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How to choose the perfect pot for your bonsai tree?
2023.05.27 15:46 bonsaytreehelp How to choose the perfect pot for your bonsai tree?
When choosing the perfect pot for a bonsai tree, consider size, material, style and color. Pots come in different sizes ranging from small to large depending on the size of the tree. They are usually made from ceramic, plastic or glazed pottery; each providing unique characteristics which can be beneficial to a bonsai's growth and styling. There are multiple styles including cascade pots which have extended sections used to hold soil for larger root systems and slanted walls that provide space for branches at various levels of elevation. Colour is also important as it allows you to customize your bonsai’s look according to personal preference or complementary design elements.
Another consideration when it comes to pot size is aesthetics; different sizes of container can affect the overall look of your bonsai tree and provide added visual interest. A well-proportioned pot helps accentuate the beauty of the plant, making its features stand out even further. Being mindful of height and width relative to the size of your tree is key here - a miniature sapling likely won't suit an oversized vessel. There's also scope for creativity with unusual shapes and textures that can really set off a mature bonsai display - just make sure they're practical too!
The final factor to bear in mind when deciding on pot size is weight; plastic containers are generally lightweight which makes them suitable for delicate trees or those that are often moved around (like outdoor potted varieties), whereas heavier options like terracotta or stone vessels should be reserved only for established specimens with sturdy branches that don't need regular repositioning.
When picking out the perfect pot for your bonsai tree it is important to consider the dimensions of both the pot and the root system of your tree as they should be proportionate for optimal success of growth for your bonsai tree. The shape you choose may also influence how successful the species planted will look when presented in its new home; it is not recommended to use overly tall or wide shaped pots as this will distort growth patterns depending on what type of style you're going after with your particular bonsai species choice. Different varieties may require more shallow but wider-based pots due to their root structure while others may benefit from slightly deeper but narrower elements as these will help contain moisture better throughout hotter months keeping the roots healthy during summer periods when water levels could deplete more quickly than usual due to heat exposure outside.
It’s also essential to determine what material best fits into your landscaping design scheme as each option has pros and cons depending on usage conditions such as climate change temperatures across different seasons. Clay vessels retain soil moisture over extended periods but may crack in freezing cold environments so if you live somewhere that experiences harsh winters be sure to pick something else instead like plastic or metal based planters which won't break down under frost conditions though they can become dull looking compared to clay alternatives unless maintained regularly with oiling techniques or painting treatments if desired for aesthetic purposes within outdoor displays even during winter times.
When looking at clay or ceramic pieces, you should assess how much texture and pattern exist in the material itself; if desired roughness exists in areas where bonsai roots would come into contact with the sides of the container then this could help reduce erosion over time due which will be beneficial for keeping your plant healthy and vibrant-looking. Further still, some people prefer smoother surfaces on their vessels as this helps give them a more refined appearance that better complements their plants overall look. Ultimately it all depends on personal preference; bear these considerations in mind while shopping around and you'll be sure to find something suitable soon.
In addition to helping identify desirable attributes that fit with one’s vision of what they'd like their bonsai setup to look like, studying available examples can also inspire new ideas and help expand existing ones. If viewing certain arrangements leads to thoughts of possible improvements or alternate approaches than make note of these for future reference. Consider creating sketches based on what you’ve observed - even simple stick figures have proven helpful in organizing thoughts and developing new concepts that wouldn't have arisen under less comprehensive planning processes.
Don’t forget about proportions. The width-to-height ratio should match up nicely with dimensions attributed to whatever type of bonsai tree is being chosen for planting – this means ensuring proper drainage holes are in place while keeping any decorative accents from overpowering basic elements such as soil depth within the pot itself. Remember: functionality should always take precedence over aesthetics when pairing up a unique specimen with its ideal container choice!
Choosing the right pot can significantly contribute to making your bonsai look even better. You can take advantage of various decorative options which might match different colors or patterns from the bark and leaves of your plant. You may opt for glazed pots, which come in various shapes and sizes. All these details need to align with the style that you would like to achieve - classic Japanese style or contemporary minimalistic one? The choice is up to you.
By selecting an appropriate pot with subtle design elements you can make sure that all eyes are on the beauty of your Bonsai tree. This way its elegant shape will remain central focus while stylishly blending into any space it is displayed in.
Glazed pots tend to have a glossy finish with vivid tones that are slightly brighter than natural shades, while unglazed pots can provide an earthy feel due to their muted colors and matte texture. The latter is best suited for traditional bonsais, while glazes are often used in combination with miniature figurines and other decorations that make up part of the composition. For example, porcelain bowls with abstract figures or bold flower patterns will enhance any contemporary setup.
Hues aside, bear in mind that there are additional factors you should keep in mind when selecting the right pot such as size and shape depending on whether it will contain one plant or multiple specimens; number of drainage holes; material which dictates weight; cost; as well as thickness of walls since they all affect moisture retention levels and ultimately determine success rate when cultivating bonsai trees.
When looking for bonsai containers consider what materials they are made from. Clay pots tend to have great draining capabilities but they are also more fragile than plastic or glazed ceramic ones which offer greater protection against frost, unlike terracotta clay containers that may crack due to extreme temperatures during winter months. Also bear in mind how accessible it is once placed into position as having easy access when watering and re-potting is essential to keeping your bonsai healthy and happy.
