about £235 which is great value for the spec we
think. More here.

Here’s the press info;

Héron is proud to introduce our new model: the Gladiateur MMLXV.

Designed in Montreal, the Gladiateur is the fruit of an intensive creative
process that lasted over a year. Powered by the Miyota 9039 automatic movement
and available in 4 colorways, the Gladiateur is now ready to take on the world.
Gladiateur borrows its name to the mighty colosseum fighters of ancient Rome.

Like them, it is robust, flexible and will certainly always be at the center of
attention. The thought process behind Gladiateur is simple. We wanted to make a
piece that would allure watch enthusiasts all while finding appeal in the eyes
of a less initiated audience. Frankly, the type of piece we like to wear. 

The idea of a classic look revisited in a more modern fashion seemed obvious at
that point. We moved on with a diver inspired look for the durability and
timelessness of that design. It was also about coming up with a design original
enough to be truly “ours” without relying on heavy gimmicks or you know.. make a
watch that looks like a spaceship.

We vote the white dial option the best of the range, what do you think?

The Bezel

The 12h roman numeral bezel has been the talking point around this piece ever
since we showed the first sketches around.  Sure, it’s not as legible or by the
book as a 60 minutes “diver-style” bezel. But, as designers from the 21st
century surrounded by robotically precise  timing tools and an array of 
masterly crafted toolwatches from other brands, we figured we could let go of a
bit of functionality in exchange for a little novelty. 

Roman numerals are popular on dress watches for their ability to instantly
class-up a piece in terms of looks.

We thought revisiting this classic design element on a sportwatch, meant for a
more casual wear, could result in a fun and innovative addition to a
collection.  While a bit unorthodox, the Gladiateur’s 12h rotating bezel may
also be used as a “alternative GMT” for travelers.



The Dial

The dial comes in 3 matte colors and was designed to be clean and efficient,
displaying no more than what’s absolutely necessary. A meticulous blend of
contrast and consistency between every element from the hands to the markers was
crucial to achieve a perfectly balanced watch face.

The result is a sharp and minimalist look that makes the Gladiateur nice and
easy to pair with a wide variety of outfits and accessories. But most
importantly, the dial features a classic “lollipop” sweeping seconds hand. Which
is great partly because it added a nice visual coherence to the design, but
mostly because seeing that little white speckle smoothly sweeping around the
dial is (and the following pun is totally intended) eye-candy.

The Caseback

The Gladiateur is equipped with a durable solid caseback. As per tradition, it
features the name of the model and a couple of specs about the case (namely the
material: stainless steel, and the water resistance of 10 ATM). The centerpiece
is an engraved artwork  specially designed for the Gladiateur. It represents a
highly stylized heron bird emblem   encircled by roman laurels.

The heron’s sharp outline and overall silhouette were inspired by the shape of a
Gladiator’s fighting helmet. We named this artwork Héron de Combat.

automaticcanadaclassicheronkickstartermensmiyotaprojectswatches
Micro Brands


BOLDR REVIVES EXPEDITION FIELD WATCH

March 7, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

Boldr Supply are bringing one of their most requested field watch models back –
the Expedition – in three different dial colours; beige/sand, black or white.
Here’s the word;

This fiery Expedition is named after Turkmenistan’s famed Karakum desert, home
to the Darvaza crater, or the “Gates of Hell”. The massive man-made sinkhole has
been leaking methane gas for decades, showing no signs of burning out anytime
soon.



Karakum Desert is also known by Gara Gum (“Black Sand”), and it occupies around
70 percent of Turkmenistan, extending some 500 miles (800 km) from west to east
and 300 miles (500 km) from north to south.

Did you know that fruit is grown in some areas of the desert? The nature of its
multiple interdune depressions (takyr) form thick clay deposits, which act as
catchment basins for its scarce moisture – thus allowing fruits such as melons
and grapes to grow in its mineral-rich soil.



The Expedition I Karakum is built to outlast such challenging terrains, so strap
yours on and gear up to get back on trek.  With a 41mm case width, Sellita SW200
movement and sapphire crystal this one is reasonably priced at $599 – plus
import tax, shipping etc.

It has a full lume on the dial as well, which is almost a night light, although
we do recommend using a head mounted torch when trekking the desert at night.
You can see the lizards jumping a bit better that way.

Each model is serialized from 001 – 300. Limited to 300 pieces. More at Boldr
Supply here.

boldrbrandsexpeditionfieldindielatestmicronewssupplywatches
Best Swiss watches


IT’S A MOONWATCH JIM, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT

March 7, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

No, you don’t have to own the traditional black & white Moonwatch version of the
Omega Speedmaster.

