Despite the uncertainty surrounding its origins, Longines saw the potential in the design and decided to create a modern interpretation. The result was the Avigation BigEye, a watch that pays homage to aviation timepieces of the past while incorporating contemporary features.

The Avigation BigEye is characterized by its bold and functional design. The most striking feature is of course the oversized 30-minute sub-dial at 3 o’clock, which gives the watch its “BigEye” name. This asymmetrical layout is not only visually distinctive but also enhances legibility, making it a practical choice for pilots. Having a 30 minute register for minutes and oversized markers every third minute makes it quicker and easier to read the dial than a 60 minute register where your eyes are trying to distinguish between smaller gaps between the markers. Its only a small detail, but one that counts when using the chronograph in the real world.

The watch features a 41mm stainless steel case with a brushed finish, a domed sapphire crystal, and a black dial with large Arabic numerals. Looking at the dimensions alone you may be mistaken in thinking that this is a large watch due in part to the the depth of the watch AT 14.5mm however numbers only tell half the story. Due to its proportions and the way in which the case is divided as well as the way in which the lugs are designed, the watch sits remarkably snug to your wrist.

The overall design is both rugged and elegant, reflecting its military-inspired roots through its minimalistic implementation. The dial is not adorned with any superfluous details or unnecessary text. The pushers are oversized, allowing for easy operation even while wearing gloves—a nod to its aviation heritage.

Inside, the watch is powered by the Longines L688.2 movement, an automatic column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch. This movement ensures precise timekeeping and adds a touch of modern sophistication to the vintage aesthetic. The column wheel not only serves to provide a beautiful tactile engagement of the chronograph, but also to prevent someone from wrongly pushing the reset button while the movement is running as it disconnects the lower pusher from the mechanism – preventing an unwanted and expensive trip to the servicing department to repair a damaged movement. It would have been easy to have adopted a much simpler or cost efficient movement, however this is exactly where Longines displays its class – where it cant be seen but details matter.

The Avigation BigEye has not only won the hearts of watch enthusiasts but also garnered critical acclaim. It received the “Best Revival” award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), a prestigious recognition in the watchmaking world. This accolade underscores Longines’ success in reimagining a historical design for contemporary audiences.

What sets the Avigation BigEye apart is its combination of mystery, functionality, and design excellence. It bridges the gap between past and present, offering a timepiece that is both a tribute to history and a modern powerhouse. Its enigmatic origins only add to its allure, making it a conversation starter and a cherished addition to any collection.

The chronograph market is quite a saturated space with some of the most famous watches in the world including the Omega Speedmaster Professional, the Rolex Daytona, Breitling Navitimer, Heuer Carrera and IWC Pilot’s Chronograph just to name a few – but this watch from Longines embodies a level of class that quietly delivers all of the goods at a price point putting the rest to shame.

Longines has itself a number of chronographs in this space so what sets this particular chronograph apart, why is it so good and yet so affordable? Well firstly the dial is almost stark by most measures. A simple clean aesthetic clearly showing both the time and chronograph counters with minimal text or unnecessary design it has become ironically simplistic in its delivery of information. Bearing only the words “Longines” and “Automatic” on the dial many will concur that certainly in this instance; less is more. Moreover in terms of design language, while the conquest chronograph and the spirit chronograph are clearly part of their respective product lines, the Avigation Bigeye stands alone with its own unique identity – and therein a sense of purity.

Where the Avigation Bigeye really scores is in its incredible sense of value – delivering an automatic column wheel chronograph, with modest proportions that almost anyone can wear, killer aesthetics and from one of the oldest watch brands in the world – all for under £3000 – half the price of an Omega Speedmaster Professional or IWC Pilot Chronograph.

Could this be the best value proposition for a chronograph? – a heritage inspired watch, accessibly sized with classic aesthetics and a column wheel movement with a vertical clutch – from one of the oldest Swiss watchmakers – and all for under £3000.

As always we recommend you experience this for yourself – however if you’d like to see someone else’s opinion on it, we lent this very watch to a good friend Adrian Barker (Bark&Jack) and you can see what he thought of it here:

The Longines Avigation Bigeye is available from www.Longines.com for £2950

But what do you think? – Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

While these are still good watches at the £400 price point, Seiko are often criticised for their poor build quality, cheap feel and misaligned bezels accompanied by movements that run within laughable tolerances like -35 sec to +45sec a day (that’s up to 1min and 20 seconds variance per day!) However context is key here. Seiko are a full in-house watch company making every single piece of the watch’s internal and external components. They do so offering a fully mechanical watch to the consumer that is easily serviceable for many years to come and often these comparisons are made against watches that are 10 to 20 times the price as consumers get to see and feel more expensive brands on the high street such as TAG Heuer, Longines and Tudor – where the differences and build quality are like chalk and cheese. The majority of consumers are probably not even aware that Seiko makes ‘high-end’ models with premium materials, let alone get to see and experience one as they are much harder to find in a shop window and are often displayed along side cheaper Prospex models leading consumers to presume the price tag must be wrong.

So what do you get when you go “all-in” and buy a top of the range SLA series Seiko? Well we’ve been spending time with Seiko’s SLA073 to see just how it stacks up and what makes it different from

While most of Seiko range including the Seiko 5 and the normal Prospex models are mass produced, Seiko’s premium SLA watches are not made in the same factory or to the same standards. Instead, Seiko choose have them made alongside their more expensive stable-mate Grand Seiko in a facility more akin to the craftsmanship and experience you would see and expect in a Swiss atelier.

The Shizukuishi Watch Studio, located in the Iwate Prefecture of Japan, is the sole facility in Japan specializing in the production of high-end mechanical watches. It’s specifically where Grand Seiko’s 9S mechanical movements and watches are crafted. The studio is known for its integrated approach to watchmaking, encompassing everything from movement assembly to metal engraving, all performed by highly skilled technicians. Its here that the 8L35 is assembled and finished by hand. The 8L35 is essentially an undecorated version of the Grand Seiko calibre 9S55 with a larger diameter balance wheel to handle the torque needed for the larger dive watch hands. Although one notable difference is that the 8L35 is not adjusted or regulated to the same standards and tolerances as the GS9S55. So what does this mean in the real world? Well Seiko claims the accuracy of the 8L35 as -10/+15 seconds per day under normal temperature conditions (between 5-35 degrees C). While is possible that you may purchase a watch with an 8L35 that runs at +1 or +2 seconds a day (which lots of owners seem to claim) its equally possible that you could buy one that’s +15 seconds a day and that’s perfectly within Seiko claimed tolerances. This would mean that it’s gaining close to two minutes a week. As opposed to a COSC movement that gains a maximum of 42 seconds a week. This particular SLA073J1 is running at + 3 seconds per day. By shipping unregulated movements Seiko are clearly trying to protect the value of their Grand Seiko brand, however should you wish, you could have your 8L35 regulated which will then run within the same tolerances as movements shipped by Grand Seiko.