Choosing between different shapes requires forethought too – oval shapes prevent roots from circling the inside edges while round pots provide better stability for taller trees; rectangles suit wide spreading plants as they give room above ground for foliage expansion while tall trees require deeper planting options so look at cylinders or pyramid styles in order to benefit from their extended depth.
Forest style pots typically include a glazed outer shell with a rougher texture on its inner walls. This provides strong grip for any wires used during wiring sessions as well as making sure water is completely absorbed into the clay-like soil and not leaking from it. These patterns create an attractive illusion of natural look which brings an outdoorsy feel to any interior or exterior environment and further accentuates your newly potted bonsai tree.
Rock style containers possess much more of traditional look and are made using several materials including porcelain or ceramic pottery depending on their size and color variations as needed for each individual project or purpose. These vessels have rounder shapes than forest design pots, making them easier to fit in tight spaces without compromising air flow around them when situated near other plants like small succulents or mini shrubberies while still being very visually appealing when sitting alone in larger places due to their unique shape and texture options available. Their finishes prevent losing too much moisture so users can go worry free during summer time while they’re away from home taking vacations over longer periods of time.
Ceramic pots offer an excellent source of insulation due to their superior material makeup which offers both breathability and durability against rain, snow or harsh sun rays. They are available in various shapes and sizes so you have multiple options when it comes to finding one that meets your needs. On the other hand, plastic pots often provide enhanced water retention but offer little else when it comes to insulation from outside elements making them less ideal for less extreme climates.
Terracotta containers tend to be among the most popular types of pots used for bonsai trees due to their aesthetic appeal as well as their ability to keep roots cool in hotter climates while also keeping moisture in check during cold winters. Although terracotta is more fragile than other materials they do come at reasonable prices allowing you to buy several in case any crack or chip over time - something ceramic or plastic cannot offer as easily.
Attending a workshop hosted by a professional cultivator is one of the best ways to get specialized advice about choosing the right pot for your bonsai. Such sessions are often available through local gardening clubs or organizations centered around nature conservation. By attending these events, novice growers can learn from experts and receive essential recommendations regarding which type of potting material will be most suitable for their specific kind of tree.
Many independent nurseries carry a wide variety of containers specifically designed for housing bonsais. Visiting one of these shops allows individuals to ask questions about different types and sizes of pots while also offering them the chance to review multiple samples before making their purchase decision.
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Considerations for Pot Size
When selecting a pot for your bonsai tree, size is an important factor to consider. Smaller pots will require more frequent watering and feeding as the soil dries out quickly compared to larger pots, but choosing one that is too large can impede growth. Bonsai trees in smaller pots may need their soil changed every 2-3 years, while those in larger ones may not require any changes for up to 5 or 6 years. It’s also important to take into account how much root space the particular species needs, since some varieties grow rapidly and therefore have greater requirements than others.Another consideration when it comes to pot size is aesthetics; different sizes of container can affect the overall look of your bonsai tree and provide added visual interest. A well-proportioned pot helps accentuate the beauty of the plant, making its features stand out even further. Being mindful of height and width relative to the size of your tree is key here - a miniature sapling likely won't suit an oversized vessel. There's also scope for creativity with unusual shapes and textures that can really set off a mature bonsai display - just make sure they're practical too!
The final factor to bear in mind when deciding on pot size is weight; plastic containers are generally lightweight which makes them suitable for delicate trees or those that are often moved around (like outdoor potted varieties), whereas heavier options like terracotta or stone vessels should be reserved only for established specimens with sturdy branches that don't need regular repositioning.
Types of Bonsai Pots
Bonsai pots come in a variety of materials, shapes, and sizes. Some of the most popular options are ceramic, plastic, metal, and wood. Ceramic bonsai containers can range from traditional Japanese glazed ware to more modern pieces with intricate designs and colors. Plastic containers are lightweight and available in a number of styles with unique shapes for your bonsai tree. Metal containers are usually handmade with aluminium or copper that will provide an attractive decorative accent to any garden display. Finally wooden bonsai planters create an aesthetically pleasing environment within which your plant can thrive.When picking out the perfect pot for your bonsai tree it is important to consider the dimensions of both the pot and the root system of your tree as they should be proportionate for optimal success of growth for your bonsai tree. The shape you choose may also influence how successful the species planted will look when presented in its new home; it is not recommended to use overly tall or wide shaped pots as this will distort growth patterns depending on what type of style you're going after with your particular bonsai species choice. Different varieties may require more shallow but wider-based pots due to their root structure while others may benefit from slightly deeper but narrower elements as these will help contain moisture better throughout hotter months keeping the roots healthy during summer periods when water levels could deplete more quickly than usual due to heat exposure outside.
It’s also essential to determine what material best fits into your landscaping design scheme as each option has pros and cons depending on usage conditions such as climate change temperatures across different seasons. Clay vessels retain soil moisture over extended periods but may crack in freezing cold environments so if you live somewhere that experiences harsh winters be sure to pick something else instead like plastic or metal based planters which won't break down under frost conditions though they can become dull looking compared to clay alternatives unless maintained regularly with oiling techniques or painting treatments if desired for aesthetic purposes within outdoor displays even during winter times.