Yes, it is a design classic, but like the Rolex Milgauss, the idea of buying
something that looks exactly the same as it did 20 years ago, isn’t the best
watch collecting strategy these days.

No, we watch fans crave novelty, the shock of the new. And why not? If ever a
watch deserved a splash of colour it is that stark, monochrome Moonwatch, which
comes straight from the era of black & white TV, circa 1969, when Neil Armstrong
took his giant step forward. (Are we really any further ahead, for all our tech
progress, than the way we were in `69? Let’s leave it there, back to the watch.)



OK, this 2022 Omega Speedmaster `57 comes in a beautiful damask red dial, dark
green, a subtle grey with yellow markers, or a sort of washed out, denim blue.
That red is like an old Chesterfield leather settee red, so we pick that as the
winner. But you may differ.

The main thing is you have the choice of four dial colours this year, you can
pass on that monochrome Moonwatch – or buy a classic example for 2K and save a
bundle on the new price.

Here’s the word from Omega;

The OMEGA Speedmaster is one of OMEGA’s most iconic timepieces. Having been a
part of all six lunar missions, the legendary Speedmaster is an impressive
representation of the brand’s adventurous pioneering spirit.



This model features a PVD blue dial with a seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock and a
12-hour and 60-minute chronograph recorder on the sub-dial at 3 o’clock. There
is a central chronograph seconds hand and a date window at the 6 o’clock
position. A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects this bold dial.

The brushed bezel, with its tachymeter scale, is mounted on a 41.50 mm stainless
steel case and presented on a brown leather strap.

At the heart of this timepiece is the OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 9300, the first
chronograph in the brand’s family of in-house Co-Axial mechanical movements.

It’s on a waiting list right now, more info here if you want to register.

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Best Swiss watches


OMEGA GOES BIG, GOES DEEP, WITH THE SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN

March 7, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

Omega has been busy refreshing some of their most popular watches for the
spring.

Let’s start with the word on the Seamaster Ultra Deep, which adds some serious
James Cameron The Abyss type depth resistance to the mix. It’s got a stunning
blue dial, although it does look a bit like a porthole with that huge bezel.

You can get an orange version, plus you can choose steel – sorry Megasteel – or
NATO/silicone straps.



Here’s the press info;

ULTRA DEEP, ULTRA TECH

Tested in real ocean conditions during its development, the design is
water-resistant to 6,000 metres (20,000 ft.) and meets the ISO 6425:2018
standard for saturation divers’ watches.

This 45.5 mm wide model in robust O-MEGASTEEL features a polished black ceramic
bezel with its diving scale in Liquidmetal™. Through the protuberant and domed
sapphire crystal, the lacquered gradient dial transitions from blue to black,
and has been given 18K white gold hands and hour markers, which are all coated
with white Super-LumiNova.

The watch is set on an O-MEGASTEEL bracelet with OMEGA’s patented extendable
foldover rack-and-pusher with complementary length adjustment and an extra diver
extension, while on the caseback’s Grade 5 titanium medallion, there is a
laser-engraved Sonar emblem with the iconic OMEGA Seahorse at its centre.
Inside, the watch is driven by the OMEGA Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre
8912.

It retails at just over 10K in the UK by the way.

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Micro Brands


MOD WATCHES: MOD SPEX MANCHESTER IS WORTH A LOOK

March 6, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

We occasionally check out the Etsy platform for watches, as you can find some
fashionista types selling vintage watches that they really know nothing abot.
Bit of a lucky dip, but you might pick up a lesser know Swiss mechanical for £20
or so.



But I digress, let’s talk MOD watches because we love them here at NWC. No, they
aren’t Frankenwatches. Like a finely crafted Norvin, slammed VDub camper or a
H-D Bobber in root beer colours, they are personalised watches, custom built to
suit the user.

So MOD Spex, based in Manchester UK is worth a look. We like the Akio dive model
at £145 and the NH35 MOD model with the subtle palm leaf logo on the dial. The
Casio in black and gold is really John Player Special too.

More here.

 

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Micro Brands


MEIA LUA WATCHES SUPPORTS UKRAINE CHARITIES

March 6, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

Portugal based watch brand Meia Lua is donating 20% of the retail price on all
watches to various charities who are helping refugees from Ukraine.

After suspension of sales to Russia by Swatch Group and Hermes, the Indie brand
is one of the first in Europe to take a stand in the conflict.



WHEN WILL ROLEX, LVMH, RICHEMONT MAKE A MOVE?

It looks likely that big names in the Swiss industry will take action, once they
have sold their stock in Russia.

That may be more difficult now that Mastercard and Visa have joined other
payments services like PayPal, Samsung and ApplePay in pausing their Russian
Federation services. So the only way to buy a Rolex will be cash.