A hallmark of Grand Seiko is its attention to detail on the surface of its dials – something it has become world renown for – producing some of the most beautiful and elegant textured surfaces that are admired the world over. Here the SLA073 has inherited some of this attention to detail from its bigger brother and has been treated to a gradient ice blue textured dial paying homage to cave divers who wore the original 1968 Seiko Diver this model is based on. While this dial is not made by Grand Seiko, it does offer a gorgeous level of depth and detail. A date window sits between 4 & 5 ensuring the continuity of symmetry of the hour indices which are treated with Seiko’s proprietary LumiBrite which brings a number of benefits including both a longer duration and higher intensity making the dial very easy to read in dim or pitch black environments. Exposing the dial to direct sunlight for 10 minutes is enough to allow the indices to glow for 3-5 hours. Even on an overcast day, the LumiBrite is able to soak up a sufficient charge throughout the day to glow for many hours.

The case of the SLA073 includes surfaces that are Zaratsu polished which is a technique used to create a distortion-free, mirror-like surface on watch cases, and it is a hallmark of Grand Seiko and some other high-end Seiko watches. The SLA073, with its stainless steel case, features this polishing method to achieve its sharp edges and flat surfaces accompanied by alternating brushed surfaces. This is then treated with Seiko’s DiaShield coating. DiaShield is a surface treatment applied to the watch case to enhance scratch resistance and maintain the watch’s original appearance. It is a hard coating that protects the watch from minor scratches and scuffs, keeping it looking new for longer. The case shape tapers upwards at the edges allowing the case to sit comfortably on the wrist along with its iconic off-set precision milled crown at 4 o’clock. In addition the case includes drilled lugs that make strap changes a breeze as well as reducing the likelihood you’re going to scratch that Zaratsu polished case. Turn the watch over and the case back features Seiko’s signature deep engraving of the great wave of Kanagawa in the centre.

The unidirectional steel bezel is accompanied by a gloss finish black ceramic insert with a LumiBrite pip embedded within the top triangular marker and etched indices for each minute, 5 minutes and numerical values for each 10 minutes. The teeth on the bezel allow a very positive grip and the bezel action is spot on. Perfectly aligned with no play whatsoever – just a positive, reassuring, almost dampened feel to the rotation.

Bracelets are not Seiko’s strong suit. No matter the cost of the watch, the bracelets that have come on watches from Seiko are not good. They are typically hollow steel bracelets with pressed clasps put together with push pins rather than screws. While that may be acceptable on a watch that costs £100-£400 (some would say ‘expectedly commensurate’) I strongly feel that on Seiko’s best watches that customers are paying £2500 – £4000 there is a reasonable expectation for a solid, well designed and well built bracelet.

The bracelet on the SLA073 does have notable improvements. The links of the bracelet itself seem well made and display a combination of brushed and polished finishes tapering from 20mm to 18mm at the clasp with solid end links. The deployant clasp consists of a fold over safety clasp, twin buttons to release the top as well as a diver extension. However while the underside of the clasp is milled, the top is a piece of thin pressed steel with 4 holes for micro adjustment. The fold over safety clasp is also pressed steel with the Seiko logo laser etched on it. The divers extension on the bracelet is made entirely of stamped/pressed steel. This not only feels incredibly cheap and certainly not commensurate with a watch costing two to three thousand bounds, but due to its poor design the links do not fully articulate and remain at an angle when fully open and therefore unable to conform to the shape of your wrist. Unfortunately there are no screws present and the bracelet links are held together with push pins. Overall its clear that the bracelet has not had the same attention to detail that the actual watch itself has. Wearing the watch on the bracelet provides an acoustic ‘jangle’ due to the loose tolerances within the clasp. this is consistent with the feel of much cheaper Seiko’s

As an alternative, Seiko’s rubber straps are completely the opposite. These are very well made and include a metal collar embedded within the strap to accommodate Seiko’s fat spring bars allowing them to freely articulate and reinforce its connection to the watch. The buckle is substantial, milled and with a mixture of brushed and polished edges, and the rubber has a detailed and textured surface which includes a deeply embossed imaged of the Great Wave off Kanagawa on the tip in line with the case back.

Seiko’s take on the NATO strap called the Seichu is crafted using traditional Japanese braiding techniques, and pays homage to the artistry once used to create cords for securing kimono sashes. The result is a strap that not only showcases a distinctive Japanese aesthetic but also offers superior strength, flexibility, and all-day comfort.

Sadly the SLA073 doesn’t come with either of these two – both of which feel extremely comfortable and add to (rather than subtract from) the overall wearing experience.

Seiko have produced more expensive limited editions like the SLA055 & SLA057 which use Ever-Brilliant steel (which is 904L steel). While this may have improved corrosion resistance, 316L is actually a harder steel than 904L. Side by side with the human eye the difference is visually imperceptible, however at this increased price point, Seiko clearly feel their bracelet is not up to the price point as these come with both their rubber and Seichu straps but not the bracelet.

We’ve worn this SLA073 on its bracelet, on Seiko’s rubber strap and on a Bark & Jack Seventy30 (as seen above) and while the bracelet is comfortable to wear, it certainly doesn’t impart the same premium feel as the watch. Oddly the watch feels much better on the rubber or a NATO Strap.

Bracelet aside, this is a Seiko built using premium materials in a facility dedicated to attention to detail. The result is a well built, beautifully finished watch that certainly stands up to it’s price point and indeed imparts a premium sensation that you just dont get with cheaper Seiko watches. In addition it’s an ISO6425 dive watch meaning each and every watch is tested to 125% of its depth rating which is not something most of their competitors do.

The SLA073 is a serious luxury dive watch with a stunning dial, finished with Grand Seiko details. Ditch the bracelet and grab Seiko’s rubber or Seichu fabric strap for a level of understated luxury and enjoy an ‘under the radar’ watch that punches well above it’s weight.

Available from www.seikoboutique.co.uk for £2600

However, as this was a significant birthday, I wanted to buy my wife a special watch – something she can keep forever, build memories with and eventually pass on. My wife is clearly not a watch person per-se, but I know she appreciates my love of watches and often has an opinion to share with me. She’s not the sort to pursue anything gregarious or ostentatious and overt displays of wealth are certainly not her pursuits. She is however someone who appreciates elegant simplicity. This is personified in her current watch. As a healthcare professional, monitoring her own movement and heart throughout the day, is something she enjoys however she appreciates not being constantly connected and reminded of every notification. So her daily watch is a Withings Scanwatch, offering 2 hands to show the time and a display that only comes to life to show health data when the crown is pushed. With this in mind I wanted to buy her something for her 50th that was classy, simple and yet elegant. Something that would not necessarily draw unwanted attention, but at the same time fit in perfectly in almost all environments. I was also acutely aware that as this was not going to be worn on a daily basis (and my wife is not used to winding and setting a watch) so quartz would be both a practical and beneficial choice. It seems that in general the watch world is largely divided – on one hand those that believe that a quartz watch should not be regarded as a ‘proper’ watch and those that understand the history and heritage that brands have come through over the last centenary of watchmaking and warmly embrace a purposeful quartz implementation. Moreover I was also aware that I was not buying for myself – something that I think we all forget from time to time as we are trying not to fill the intention of a gift with our own bias’s or preferences.