Porosity and Weakening/Strengthening Visible Features
Porosity and weakening/strengthening visible features of a pot are important factors to consider when choosing the perfect pot for your bonsai tree. As with any type of ceramic or clay material, there is an inherent porosity that affects how the soil moisture will interact with the pot itself. Porosity can vary greatly from one type of pottery to another, so it is important to take this into account when selecting a vessel. In addition to its ability to retain moisture, certain types of pots also have features such as drainage holes which allow excess water to escape before damage occurs. Those looking for more aesthetic options may wish to consider an ornately shaped pot with intricate designs that serve not only as decorations but also contribute to strengthening visible characteristics on bonsai trees.When looking at clay or ceramic pieces, you should assess how much texture and pattern exist in the material itself; if desired roughness exists in areas where bonsai roots would come into contact with the sides of the container then this could help reduce erosion over time due which will be beneficial for keeping your plant healthy and vibrant-looking. Further still, some people prefer smoother surfaces on their vessels as this helps give them a more refined appearance that better complements their plants overall look. Ultimately it all depends on personal preference; bear these considerations in mind while shopping around and you'll be sure to find something suitable soon.
Visualize the Potential Planting Arrangement
For those considering the perfect pot for their bonsai tree, visualizing the potential planting arrangement is an important step in making a purchase. When deciding upon which shape, size and colour of pot will best complement the bonsai tree, it helps to begin by envisioning how your desired creation may look once planted. Take time to study different pictures online or at your local nursery to observe how various designs would impact the overall appearance of your final product. Establishing this mental image can be used as a guideline when selecting potential pots, allowing you to tailor your selection process more effectively.In addition to helping identify desirable attributes that fit with one’s vision of what they'd like their bonsai setup to look like, studying available examples can also inspire new ideas and help expand existing ones. If viewing certain arrangements leads to thoughts of possible improvements or alternate approaches than make note of these for future reference. Consider creating sketches based on what you’ve observed - even simple stick figures have proven helpful in organizing thoughts and developing new concepts that wouldn't have arisen under less comprehensive planning processes.
Don’t forget about proportions. The width-to-height ratio should match up nicely with dimensions attributed to whatever type of bonsai tree is being chosen for planting – this means ensuring proper drainage holes are in place while keeping any decorative accents from overpowering basic elements such as soil depth within the pot itself. Remember: functionality should always take precedence over aesthetics when pairing up a unique specimen with its ideal container choice!
Ornamental Qualities
When choosing the perfect pot for your bonsai tree, many gardeners will consider more than just practical qualities. While a container must be of a suitable size and strong enough to hold your beautiful bonsai in place, ornamental aspects should also be taken into account.Choosing the right pot can significantly contribute to making your bonsai look even better. You can take advantage of various decorative options which might match different colors or patterns from the bark and leaves of your plant. You may opt for glazed pots, which come in various shapes and sizes. All these details need to align with the style that you would like to achieve - classic Japanese style or contemporary minimalistic one? The choice is up to you.
By selecting an appropriate pot with subtle design elements you can make sure that all eyes are on the beauty of your Bonsai tree. This way its elegant shape will remain central focus while stylishly blending into any space it is displayed in.
Color Options
When selecting the perfect pot for your bonsai tree, color is an important factor to consider. Choosing a hue that complements the style and age of the tree can create a beautiful aesthetic within its environment. Classic Japanese-style bonsai pots typically feature neutral colors such as black, grey or brown. Brightly colored ceramic containers may be appropriate for a younger or more modern style.Glazed pots tend to have a glossy finish with vivid tones that are slightly brighter than natural shades, while unglazed pots can provide an earthy feel due to their muted colors and matte texture. The latter is best suited for traditional bonsais, while glazes are often used in combination with miniature figurines and other decorations that make up part of the composition. For example, porcelain bowls with abstract figures or bold flower patterns will enhance any contemporary setup.
Hues aside, bear in mind that there are additional factors you should keep in mind when selecting the right pot such as size and shape depending on whether it will contain one plant or multiple specimens; number of drainage holes; material which dictates weight; cost; as well as thickness of walls since they all affect moisture retention levels and ultimately determine success rate when cultivating bonsai trees.
Appropriate Drainage Holes
The choice of a bonsai pot depends on a range of factors including drainage holes. Watering your plant should not be an arduous task, and the size of the drainage hole will help you keep it that way. A large drainage hole will ensure water passes quickly through the soil; however, this should not be too big that small particles escape with it. An ideal diameter for a standard drain hole is around 4mm-6mm, which can also be aided by putting in some mesh to stop fine debris flowing away with the excess water.When looking for bonsai containers consider what materials they are made from. Clay pots tend to have great draining capabilities but they are also more fragile than plastic or glazed ceramic ones which offer greater protection against frost, unlike terracotta clay containers that may crack due to extreme temperatures during winter months. Also bear in mind how accessible it is once placed into position as having easy access when watering and re-potting is essential to keeping your bonsai healthy and happy.