Then that cash will be extremely difficult to transfer to Switzerland, and
sending it electronically would probably involve funnelling the money through
China.

Awkward, if that becomes public knowledge, as the virtue signalling on trans,
LGBTQ, BLM, climate change BS etc. all looks like window dressing if you
continue to sell watches to the wealthy on Putin’s Game of Thrones regime.

The options for Swiss watch brands to somehow remain neutral in the conflict are
vanishing rapidly.

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Watch market news


SOME SWISS WATCH BRANDS WILL CLEAR STOCK, THEN BOYCOTT

March 4, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

LATEST UPDATE 09.03.2022

Kering Group, which currently owns Gucci has suspended its sales in Russia as
continued calls for boycotts find favour with Western politicians and pundits.

There is nothing stopping Russian buyers ordering a  watch from a China based
Rolex, Blancpain or TAG stockist and having it sent over the border. In fact
latest trade stats show that China is doing nicely from the Ukraine war, as
exports to Russia are up 16% in February, reports AFP.

It’s taken a week of bloodshed and the mass exodus of 1 million refugees, but
some luxury Swiss watch brands are choosing the right side of history and
banning further sales and exports to the Russian Federation.

Swatch Group, who own Longines, Breguet, Harry Winston, Mido, Omega and Tissot,
amongst others, issued a statement yesterday to WatchPro magazine that they were
suspending sales to Russia.



Today French fashion brand Hermes, who make their own bespoke watches and
straps, updated their position;

“Deeply concerned by the situation in Europe at this time, it’s with regret that
we have taken the decision to temporarily close our stores in Russia and pause
all our commercial activities.”

Cartier owner Richemont Group suspended its operations today.

But other than that, the big Swiss watch names are continuing to sell their
products in Russia. Some might say a bit hypocritical, given the woke/green
claptrap their PR departments love to spout about trans rights, gender pay gaps,
equality, say no to racism, BLM, recycling plastic bottles into straps and so
on. Killing children with missile attacks is fine, but if you don’t admit your
guilt over white privilege, then woooh, we might cancel you.

So why the sluggish response from the super woke Swiss watch brands? Easy
answer; money.

ROUBLE COLLAPSE MEANS BUMPER SALES

Most other well known watch brands are silent on the invasion of Ukraine, with
Rolex, Breitling, LVMH and others cashing in as the rouble slides into the
dustbin of global currencies.



Fact is, the wealthy in Moscow and St Petersburg are buying luxury goods as a
potential barter asset, as their national currency becomes worthless and the
threat of international banking sanctions, plus freezes on digital banking
within Russia, mean they might not be able to transfer wealth overseas very
easily in future.

Escaping mother Russia with a dozen Rolexes or Cartiers does give you a chance
of bribing your way out of the civil war which will undoubtedly erupt in Russia,
should Putin be ousted, or killed.

Make no mistake, every ‘Stan nation surrounding Russia, plus China, Turkey, Iran
and others, will see a golden opportunity to acquire land, mineral wealth and a
chance to extend their borders, should Putin’s fall from power be sudden and
violent.

So watch brands are selling out fast. When the shelves are bare of valuable
barter goods, then you can expect an announcement on a boycott from the Swiss
watch federation. That’s business.

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Micro Brands


AUTODROMO GIVE THE GROUP B A GREEN MAKEOVER

March 4, 2022 jamesnorthernwatch Leave a comment

Autodromo are one of our fave Indie brands here at NWC because they’re car
crazy. And motorsport too. But is this new Group B Aqua model too green? They
say geniuses choose green, but it’s often people wearing green trousers that
make that statement.

Anyways, here’s the press infio;

The Group B era –which spanned from 1982-1986– was arguably the last romantic
era of motorsport. It was a time of unfettered technical ingenuity, space age
exotic materials and turbo-boosted horsepower.

It was also a time of gladiatorial danger for drivers and co-drivers pushed to
the very limits of human endurance through unforgiving mountain passes, desert
roads, and snow covered woodland.



Autodromo’s Group B watch is an homage to the technical advancement and exotic
materials finding use at the time, featuring a bi-metallic case construction.
The Miyota 9015 automatic movement is housed within a lightweight 39mm titanium
capsule composed of 2 parts, which is held to the wrist via an integrated
bracelet crafted in stainless steel and plated in a Gray finish.

The Group B watch comes in a hand-crafted aluminum box with number plaque, and
the integrated bracelet can be removed with a spring bar tool so that the watch
can be worn with a strap if desired.

The overall aesthetic of the Group B speaks to the “high-tech” design language
of the early 1980s, with a high contrast dial inspired by a period racing
tachometer.

Stainless bracelet is resizable. It retails at $995.

More here.

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