With all of this in mind I realised that not only did the Cartier Tank embody all that I (on behalf of my wife) was looking for, it was from a brand with true deep heritage in the watch industry, as well as being relatively fiscally and substantially accessible – no waiting lists, no precocious expectations about my purchasing history qualifying me to buy the watch in question, and no financial ruin for the purchase. Fortunately I had the opportunity for my wife to try on a Cartier Tank previously under the guise of wanting to take some photographs of one on a wrist – which allowed me to test the waters so to speak and watch her reaction to seeing and wearing it. Although I didn’t buy it at this point, it certainly helped me to confirm my choice and be sure she would be pleased with it. It also seemed obvious to me to make sure I got an alternative strap option so that my wife can switch this out to suit her attire. Fortunately Cartier adopts the use of quick release spring bars in their straps which allows customers a tool-free experience in this regard. This allows you to take a few extra straps on holiday without being accosted at the airport for carrying something ‘pointy’ in your luggage. I chose Cartier’s Taupe strap and an additional buckle to simplify strap changes. Giving my wife her new watch before the trip meant she would have the opportunity to build and associate memories throughout our travels.

As I was growing up most of my holidays saw me either at home here in England or travelling to France with my family. Since getting married I have travelled more extensively, however usually to more distant locations which has led to a distinct lack of appreciation of countries and cultures closer to home here in Europe (something my wife and I aim to rectify!) As we were planning a trip, we both wanted to travel somewhere that was steeped in history and that neither of us had been to before – allowing us to discover somewhere new together.

We decided to share our time between two of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Croatia – Split and Dubrovnik (both UNESCO world heritage sites) and as this was going to be more of a trip of exploration rather than sitting on the beach, we decided to book a couple of AirBnB’s as this would provide us with the freedom to roam and experience the local culture.

Dubrovnik is one of the oldest cities in the world. It boasts the oldest public healthcare system in the world and as a consequence the pharmacy there has been open since 700 AD. It’s very clean, and the people are some of the warmest and friendliest people we’ve met. The old city of Dubrovnik itself relatively small and its easy to walk round the city in a few hours – if you have the chance to go (and I would recommend you should) I would recommend the roof top walk where you can explore the walls and views over the rooftops of the city. Our AirBnB looked out over the cathedral square which felt an almost idyllic scene in the evenings.

Split’s was founded centauries before by the Roman Emperor – Diocletian who built himself a retirement home (the Diocletian Palace) and moved there in 303AD. Split is much larger than the old city of Dubrovnik. Diocletian shipped spoils of his empire over a thousand miles from Egypt to adorn his palace – including a sphynx that was between 1-2 thousand years old when Diocletian acquired it and you can still see this within the palace grounds. An exploration of the city on foot will reveal an ancient city which has largely survived thousands of years and steeped in history. Climb the tower at Cathedral of Saint Domnius and you will have views across the whole city, harbour and surrounding landscape. Further exploration will have you find St. Martin’s Church through an innocuous doorway which stretches back to the 6th centaury and has been built into the wall that surrounds the city itself – spanning only a few feet wide, its so narrow there are places you can touch both the inner and outer walls at the same time.

Over ten days relaxing and exploring Split and Dubrovnik we couldn’t have had a better experience. Not only were the cities rich in history and beautiful scenery, but wherever we went the food, hospitality and people were what truly made us feel so incredibly welcome without exception. Spending time in these two beautiful old cities certainly delivered a sense of conviction that we should spend more time exploring and adventuring – discovering future memories and spending time immersed in cultures rich with history. Here lies the personal tension between the discovering new places, and returning to destinations enveloped with fond memories – Croatia is now a place that we’re deeply fond of and looking forward to returning to in the future.

The simplicity and timeless elegance of the Cartier Tank seemed to be perfectly at home in two cities with nearly two thousand years of history and heritage. The Cartier Tank embodies an almost timeless design – whether we were exploring the rooftops of Dubrovnik, eating at restaurant 360 (Dubrovnik’s Michelin star restaurant overlooking the old city) or perusing the streets of Split and hanging out in café’s – the Tank manages to stay elegant and cool at the same time, never seemingly out of place.

Over ten days we spent our time exploring the history of two incredible cities around some of the most warm, generous and welcoming people building memories and taking them with us. I know every time my wife wears her Tank she fondly remembers our time in Croatia and looks forward to building more memories through future adventures that she can be reminded of every time wears her watch.

The Cartier Tank is available here www.cartier.com or other authorised dealers.

However, when you start the journey with a clear problem that needs solving, the end result can be truly innovative and in some cases – life changing.

The Sher watch is not your typical “I made a watch small for kids and colourful so they’d be interested “- and then claim that this is being innovative. The origins of this watch are directly connected to the challenges and struggles our children face in being able to tell the time. While this might seem a straight forward part of our upbringing and education, for someone with dyslexia it is most certainly not.

As a father of a daughter who struggles with dyslexia (as well as ADHD) I know first hand the challenges she faces and also how some of the most insignificant changes can make the biggest differences to her. With that in mind I was very keen to get hands on with The Sher watch, and more importantly for my daughter to get hands on with it and find out just what she thought of it.

So what exactly is the Sher Watch?

The Sher watch starts with a 32mm wide and 9.5mm tall metal case with a screw down back and screw down crown , as well as a sapphire crystal up front. These are all the typical ingredients of a well built field watch. Building on this, the Sher watch is water resistant to 100m and comes on a silicone rubber strap – meaning its able to stand up to just about any circumstance or activity that kids might get up to.

Inside, the intentional lack of a date coupled with a quartz movement is spot on – there’s no need for little ones to unscrew the crown periodically to change the date, it doesn’t need winding if its not worn for a while, and its a tougher movement to withstand the knocks and bumps our kids are likely to subject them to.

However the innovation is how the dial presents and communicates time. With a similar visual aesthetic to a roulette wheel, each hour has its own ‘block’ that represents the whole hour. This means that from the very beginning of the hour to the very end of the hour, the hour hand is pointing to that particular block. It therefore carries the ‘meaning’ of the hour right to the end unlike a traditional watch face which only technically points to the hour for a few minutes. The skeletonised hands further allow the wearer to clearly see the colour block through the hand further emphasizing and confirming which hour is being referenced. In exactly the same way, there are larger numerical values every 5 minutes and clearly segmented minute markers. This all leads to a clearly functional and easily readable watch face.

While this might sound counter intuitive to you and I who have spent decades reading time on a traditional watch face, this is immediately helpful to someone learning to read the time, or to someone who may find a traditional watch face confusing. The presence of clear boundaries helps to frame time and bring a sense of logical purpose to reading the time. Not to mention the fact that the whole dial is luminous allowing it to be easily read at night.

The Sher watch comes in a hard travel case to not only protect the watch while in transit but also serve as a useful protective storage pouch for the watch when its not being worn.