Choosing between different shapes requires forethought too – oval shapes prevent roots from circling the inside edges while round pots provide better stability for taller trees; rectangles suit wide spreading plants as they give room above ground for foliage expansion while tall trees require deeper planting options so look at cylinders or pyramid styles in order to benefit from their extended depth.
Functionality With Forest or Rock Style Designs
When selecting the perfect pot for your bonsai tree, you should consider functionality along with aesthetic appeal. Forest and rock style pots are two types of containers that offer visual interest in addition to practical use. Both styles feature a shallow depth, allowing the roots of the bonsai tree ample space to spread out. The designs also ensure that there is enough soil to provide adequate nutrition to the delicate plant.Forest style pots typically include a glazed outer shell with a rougher texture on its inner walls. This provides strong grip for any wires used during wiring sessions as well as making sure water is completely absorbed into the clay-like soil and not leaking from it. These patterns create an attractive illusion of natural look which brings an outdoorsy feel to any interior or exterior environment and further accentuates your newly potted bonsai tree.
Rock style containers possess much more of traditional look and are made using several materials including porcelain or ceramic pottery depending on their size and color variations as needed for each individual project or purpose. These vessels have rounder shapes than forest design pots, making them easier to fit in tight spaces without compromising air flow around them when situated near other plants like small succulents or mini shrubberies while still being very visually appealing when sitting alone in larger places due to their unique shape and texture options available. Their finishes prevent losing too much moisture so users can go worry free during summer time while they’re away from home taking vacations over longer periods of time.
Environmental Stressors to Consider
When it comes to cultivating a healthy and thriving bonsai tree, it's important to consider the environmental stressors that may affect your choice of pot. Natural elements like wind, cold and heat can all negatively impact the health and well-being of your plant. Therefore, selecting a pot with adequate insulation for these stressors is key for providing your bonsai tree with ideal growing conditions.Ceramic pots offer an excellent source of insulation due to their superior material makeup which offers both breathability and durability against rain, snow or harsh sun rays. They are available in various shapes and sizes so you have multiple options when it comes to finding one that meets your needs. On the other hand, plastic pots often provide enhanced water retention but offer little else when it comes to insulation from outside elements making them less ideal for less extreme climates.
Terracotta containers tend to be among the most popular types of pots used for bonsai trees due to their aesthetic appeal as well as their ability to keep roots cool in hotter climates while also keeping moisture in check during cold winters. Although terracotta is more fragile than other materials they do come at reasonable prices allowing you to buy several in case any crack or chip over time - something ceramic or plastic cannot offer as easily.
Resources for Expert Advice
For those seeking expert advice, there are numerous resources that provide valuable information about selecting the ideal pot for your bonsai tree. Local garden stores often employ knowledgeable professionals who specialize in bonsai cultivation and are equipped to provide guidance on proper pot selection. Online forums dedicated to bonsai enthusiasts offer an excellent opportunity to interact with experienced hobbyists who can share their tips and tricks for finding the perfect container.Attending a workshop hosted by a professional cultivator is one of the best ways to get specialized advice about choosing the right pot for your bonsai. Such sessions are often available through local gardening clubs or organizations centered around nature conservation. By attending these events, novice growers can learn from experts and receive essential recommendations regarding which type of potting material will be most suitable for their specific kind of tree.
Many independent nurseries carry a wide variety of containers specifically designed for housing bonsais. Visiting one of these shops allows individuals to ask questions about different types and sizes of pots while also offering them the chance to review multiple samples before making their purchase decision.
2023.05.27 00:18 SandraSandraSandra A Wedding - The Sage of Flower-Hill 2
The fingers of Djamä Senisedjarha-Porubōsu’s right hand are sore. The loom stretched before her holds half a garment. The depictions of mallards in flight grace the front of the wedding-robe. She knows that the light-blue hemp she’s using for the robe’s base is a luxury few have enjoyed in Konuthomu. And she knows that this wedding is supposed to be the grandest display of DjamäThamä’s wealth and käcatsän since the year of the false harvest, but why does it have to be her’s? At least she has a flagon or rotusāmä beside her. She takes a sip.
Hand-crafts have never captured Senisedjarha. Her love is for speech and theatre: for the subtleties of a song, or the gentle looks by which her grandmother would put an end to or encourage a certain line of questioning at the interclan meetings. Even the maths of the harvest or of paddy-building interest her. Anything but this accursed loom.
“Seni, put the weaving down and come here. The wedding urns are here.” Her mother calls, freeing Senisedjarha from her prison behind the ancestor pole carved for Peritēri. She stands, untangles herself of the backstrap, and crosses the raised, wooden floor to wait beside her mother.
Sibēboru is an imposing woman, even if her labours were of the silent variety. The eldest of Redotsuko’s children, she took on the task of raising them as Redotsuko busied herself with public matters. A good marriage brought a few years of happiness, and four children in quick succession, but then Porubōsu was taken off by the white fever some 13 solstices back, leaving her to manage a growing household many acres of farmland, and a herd of 50 head all by herself. While Redotsuko continued to speak-last, even in the home her daughter manages. Her hair is black and thick, falling gently to near the small of her back. Her face is smooth, the faint creases of wrinkling present but not yet set in. She’d had the opportunity to remarry, and uncountable suitors, but she’d always refused. Some said her love for Porubōsu was too strong for her to be wooed again, others whispered of less than discrete dalliances with a pretty young serving-maid. Those closest to her knew that more than anything, it reflected a commitment to abnegation in service of her family, especially of her daughter.
Senisedjarha was born deep in the night of a long, cold winter. A flower in the darkness, her mother said. Once she’d lived past her 24th moon, Sibēboru set to work: her daughter would be Redotsuko come again. Greatness doesn’t skip a generation, greatness requires a dedicated midwife. And that is what Sibēboru would be.
Trained in pottery and weaving, song and the ocarina, Senisedjarha was even sent with Redotsuko to interclan meetings. A silent participant, but present. She’d done well. Her work in the harvests was always well-viewed, and her oversight in paddy construction proved suitable. The path her mother cut for her is almost finished: just a wedding and taking a place on the interclan council are left. And now the wedding is in four days…
The pots are handsome. A grassy green (rotu hay was used for the ash), the pots are spattered with flecks of grey and black and silver and brown. Hamäzjabära, the house’s main aid, stands, holding the largest of the urns in place. Behind her stands two aids, orphans of DjamäThamä adopted into the greatest house of the Themilanan. “These will do. Give my thanks to Peritēri.”
Senisedjarha’s mind wanders as they review the goods being collected for the wedding. She’s now seen Pēzjeceni five times since their initial meeting. He’s charming, and handsome, and should make a good husband. The single, blue feather of his Kemihatsārä is handsome in his dark hair. On their most recent rendezvous, he took her in his canoe to the Island-of-many-Redbuds. There they sat and shared a jar of wine. By this point, the wedding was already arranged and set. She’d made sure of that. Grandmother selected him, and Grandmother gets what she wants. And yet again, it seems like Grandmother had good sense.
She feels useless, sitting here as one of the orphans braids her hair. The yelling and sounds of labour in front of the house is continuous. Her robe is light-blue, and the embroidered mallards name her clan. She is the future of DjamäThamä. Her under-dress is long, a pale-yellow. Grandmother said she looks like the first day of spring. A welcome sight in the late-winter.
Dozens of clan members rush around, getting things ready for this most famous of weddings. The clan hall has to be filled: low-tables stretching its length, the hearth prepared for the feast (Pēzjeceni promised her three steer), and furs hanging from the walls. At least a dozen urns of maple wine and rotusāmä have been taken out of storage, plus the small-cider for the children. This feast would famish a lesser clan, but for DjamäThamä it serves a specific purpose.
It had snowed the day before last, but the past two days have been clear and bright. An outdoor ceremony remains doable, though she’s thankful for the cougarskin which’ll accompany her wedding-robe.
Her aid finishes, she can only hope, and pray, her hair stays in place. Now all there is to do is wait.
It always begins with singing. She stands in the vestibule, waiting to leave the house. It’s a straight walk from her exit to the front of the clan hall, where the wedding is to occur.
“Blessed union of heaven and earth, grace this couple with health and prosperity.” The voices ring, it's her que.
She steps through the door, in her hands, the feather and its thin copper wire to tie it on her groom and make him hers.
“Oh moon above, light their path in darkest night,”
The crowd is thick despite the chill. Bundled up in furs, their voices ring out. The largest groups are of course DjamäThamä and NāpäkoduThonu, both of whom have nearly all their clan members present, but all the clans, and even some of the featherless are in attendance.
“Mother below, fill their bowls and warm their hearth,”
The way forward is clear: the path is wide and straight. She merely has to take the steps.
“Great Spirit, grant kindness and luck to the lovers assembled,”
She reaches the clan hall, her grandmother stands prociding, flanked by two lesser matriarchs.
“Bless this union of clans and lives: for now and for forever.”
She stands before her grandmother, facing out at the crowd. A path clears in the crowd.
The new song begins, “Son of Nāpäkodu, embark on the path.”
Stretching to the clan-hall of NāpäkoduThonu, Pēzjeceni takes his first step through the cleared pathway. A bison robe gives him warmth, but leaves his chest open to the air: demonstrating his truthful intentions. His cape has grown quickly in his last moon in NāpäkoduThonu; it is now worthy of the name cape. Resplendent in blues and browns, the feathers swish behind him. His hair is braided into a simple bun above his head, leaving the single feather and the soon-to-be-filled space of his Kemihatsārä clear to the air.
“Your ancestor aided nobly. Swift of wing and swim. Emulate them.”
Pēzjeceni walks towards her. Wrapped in his arms is a wolf-skin bundle. His nose is strong and straight, his face angular. With his hair pulled back, the beginnings of a widow’s peak is visible. It is a face serious beyond his years, but a handsome one. Despite the determined set of his jaw, his eyes betray excitement—love, even.
“Your ancestor fought bravely. Protector of us all. Emulate them.”
He reaches her. Their eyes meet. They smile. It’s hard to say if the fluttering in her stomach and heart (her general abdomen and thorax, one could say) slowed or sped in that moment. Paradoxically, it somehow felt as if both were true.