Overall this is a fantastic piece of desperately needed innovation. Directly helping our next generation learn and understand time while at the same time not being a typically cheap plastic watch that will end up in a landfill. As a parent I can attest to the frustration of buying my kids things that just don’t last and I for one would certainly prefer spending a little more knowing it has many years of use ahead of it – but still keeping the price of this under £100 helps it remain affordable.

The Sher watch is available now at www.sherwatch.com for £99

Acknowledgement: This article was co-written by my daughter Hannah who has personal experience in living life with dyslexia.

Although I have owned and loved the traditional Tudor Black Bay Red for many years now and I deeply enjoy its more unusual colours, when I had the chance to spend some more considerable time with Tudor’s Bronze Bucherer Edition I snapped up the chance.

While so much of the watch community have been pursuing watches that have been shaving millimetres off their proportions from 41mm down to 39mm in pursuit of a more generalist sweet spot – causing and sustaining so much hype towards the BlackBay ‘58 and its cousins – let alone the more diminutive proportions of the Black Bay 54, I tend to prefer watches of a slightly larger disposition. In fact the smallest watch I own is the Black Bay at 41mm rising through a variety of others at 42, 43 and 44 with the largest being a Panerai Radiomir 45mm.

With this in mind I do appreciate that the bronze variants of Tudors black bay range have not enjoyed the popularity of their more ‘core range’ as well as the fact that certain models are only available as ‘boutique editions’ like the Black Bay 58 Bronze Edition – which means that only those in the know will be going out of their way to get one rather than allowing more the of the general public to see what’s on offer through the variety of worldwide retailers. Then there are slightly more exclusive editions that are only available from specific retailers – like the Harrods Green Edition and this Bucherer Blue Edition.

Bronze as a material offers an interesting alternative to steel. With much of the watch world currently pursuing Titanium in a variety of its forms (trade 2 or grade 5) this does bring with it an interesting observation – that its so light it would be easy to forget you’re wearing it. While to some this is a good thing, to others it becomes a negative as there’s a comforting sensation of the feel of a watch on your wrist. To this demographic, the weight of bronze brings with it a healthy reassurance that it’s still there. Tudor are of course mindful of the potential downsides to have such a heft on your wrist and have so far only offered the bronze variants with fabric straps rather than bronze bracelets (with the exception of the black Bay 58 Bronze launched in 2021) – even though Rolex have offered the submariner on a full bracelet in either yellow gold or white gold as well as many other models including the GMT master, Day-Date and others.

However bronze does offer another rather appealing quality over steel – it brings a beautiful warmth without appearing ostentatious – which is often the opinion viewed towards those wearing gold watches – an immediate assumption of extreme wealth.

This warmth is further reinforced over time as the bronze dulls with patina – taking on a more subdued and subtle colouration while still maintaining the warmth of the bronze hues.

In addition, there are one or two unique features to Tudors’ bronze editions not found in the rest of the collection. Firstly, the explorer dials with their 3, 6 & 9 indices and, unlike the traditional 41mm variants there is no crown tube mirroring the colour of the bezel. Lastly and arguably more importantly, the side of the case has drilled lugs – a lovely addition and throwback to historical dive watches and something that makes changing straps a breeze – which is handy as I plan to spend a little time in the ocean exploring with the watch and I just so happen to also have a blue fitted rubber strap from RubberB – specifically for this watch.

I always enjoy travelling with a watch as it gives me time to experience the watch in an environment with less distractions and most often a variety of scenarios – from relaxing and unwinding at the beach to dinner out and everything in between.

As I sit here, after having enjoyed a magnificent lunch on the shores of the Mediterranean sipping a Jamaican mule, I’m reflecting on my time with the Black Bay Bronze Bucherer Blue Edition. There’s so much already been said and written on the already more than capable watch that Tudor has made – however little on how well it naturally fits in without standing out – which is in essence what makes it stand out so well! – It’s not garish, loud or vulgar, its not “look at me” – and no one gave it a second look (which I can’t imagine would have been the case if I were to wear a Rolex submariner) and as chance would have it, I spent a considerable time in a blue t-shirt and khaki shorts – the two colour-ways of the watch.

All in all we enjoyed 10 days exploring the south of France and the French riviera as well as a stop off in Dijon on the way there and the way back. During that time the Black Bay Bronze Bucherer Blue became an inseparable companion. Equally at home both at the beach as well as going out for dinner in some of the most beautiful surroundings. I spent considerable time in the sea as well as on the shores enjoying food and cocktails in a variety of settings from causal bars to the Cannes yacht club. This singular watch managed to fit in perfectly at home in every opportunity and scenario. All in all I could almost say that it has been the perfect travelling companion adapting perfectly to every scenario and occasion of note here in the French riviera.

I suppose what’s also rather remarkable is that when I bumped into another British couple at the Cannes Yacht club – he just happened to be wearing the exact same watch – and in my brief conversation with him, he echoed my sentiments having bought it recently in Bucherer Covent Garden earlier this year.

Spending time with this watch has been an eye-opening pleasure. Bronze is not a material that I would have thought that I would have enjoyed – I have a platinum wedding ring for the simple reason that it goes with everything and gold is really not my colour of choice. However after spending time with this Tudor I having to take a more challenging look at my own choices. Maybe my tastes are changing – or maybe until now, I’ve just not had the opportunity to spend the time with something as divisive and challenging as this. Either way it goes to show that opinions can change, first impressions aren’t everything and until you actually get hands on with something, be careful to form your opinions.

The Tudor Black Bay Bronze Bucherer Blue edition is available exclusively from Bucherer stores
or their website www.bucherer.com for £3870

The RubberB strap featured above is available from www.rubberb.com for $240

Horwood House has been part of the Buckinghamshire landscape since the 18th century, although the current manor house was built in 1911, adjacent to the original rectory. Horwood is now a grade II listed building having recently undergone a £6 million renovation to preserve the unique features of the manor house and surrounding courtyard of thatched cottages. Great care has been taken to create a luxurious, modern environment which provides every comfort for guests, while retaining Horwood’s deep rooted heritage.

We’re on a mission to create the kind of welcome you’d get from close family, albeit on a grander scale.

Horwood House

This provided a beautifully serene setting to be able to relax, unwind, and switch off which then led to the inevitable question of which watches to take with me. As I don’t own an IWC I thought this would be a great chance to spend some time with something a little less familiar – which then left the question – which IWC would I like to spend some time with?

One of my best friends owns an IWC Pilots Chronograph which is a beautiful watch, however i find the dials of chronograph watches overly cluttered, with superfluous sub-dials and information that (in the real world at the very least) no one ever actually uses as 99% of chronograph owners never actually time anything with them. I’m sure within the enthusiast community, that number probably looks a little better, but from personal experience we end up looking for a reason to use it rather than exercising a ‘need’ to time something. So generally speaking, chronographs are not my thing. However, the IWC Pilots watch is an altogether different proposition which has for some time eluded me – until now as IWC kindly offered me the new Pilot Mark XX to spend some time with while away enjoying some rest and relaxation.

So where do we start? The new Mark XX is definitively evolution over revolution with each iteration over the years finessing subtle characteristics while maintaining its deep heritage, together delivering a near perfect balance of attributes. The changes from the Mark XVIII are subtle: the lugs-to-lug measurement is about 2mm shorter, the case is 0.2mm thinner, the dial layout has been tweaked with shorter minute markers, and the water resistance has been increased from 60m to 100m. None of these refinements are earth shattering but together the sum is greater than the parts. Overall the new Mark XX is more wearable across a broader population of wrist sizes, more usable, and an easier ownership with the new EasX-CHANGE strap system (but we’ll come onto that later!)

The heritage of this watch stretches back to WWII where IWC produced Pilots watches for the British RAF but it wasn’t until 1948 when IWC settled on the design language of the Pilot Mark 11 that you can see echoed today in their latest release the Mark XX.

The proportions on paper alone suggest an incredible wearability with a case size of 40mm, a lug width of 20mm and a thickness of 10.8mm. Traditional pilots watches from the WWII era would easily have been much much larger than this, however in time they adjusted to the more modest proportions of the Mark 11 and this is directly where the mark XX’s heritage stems from.

Overall the whole visual aesthetic is incredibly unassuming. The dial is simple with clear large arabic numerals, traditional sword hands, minute markers and a date window at 3. It has no applied markers and even the lume is limited to subtle 12,3,6,9 markers and of course the hands. There is absolutely nothing about this watch that says “Hey! – Look at me!” Notably, Ed Sheeran famously bought two of his friends smaller IWC Pilot watches as they would have felt extremely uncomfortable wearing a more exuberant brand watch. To this day this still wear them for everything they do from swimming to hiking and everything in between as their day to day watch. This does mean that it has a great ability to blend in subtly and adaptability to be worn with nearly anything. One of my friends who owns a Mark XX with a black dial uses it as his go to watch when the necessity for a Dinner Jacket arises!

However it is under the hood that this watch excels in all the technical details. The sapphire glass has anti reflective coating on both sides and is secured against a drop in air pressure (a typical requirements for perils of pilots). The movement (which is the most notable upgrade over its predecessor the Mark XVIII) is now in-house delivering 120 hours of power reserve; that’s 5 days to you and me! The aforementioned changes to the case proportions and water resistance – ensure all concerns of water ingress under normal conditions are dealt with.

Interestingly IWC uses pressure depths to signal its water resistance and the Mark XX is rated to 10 Bar – however in the manual on IWC’s website ‘10bar’ is not listed: 1,3,6,12,20,100 and 200bar are listed.

IWC have also invested in engineering a tool-less design for changing straps. Now bear with me here as I’m sure you will have already noted that many leather straps now come with quick release spring bars – and while these are incredibly useful, they are a solution to only half of the problem. What IWC has engineered has allowed them to create a secure mechanism that will mount to a standard spring bar and build this into the end links of their bracelets. They have then taken this same design and used it for the mounting mechanism of their leather straps. This is not only great for those who travel and want to be able to take a number of straps with them without tools and without the risk of scratching the underside of the watch, it means you can also take the same approach with the bracelet. One last benefit of this design is that it is inherently backwardly compatible with not only older IWC Pilots watches with a 20mm lug width, but also any other watch.

I took the opportunity to try this with my CWC Royal Navy divers watch which has welded bars. This normally prohibits the use of anything other than a NATO or pass-through strap. However, lo and behold – the IWC strap snapped into place perfectly, and released with the same ease!

The only criticisms that could be observed are that the design is typically implemented in monochromatic colour tone. The starkness of the black dial and white numerals is cold and lacks any level of warmth – however this is entirely expected for a watch that is designed with a singular purpose; legibility. IWC have released the Mark XX in a number of dial colours including a sunburst green seen here and a sunburst blue which definitely address that particular elephant in the room.

All round, the Mark XX is an understated, over-capable jack of all trades that packs a serious punch. It is easy to read, can be worn with nearly anything from a suit (or dinner Jacket) to pool-side attire and everything in between. In celebration of the 75 anniversary off the IWC Pilot’s watch, IWC have just released a new silver dial variant which is now available, however our favourite has to be the classic ‘Petit Prince’ combination of blue sunburst dial and brown leather strap which exudes a sense of colour, class and casualness that works so well with denim as well as a staple blue suit!

From the moment we arrived to our departing farewells, our time at Horwood House was exactly what we needed. The staff created a fantastic atmosphere and I’m sure in time we will take the opportunity to return when the opportunity arises. If you’re looking for a great place to relax and unwind for a couple of days, I would thoroughly recommend Horwood House. for more information, head over to www.horwoodhouse.co.uk

The IWC Pilot Mark XX is available in black, blue, green or now silver for £5,050 on leather or £5,700 on a steel bracelet. For more information or to purchase, please visit: www.iwc.com

Last year Breitling refreshed the SuperOcean models by delving into their back-catalogue and revitalising a historical design language – yet executing this with a contemporary flair has delivered a product that is distinctly ‘Breitling’. It also just happens to be my 50th Birthday and my wife decided to take me out to Portugal to celebrate this milestone event and as I had not spent anytime with the new SuperOceans, Breitling kindly lent me a couple of watches to take with me.

Upon arriving in Lisbon, and collecting my luggage, I was immediately reminded why I protect my watches when I travel. This time my main suitcase had received some rough treatment form EasyJets Baggage handlers which had severely compromised the case. Luckily I had packaged my watches in a Peli Enigma case supplied by ‘ToTheHour’ – needless to say the watches were all fine. Less can be said about the rest of my luggage! If you want to take a look at watch travel solutions including the Enigma case, you can take a read here.

Once I had managed to get over the initial shock of the state of my luggage and had endeavoured to try and sort the issue with EasyJet (to which there is nothing Easy about it at all!) I then went about setting my watch to local time. The Breitling SuperOceans are not GMT’s so after unscrewing the crown, ensuring they were properly wound, I got out my reference time (aka my iPhone) and compared the two. Not having travelled to Portugal before, I then spent the next minute in a rather confused state – The SuperOcean had in fact managed to set itself to the local time in Portugal without any further interaction from me – which I clearly wasn’t expecting. It was only when my wife pointed out that Portugal and the UK were in fact in the same time zone, that I realised exactly how sleep deprived I was and that I should not be in charge of making any important decisions for a while!

Breitling’s update to the SuperOcean has provided variety and choice in a abundance. Available across 4 sizes including 36mm 42mm 44mm and 46mm, a range of materials including Steel, Gold and Bronze and a whole range of colour options as well. In addition, the 46mm has a unique feature. Unlike most traditional dive watches that have a uni-directional bezel, this has a bezel locking mechanism operated via a lever on the left hand side of the case. This is a distinctive feature that is easy to spot when you know what you’re looking for and the keen eyed amongst you will have spotted this in some of Breitling’s photography and wondered what this was. Once this lever is moved down to the unlocked position, it allows the bezel to rotate freely and once set can then be re-locked by sliding the lever back up. This is a design feature of Breitling dive watches from the 1960’s which they have sympathetically included – but only for the largest in the range.