“Bring to this union virility and kacätsan.” The singing ends.
He unwraps the bundle. First, a small urn of rotu, “I offer you my seed,” he solemnly declares, pouring it into the wedding urn beside Senisedjarha.
Next, a jade axe, “I offer you my arm,” followed by a bow, “I offer you my bow,” He drops in a Kingfisher feather, “I offer you my past,” he takes the obsidian blade from his belt and slices his palm above the pot, letting the blood drip in, “I offer you my future,” he hands her a pipe, “I offer you my heart.”
The pipe is jet-black. Ebony, she realizes, her breath catching at the opulence of the gift. The elsewise stoic crowd allows itself a murmur. The intricate carving shows a mallard preparing for flight, resting on a bed of lotuses. The tail is a stalk of rotu, the leaves delicately carved with texture and care. It’s breathtaking. It shines in the cool-light of late winter.
He gets down on a knee before her. “Man born of Nāpäkodu, Besjirheli, and Rholudupōbru, I offer you my home,” Senisedjarha says as she takes a piece of hempen cloth and wraps it around his cut, “I offer you my hearth,” An aid passes Redotsuko a torch, she lights a bowl of tallow before the central wedding urn. He rises, the bride continues, “I offer you my fields,” one of the other matriarchs pours nokusāmä into the bride’s urn. “I offer you my past,” she takes a mallard feather and places it into the urn, “I offer you my future,” she takes his blade and slices her palm—letting it drip into the urn. “I offer you my heart.” She takes the wedding shawl from her robe, and wraps it around his neck, fastening it with a horn brooch.
He wraps her wound in hempen cloth. They turn to face the duNoduthonu. The tallow burns clear and strong. Pēzjeceni kneels before the fire, Redotsuko raises her voice, “You ask for a union. Holy couple, bless these two.” She turns to the groom, “Nāpäkodu Pēzjeceni-Besjirheli, you kneel before me, true of heart and intent, and ask for entrance to my clan.”
“I do.”
“Do you pledge to serve your wife and clan from this day, until your last?”
“I do.”
“Do you dedicate yourself to the health, safety, and prosperity of DjamäThamä?”
“I do.”
“Do you pledge your shield, bow, virility, and life to your new clan?”
“I do.”
“Fletch your name to your claims.”
Pēzjeceni stands. From the ranks of NāpäkoduThonu, a bull is led. Glistening a deep mahogany, his coat is thick and lustrous—perfect for the marriage bed. His horns are strong and large, perfect for the marriage cups. He snorts and tosses his head to the side. A glorious offering, but such a handsome beast? Such a headstrong bull? Her groom had mentioned this bison to her, their prize breeding stud, a source of jealousy for many a man in Konuthomu. The four leaders are having trouble controlling him, what on earth is this fool thinking?
Pēzjeceni places his hand upon the bull’s snout. “Shhh, shhh, be still now.” The bull quiets, the attendants let the lines go slack, Pēzjeceni gently strokes the bison’s head, his fingers in his mane. Soft as a whisper, audible only to her and the duNothudo, he says, “You are our bison of heaven, I thank you for your labour.” as he smoothly draws his blade across the bull’s throat.
The bison thrashes. The attendants pull their lines, but Pēzjeceni stands firm, taking hold of both his horns, gazing into the eyes of the dying beast. As the stud sinks to the ground, the groom is handed a bowl, filling it from the gushing cut.
When the bull finally stills, Pēzjeceni stands with the bowl of blood, and walks over the now inundated ground to his bride and the duNothudo. He kneels, takes a sip of the blood, and presents it to Redotsuko. Redotsuko takes a sip of the blood, “A worthy offering.” and hands it to her accompanying duNothudo. They both drink, before passing it to Senisedjarha. She sips the blood. The taste is strong: metallic, acrid. The blood is warm. Thick in her mouth. She swallows. And passes the bowl to the man she’s committed to marry.
He empties the bowl, long gulps of the warm blood. Her stomach tumbles at the sight but she remains strong, firm and stoic. The path is set, tread it without wavering. She who goes astray is lost. There is no path but the path.
Redotsuko pulls a mallard feather from her sleeve. The prime of the purple flight-feathers, it glistens. Senisedjarha does not know if she truly has never seen a feather so grand, or if the ceremony and pomp has simply imbued the quill with an aura.
Pēzjeceni kneels with his ear towards her. Redotsuko takes the wire—wait, is that gold? Gold for the wire of a feather? That’s unheard of… Senisedjarha begins to worry, what exactly is her grandmother planning?
Redotsuko fastens the feather to the bare bone of Pēzjeceni’s Kemihatsārä. “Rise now, son of Djamä, dedicated of this house. Rise as Djamä Sonurupākä-Pēzjeceni.” He rises, accompanied by a wave of noise. More than murmurs, those present talk amongst themselves. To grant a new name at a wedding is unheard of? Senisedjarha thinks to herself, has this occurred before? Could it occur? Everyone is so shocked she can’t help but be amazed. The only people who don’t seem preoccupied by gawking or gossiping are the duNothudo of DjamäThamä, and those of NāpäkoduThonu. It fits into place. Such careful choreography, but why keep her in the dark? It’s a noble name. A famous name. A name for an ancestor, not the living. Too much for one so young, she can’t help but feel. But now is no time for humility: she will square that with the Great Spirit and her kacätsan in Tsukōdju’s watery halls.