The first thing that strikes you is the dial configuration. With the renewed design, Breitling have shrunk the dial and dramatically increased the size of the rehaut. In addition the hour and minute hand do not share the same design. Although these two elements (the dial and hands) are both drawn from the Breitling SuperOcean Slowmotion of the 1960’s the delivery and implementation is very contemporary with raised indices, and a ceramic bezel. I would of course be remiss not to discuss the bezel action – which in all honesty is near perfect; an effortless 120 position action with a positive click returning to perfect alignment every time with a feeling of precision ball bearings. If I were to be very critical I would suggest that the action is almost a little too light and it would be nice to have just a little more tension to move the bezel as I had noticed that once or twice the bezel had moved by being caught on a coat sleeve – but this is an extremely minor observation.

Notably, Breitling have chosen to remove the date from the new range. I’m sure that some will see this as a controversial move by Breitling, however this does deliver a much cleaner and more balanced aesthetic which suites the design language well.

On the wrist, one of the first things that you notice is how slim it is. Many might criticise Breitling for not putting their own movement in it and for using an ETA calibre, however this has resulted in much more slender height of 12.9mm for the 44mm and 12.5mm for the 42mm – which certainly improves their ‘cuff-ability’. The design of the crown guards allows for easy access to the crown to adjust the time when travelling through time zones or winding the watch if its part of a collection, while still protecting the crown from lateral knocks.

The new SuperOceans have a relatively short lug distance of 49mm for the 44mm and 47mm for the 42mm further enhancing their wearability. The 42mm SuperOcean almost felt too small for my wrists and the 44mm wore extremely well. For reference I have 18cm wrists and although I have a range of watches from 41-45mm, my own Breitling is a 43mm Avenger.

The new Rubber straps have a much more dramatic taper to them with an updated design pattern and are fastened by Breitling’s new and improved deployant clasp. This is a milled clasp with brushed outer flanks and a polished centre section with Breitling inscribed along the clasp. It is well designed and curved with a twin push button system to release or secure the clasp. On the inside is a spring loaded 8 position variable adjustment for the strap allowing easy tool-less on the fly adjustment. Breitling have used this system for a while on their rubber deployant clasps, however the big change here is that this same clasp is now used on the steel bracelet which is a major improvement from previous generations of ‘bracelet clasps’.

I spent just over a week with two contrasting models from the new SuperOcean range. The 44mm variant with the Green dial, bezel and strap and the 42mm with a white dial, blue bezel and blue strap. Although the design language is consistent between the two, the overall feel is remarkably different. This is simply because the combination of the white dial and white rehaut lends your eye to believe that it is in deed a single large monochromatic dial rather than two separate elements.

I find it notable when so many brands are choosing safe design options with little to differentiate their design from any one else’s, when a prominent manufacturer like Breitling makes a bold step to create something new and vibrant. The new range of SuperOceans brings a lot of choice – with variations of material, dial colour and bracelet. Dial colours include black, blue, teal, green, white, orange and now yellow, delivered in a range of sizes including 36mm, 42mm, 44mm and 46mm and a range of case materials including stainless steel, bronze and stainless steel & 18k red gold, available on steel or colour matched/complemented rubber bracelets all with the new adjustable clasp.

As always, pictures can be deceiving and I would highly recommend anyone to go and take a look at the new collection in person. Overall I found the new range to be extremely comfortable and highly wearable embodying proportions that are accessible by a range of wrist sizes. Overall the new SuperOceans are very well built and extremely wearable with good proportions. It’s clear that the new design language is going to be highly divisive and not for everyone, however if you are in the market for a new dive watch and want something contemporary, colourful and a little different this could just be the watch for you.

The new SuperOceans are available now from Breitling starting at £3750 and offer a huge array of choice for someone looking for a something a little different.

Available from: www.breitling.com

With the relatively recent release of the Supermarine S302 adding a second time zone, and the latest S300 VIGO and KAIMU paying tribute to the white sand beaches of northern Spain and the black sands of the world renown Hawaiian volcanic black sand beach, I wanted to take a little time with the original Supermarine S300 White and the Supermarine S301 – which to me are some of the most versatile and wearable watches in Bremont’s’ collection. Not to mention the fact that the S300 white was worn by Nims (Nirmal Purja) as he broke more than 7 speed world records as he climbed the 14 mountains above 8,000m (known as the death zone). If you’ve not seen it I would highly encourage you to watch the documentary ’14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible’ on Netflix on his remarkable achievement.

In addition, I also took along my Bremont MBII which I’ve had for a number of years which made a handy trio to spend the week with, and explore their similarities and differences in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Our trip would start in the UK and have us travel some 5372 miles on two planes and a seaplane to a remote island in the middle of the Indian ocean for a week of rest, relaxation, and refinement. To be honest – both my wife and I love to travel and so after more than 2 years of not being able to, as a couple of big kids we absolutely loved the journey there with the seaplane as the icing on the cake.

Upon arrival as it was later in the day we were taken to our Villa where we dumped our bags and headed straight for dinner. One of the first things that struck me (being particularly used to the seasons in the UK) was just how quickly it went dark. Once the sun had gone down, it was pretty much pitch black and a little after 7 in the evening – this was clearly quite a contrast from UK summer weather that we had just left where it’s currently light until some time past 10 at night.

The following day it was time to start relaxing and exploring and with that came my daily choice of what to wear and which watch to spend some time with. It was only then did we realise that we had in fact almost got the entire island to ourselves, as at this point we were only the third couple on the whole island and we had at our disposal some 200 staff looking after us!

So lets start with a few details. Both the S300 and the S301 have a 40mm wide and 13mm high Trip-Tick three piece case, with a DLC treated black barrel, and a laser engraved ceramic unidirectional bezel with Super-LumiNova®. Each has a signed crown with a colour ring that accentuates the colour of the watch. This is a tasteful attention to detail that is more noticeable on the S301 as the muted gold ring echoes the tones across the dial, bezel and NATO strap perfectly. However on the S300 White, the coloured ring on the crown appears observably black – which pairs with the black barrel rather than the blue bezel.

The S300 (across all the variants) have roman indices at the 12, 6 & 9, and batons at the remaining hour indicators all in Super-LuniNova whereas the S301 has a unique hour marker at 12, batons at 6 and 9 and round pips for the remaining hour indicators. While the S301 has matte dial with all text written directly on the dial, the S300 White has a stepped dial adding a subtle level of depth to the view with the centre of the dial presenting a guilloche finishing. Another nice attention to detail is the matching of the date wheel colour to that of the dial. On the S300 white the date wheel is white and on the S301 its black. Likewise there are also differences with the bezels. Whereas the S300 white has a highly polished blue ceramic bezel, the S301 has a matte finished bezel.

Powering the watch is Bremont’s BE-92AE – this is ostensibly a modified ETA 2892 with Bremont’s decorated rotor, a Glucydur balance and Anachron balance spring, with Nivaflex 1 mainspring delivering a 38 hour minimum power reserve. Nothing earth shattering about the movement, but solid, reliable, tried and tested all the same. Both are ISO3159 certified (the ISO certification that COSC uses). Both naturally have hacking and hand winding and are regulated to -4 +6 seconds per day in line with their ISO3159 certification.

Over the course of a week both my wife and I enjoyed the opportunity to wear each watch and spend time with it as we sunbathed, swam, snorkelled and dined in one of the most amazing parts of the world. Whereas my MBII was clearly a larger watch than my wife was comfortable wearing, the very accessible size of the S300 and S301 at 40mm made them a fantastically versatile pair to be worn by either of us. Both of us noted the great versatility of both watches.

While my wife has a tendency to be drawn to a classically white dial watch, I found myself drawn more to the S301’s muted tones. Perhaps this was in part due to the environment that I was spending so much time in where the bronze & brown felt ever so appropriate for sandy beaches, panama hats and khaki attire. Before departing to the Maldives, my initial perception was that the white dial of the S300 would be a dressier and more flexible watch however over the course of the week, I found myself continuously favouring the more understated appearance of the S301.

While daytime activities varied throughout the week from swimming and snorkelling to sunbathing and resting, the evening activities were more focused on the rather incredible supply of sumptuous food and drink that Brennia had to offer. With an assortment of world class chefs at our disposal, our every whim was catered for – including tailoring everything for us as my wife is gluten free – which they did to perfection.

There were certainly times throughout the week where I felt I was enjoying the luxuries of a bond lifestyle – the weather, the views, the food and drink, an easy smile and an expensive watch on my wrist – here the Bremont S301 was right at home with a rugged yet charming appeal.

There are a lot of watches that occupy the same price range as the S300 and 301, but after having spent a week with them what really stands out and sets them apart is the attention to detail. There is nothing ‘simple’ in terms of the watch design and execution. From the design of the three piece Trip-Tick case and the hardening process that it undergoes, to the coloured ring in the crown, the coloured inlay in the matte ceramic bezel, the stepped guilloche dial and the beautifully engraved case back with the Supermarine Seaplane. The whole watch has had no expense spared and what’s noticeable is that these elements all work together really well to deliver a design that is singularly unlike anything else at this price point. Bremont are often the subject of criticism due to a lack of inhouse movement however it would be extremely short sighted to equate a sense of value merely on the movement itself, and its easy to see that Bremont have invested substantially on design and materials to produce a stunning watch that is simply ‘set apart’ in terms of design and execution.

So how do these two compare to my White MBII…? well for starters they are arguably more wearable – the 40mm case dimension certainly makes wearing the Supermarine much more accessible for smaller wrists and therefore more appealing to women (who typically have smaller wrists than men). In addition, for any underwater activities, the presence of a screw down crown really does provide a sense of reassurance. I am acutely aware that my MBII is in fact tested to 100m and had I not had these two divers with me, I might have ventured into the water with it – but as I had a couple of great dive watches with me, I clearly had no need to test the MBII in that way.

However what is abundantly clear is that the same overall sense of build quality, attention to detail, legibility and performance that I am used to with my MBII is very much present on these two at a significantly more affordable price point.

One of the much more interesting aspects of Bremont as a brand is their use of their brand ambassadors – who help them test their products in the real world – in part the source of the brands tag line “Tested Beyond Endurance” (rather than merely modelling on the cover of a magazine wearing the watch for aesthetics). Not only did Nims wear the S300 for his record breaking (or should I say record smashing) climb, but the S300 is also on the wrist of Bremont Ambassador Kristin Harila who is following in Nim’s footsteps to not only become the fastest woman to climb all 14 peaks, but also to beat Nims record! – You can read more about her Bremont 14 peaks challenge here

If you’re in the market for a 40mm dive watch and are considering the myriad of watches that occupy this price point, it would be wise advice to go and check out your options in person before committing your hard earned funds merely based on pictures and other peoples opinions (including my own) and, in this light, I would encourage you to go and take a look for yourself at the Bremont S300 and S301.

Watches in this Article:
Bremont Supermarine S300 White
Bremont Supermarine S301
Bremont MBII

The divers sixty five is ostensibly the most famous of this lineage drawing upon their classic heritage design and proportions from the 1960’s combined with modern watchmaking and a practical wear-ability.

There is an interesting dichotomy between identity and choice. While too much choice in various elements waters down the identity of a product, not enough choice alienates buyers as the product is not ‘quite’ what they’re looking for. Omega has often been the subject of criticism due to the amount of variants each model is offered in. For example thee are 20 different models of the Seamaster professional divers 300m including black dial, white dial, blue dial, grey dial, on rubber or steel, and with steel, ceramic, or two tone rose gold cases – however this pales into insignificance in comparison to the divers sixty five which is available in no less than 55 different models encompassing green, blue, black, and silver dials with indices or numerals, on a bracelet, leather, rubber, NATO, or recycled material. The case is available in pure steel, or a two-tone steel and bronze bezel, and there is a chronograph in the range too. As if that wasn’t enough, the divers sixty five is also available in three different sizes including 42mm 40mm and 36mm. However, while those with smaller wrists may consider veering towards the 36mm variant I would strongly urge you to try the watch on first. While the case size is 36mm, the defining factor for how large the watch looks on your wrist is in fact the dial diameter, and in the case of a dive watch with a bezel (even in this case a more slender one) the dial itself is of quite diminutive proportions and tends to make the watch look and feel much smaller than it actually is. I have 7 ½” wrists and I found the 40mm model a terrific size .

With all that choice on hand, there should be a divers sixty five for everyone! However, while some of the variants might seem like marmite – you’ll either love them or hate them, we think there’s one in the range that stands out as the sweet spot – namely the “01 733 7707 4055-07 5 20 45” or for those of you that don’t speak ‘Oris’ the ‘Blue dial 40mm in steel with a brown leather strap’.

The design of the Divers Sixty Five is a great study in component design. Where every element contributes to – and works together, to deliver the overall design aesthetic.

The dial is a deep navy blue that at times appeared almost black with applied indices filled with a vintage khaki lume. This felt entirely appropriate for a loyal representation of a vintage watch giving it a warm feel. The date is at 6 o’clock delivering a very balanced layout. The the case itself is simple yet elegant with lugs that protrude from the case that are clearly proportionate with the size and dimensions of the rest of the case. The top surfaces are brushed with the side profile offering a polished finish. The aluminium bezel is slim and in keeping with a vintage inspired piece allowing the watch to have a larger dial helping legibility. The screw down crown protects the winding stem and offers a greater level of assurance to the wearer against water ingress than gaskets alone. The beautifully domed sapphire crystal allows the watch to not only seem slimmer than it actually is but also helps it slip effortlessly under a cuff.

What’s particularly interesting is that although the overall height of the watch is 12.9 mm, it doesn’t look or feel it. This is due to the way the component parts of the case are made up. The case itself is only 5 mm thick. However the case back is curved and sits proud, the Bezel is an aluminium sloping bezel that is narrower at the coin edge and as we mentioned earlier, the sapphire crystal on top is domed. While all of this adds up to just under 13 mm in height, your eye is drawn to the profile of the side of the main case which is only 5 mm thick. This substantially reduces the wrist presence and heft of the watch. Believe it or not, it is actually slightly thicker than the original Tudor Heritage ETA Black Bay which was 12.7 mm.