The gifts are endless.
She knows it’s a silly thing to complain about, but still.
They stand beside each other, each holding a horn of nabrasāmä. They’re wed. She looks at him. Brave, still, and composed. Just the faintest stain of blood remains on his lips, colouring them red and ripe, like cranberries. She can see the gooseflesh replacing his elsewise perfect skin, yet he does not shiver. Grandmother clearly saw true, and clear.
His parents went first. Fine furs, lapis, sāmä, butter, an oar, two steer for the feast.
Then the duNothudo of NāpäkoduThonu. Furs and weaving, sāmä and woodwork.
The duNothudo of the other clans follow.
The famous of the clans, and a featherless Rhadämā merchant. All families present offer gifts to the new couple.
The clan hall rings with laughter and conversation. Three bison turn over the fire, four pots of rotu stew buble gently.
Pēzje—no,Sonurupākä sits beside her at the high table. Seated with the duNothudo of DjamäThanä and NāpäkoduThonu, they chat and discuss. She didn’t expect him to be quite so central to the clan of his birth, he is a provincial after all? But Redotusko’s smile and wit is mirrored by the duNothudo foreign to her. It seems as though something was planned.
Sonurupākä, her husband, said something about it to her, on one of their rendezvous: that his duNothudo were speaking to him, giving him instructions, in a way they weren’t doing before. She didn’t realize her grandmother’s plans were quite so vast.
Her mind wanders amongst the wine and good cheer.
Redotsuko excuses herself, saying it is late and her bones grow old, as she readies herself to go, she leans to the married couple: “You are Konuthomu’s future. Prepare yourselves, and be strong. Let your Kacätsan speak for itself, and you shall never worry.”
The old woman wanders off to bed, and dancing begins in the clan hall.
The couple sits together as the duNothudo drift off the bed.
Sonurupākä turns to her, “You looked so very beautiful today. I am honoured to call you my wife. Know, in two days time, I shall set to work on a house for us. I have been tasked, in no unsubtle language, to build a grand hall for you.” He smiles, she smiles.
So this is marriage.
submitted by SandraSandraSandra to DawnPowers [link] [comments]
Hand-crafts have never captured Senisedjarha. Her love is for speech and theatre: for the subtleties of a song, or the gentle looks by which her grandmother would put an end to or encourage a certain line of questioning at the interclan meetings. Even the maths of the harvest or of paddy-building interest her. Anything but this accursed loom.
“Seni, put the weaving down and come here. The wedding urns are here.” Her mother calls, freeing Senisedjarha from her prison behind the ancestor pole carved for Peritēri. She stands, untangles herself of the backstrap, and crosses the raised, wooden floor to wait beside her mother.
Sibēboru is an imposing woman, even if her labours were of the silent variety. The eldest of Redotsuko’s children, she took on the task of raising them as Redotsuko busied herself with public matters. A good marriage brought a few years of happiness, and four children in quick succession, but then Porubōsu was taken off by the white fever some 13 solstices back, leaving her to manage a growing household many acres of farmland, and a herd of 50 head all by herself. While Redotsuko continued to speak-last, even in the home her daughter manages. Her hair is black and thick, falling gently to near the small of her back. Her face is smooth, the faint creases of wrinkling present but not yet set in. She’d had the opportunity to remarry, and uncountable suitors, but she’d always refused. Some said her love for Porubōsu was too strong for her to be wooed again, others whispered of less than discrete dalliances with a pretty young serving-maid. Those closest to her knew that more than anything, it reflected a commitment to abnegation in service of her family, especially of her daughter.
Senisedjarha was born deep in the night of a long, cold winter. A flower in the darkness, her mother said. Once she’d lived past her 24th moon, Sibēboru set to work: her daughter would be Redotsuko come again. Greatness doesn’t skip a generation, greatness requires a dedicated midwife. And that is what Sibēboru would be.
Trained in pottery and weaving, song and the ocarina, Senisedjarha was even sent with Redotsuko to interclan meetings. A silent participant, but present. She’d done well. Her work in the harvests was always well-viewed, and her oversight in paddy construction proved suitable. The path her mother cut for her is almost finished: just a wedding and taking a place on the interclan council are left. And now the wedding is in four days…
The pots are handsome. A grassy green (rotu hay was used for the ash), the pots are spattered with flecks of grey and black and silver and brown. Hamäzjabära, the house’s main aid, stands, holding the largest of the urns in place. Behind her stands two aids, orphans of DjamäThamä adopted into the greatest house of the Themilanan. “These will do. Give my thanks to Peritēri.”
Senisedjarha’s mind wanders as they review the goods being collected for the wedding. She’s now seen Pēzjeceni five times since their initial meeting. He’s charming, and handsome, and should make a good husband. The single, blue feather of his Kemihatsārä is handsome in his dark hair. On their most recent rendezvous, he took her in his canoe to the Island-of-many-Redbuds. There they sat and shared a jar of wine. By this point, the wedding was already arranged and set. She’d made sure of that. Grandmother selected him, and Grandmother gets what she wants. And yet again, it seems like Grandmother had good sense.