Inside the Diver 65 is the Oris calibre 733 which uses the Sellita SW200-1 as its base movement. Though not a remarkable or in house movement it is a reliable, well established movement that is fitting for a watch in this price category – helping keep this an accessible Swiss divers watch.

Changing the strap on a watch can dramatically change the look, feel, and suitability for a given occasion. It’s clear that Oris understand this, as their straps are provided with helpful quick release spring bars encouraging you to buy a selection of them and change them as often as you do your attire. While this is becoming more popular with aftermarket straps, not only are Oris offering this on leather and rubber straps, remarkably they also fit their metal bracelets with quick release spring bars too. We’ve not seen before and its especially remarkable from an OEM. This not only makes it far quicker and easier to do but also significantly reduces the likelihood of scratching the case with a spring bar tool – something most of us are likely to do at some point.

A significant benefit of the 40mm Diver 65 is the 20mm lug width. For the larger and smaller models (42mm & 36mm), Oris increase the lug width to 21mm or decrease the lug width to 17mm (presumably this is to keep the overall proportions of the watch to exactly the same scale) however, If you do want to change the straps, having an odd lug width is an enormous pain. Both 21mm and 17mm straps are far more difficult to find and most straps are just not available in these widths, whereas almost all straps are available in 20mm.

Oris’s interpretation of a modern NATO is an interesting strap which comes fitted to a beautifully engineered deployant clasp. This provides the reassurance and comfort of a NATO strap with the convenience of a deployant .

One of our favourite straps was the r-Radyarn® strap. According to Oris, this is made from post-consumer recycled polymer and manufactured using processes that greatly reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well as water and energy consumption. The navy and khaki go extremely well and really add a touch of class while maintaining a causal look – like wearing a perfectly matched suit and tie. Although this was in fact a 21mm strap designed for the 42mm model, it wore extremely well and the extra 1mm was barely noticeable .

The tropical rubber strap was extremely pliable. This was in part due to its dimensions. Unlike thick clumsy rubber straps found on many watches Oris’s strap is 5.5mm thick at the case but tapers to 2.3mm additionally its width tapers from 20mm to 16.5mm at the buckle. These dimensions are commensurate with a soft fine leather strap which goes a long way to explain why it was so comfortable to wear. Along with the textured weave imprinted in to the surface, its one of the more elegant rubber straps we’ve seen.

While other dive watches may boast greater resistance against water ingress, this is more than capable of withstanding anything the average wearer may engage in – from swimming & water-sports to diving well beyond the depths required for a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

We have had the pleasure of spending some serious time with the Oris Divers Sixty five over a couple of months. Overall the Oris Diver 65 is a compelling package. Its an extremely capable everyday watch that offers huge practicality without sacrificing elegant aesthetics. This allows the watch to be dressed up and worn in more formal environments where more contemporary dive watches would be clumsy and out of place.

Its clear that a lot of consideration went into the design aesthetics and proportions of this watch which has resulted in a ‘cornerstone piece’ for Oris – embodying vintage styling from a Swiss matchmaker with real heritage. All for a remarkably accessible price point of £1270.

The Oris Divers Sixty Five is available from:
www.oris.ch
Price: £1270

Do you own an Oris Divers 65 or are you considering buying one? We’d love to hear your comments and feedback below.

So what happens when a strap company starts to make watches? We reached out to Crafter Blue’s founder – Steve Chan who kindly sent us their Mechanic Ocean to spend some time with and put it through its paces.

Design

To start with, the Mechanic Ocean is clear in purpose. It is a dive watch through and through. At 45mm across and over 16mm in height there is no getting away from the fact that this is a large watch. It is not going to ‘slip under a cuff’ or be worn subtly with a suit. Nor should it. It was designed to be highly robust and reliable when faced with the rigours of the ocean, and the design language clearly speaks to this. For example the crown has been placed on the left hand side of the watch. Not to allow this to be worn on the right wrist, but to ensure the crown doesn’t dig into the back of your hand when swimming. In addition it is far less likely you will strike the crown on an object when its pointing up your arm.

On the right hand side of the watch is an automatic helium release valve that sits flush with the case. If you want to know more on our thoughts of helium release valves take a read of our article here.

The textured dial features applied markers and offers an unexpected level of detail. The hands are easy to read and are filled with a generous quantity of lume!

Movement

Powering the Mechanic Ocean the Calibre 3531 which is a modified Seiko NH35 adorned with a decorated red gold rotor with Geneva waves. Unfortunately this detail is completely lost on owners as the Mechanic Ocean is fitted with a solid caseback which is what you might expect from a ruggedized dive watch. But the bigger question is why adorn the movement with a level of Swiss finishing for a watch with no Swiss connection – nor the ability to appreciate it? However, the NH35 is a solid movement which is easy to service, highly durable and overall a great choice for a watch in this price bracket.

Strap

As you might expect, the mechanic Ocean is fitted with a CrafterBlue rubber strap that the company is renown for. In this particular instance it is a block-integrated bi-colour vulcanised rubber strap which is made in line with CrafterBlues’ signature design aesthetic – namely a flat tang buckle with twice as many holes as you might expect. This allows for a much finer adjustment on your wrist ensuring a good fit and comfort all year round. in addition the strap is a good length allowing it to be worn over a wet suit. It also allows the watch to be worn without having to have links removed from a bracelet.

However it’s not all plain sailing. Look a little closer and you’ll see that the crown guard doesn’t actually guard the crown – it protects the stem leaving the crown exposed. For a watch of substantial proportions, the dial itself is smaller than you might expect. For comparison the dial on the 40mm Oris divers 65 is actually 5mm larger than the mechanic ocean, even though the Oris case size is 5mm smaller.

Throughout my time with the Mechanic Ocean, I had a troubling thought in my mind. While the Mechanic Ocean is a very capable and robust watch, its a newcomer to an already saturated market which therefore poses the question: “Why would I choose this watch over a comparable watch from Seiko who are probably the undeniable champions in this sector with a proven history of dive watches for over 50 years”

This becomes an even more prominent question when you consider the Mechanic Ocean is in fact more expensive than an ISO 6425 certified divers from Seiko such as the Turtle or Samurai which use the very same movement – but in the Seiko it’s an in-house movement.

If you re looking for a dive watch for under £1000 then quite frankly your options and choices are far and wide with countless microbrands offering a seemingly unlimited choice, and often very little to differentiate one watch from another as design queues often point to the same inspirations.

This watch however does not follow the herd and is clearly not another watch trying be be something it’s not which is a refreshing change. It is has been designed for a singular purpose and in that regard it does exactly what it says on the tin – its a capable, solid, reliable divers watch with no pretence.

So if what you’re looking for is not something that follows the trend of historical divers and boldly embodies its own more contemporary design language, then the Mechanic Ocean might just be for you.

The CrafterBlue Mechanic Ocean is available from:
www.crafterbluewatches.com
Price: $425