Dozens of clan members rush around, getting things ready for this most famous of weddings. The clan hall has to be filled: low-tables stretching its length, the hearth prepared for the feast (Pēzjeceni promised her three steer), and furs hanging from the walls. At least a dozen urns of maple wine and rotusāmä have been taken out of storage, plus the small-cider for the children. This feast would famish a lesser clan, but for DjamäThamä it serves a specific purpose.
It had snowed the day before last, but the past two days have been clear and bright. An outdoor ceremony remains doable, though she’s thankful for the cougarskin which’ll accompany her wedding-robe.
Her aid finishes, she can only hope, and pray, her hair stays in place. Now all there is to do is wait.
“Blessed union of heaven and earth, grace this couple with health and prosperity.” The voices ring, it's her que.
She steps through the door, in her hands, the feather and its thin copper wire to tie it on her groom and make him hers.
“Oh moon above, light their path in darkest night,”
The crowd is thick despite the chill. Bundled up in furs, their voices ring out. The largest groups are of course DjamäThamä and NāpäkoduThonu, both of whom have nearly all their clan members present, but all the clans, and even some of the featherless are in attendance.
“Mother below, fill their bowls and warm their hearth,”
The way forward is clear: the path is wide and straight. She merely has to take the steps.
“Great Spirit, grant kindness and luck to the lovers assembled,”
She reaches the clan hall, her grandmother stands prociding, flanked by two lesser matriarchs.
“Bless this union of clans and lives: for now and for forever.”
She stands before her grandmother, facing out at the crowd. A path clears in the crowd.
The new song begins, “Son of Nāpäkodu, embark on the path.”
Stretching to the clan-hall of NāpäkoduThonu, Pēzjeceni takes his first step through the cleared pathway. A bison robe gives him warmth, but leaves his chest open to the air: demonstrating his truthful intentions. His cape has grown quickly in his last moon in NāpäkoduThonu; it is now worthy of the name cape. Resplendent in blues and browns, the feathers swish behind him. His hair is braided into a simple bun above his head, leaving the single feather and the soon-to-be-filled space of his Kemihatsārä clear to the air.
“Your ancestor aided nobly. Swift of wing and swim. Emulate them.”
Pēzjeceni walks towards her. Wrapped in his arms is a wolf-skin bundle. His nose is strong and straight, his face angular. With his hair pulled back, the beginnings of a widow’s peak is visible. It is a face serious beyond his years, but a handsome one. Despite the determined set of his jaw, his eyes betray excitement—love, even.
“Your ancestor fought bravely. Protector of us all. Emulate them.”
He reaches her. Their eyes meet. They smile. It’s hard to say if the fluttering in her stomach and heart (her general abdomen and thorax, one could say) slowed or sped in that moment. Paradoxically, it somehow felt as if both were true.
“Bring to this union virility and kacätsan.” The singing ends.
He unwraps the bundle. First, a small urn of rotu, “I offer you my seed,” he solemnly declares, pouring it into the wedding urn beside Senisedjarha.
Next, a jade axe, “I offer you my arm,” followed by a bow, “I offer you my bow,” He drops in a Kingfisher feather, “I offer you my past,” he takes the obsidian blade from his belt and slices his palm above the pot, letting the blood drip in, “I offer you my future,” he hands her a pipe, “I offer you my heart.”
The pipe is jet-black. Ebony, she realizes, her breath catching at the opulence of the gift. The elsewise stoic crowd allows itself a murmur. The intricate carving shows a mallard preparing for flight, resting on a bed of lotuses. The tail is a stalk of rotu, the leaves delicately carved with texture and care. It’s breathtaking. It shines in the cool-light of late winter.
He gets down on a knee before her. “Man born of Nāpäkodu, Besjirheli, and Rholudupōbru, I offer you my home,” Senisedjarha says as she takes a piece of hempen cloth and wraps it around his cut, “I offer you my hearth,” An aid passes Redotsuko a torch, she lights a bowl of tallow before the central wedding urn. He rises, the bride continues, “I offer you my fields,” one of the other matriarchs pours nokusāmä into the bride’s urn. “I offer you my past,” she takes a mallard feather and places it into the urn, “I offer you my future,” she takes his blade and slices her palm—letting it drip into the urn. “I offer you my heart.” She takes the wedding shawl from her robe, and wraps it around his neck, fastening it with a horn brooch.
He wraps her wound in hempen cloth. They turn to face the duNoduthonu. The tallow burns clear and strong. Pēzjeceni kneels before the fire, Redotsuko raises her voice, “You ask for a union. Holy couple, bless these two.” She turns to the groom, “Nāpäkodu Pēzjeceni-Besjirheli, you kneel before me, true of heart and intent, and ask for entrance to my clan.”
“I do.”
“Do you pledge to serve your wife and clan from this day, until your last?”
“I do.”
“Do you dedicate yourself to the health, safety, and prosperity of DjamäThamä?”
“I do.”
“Do you pledge your shield, bow, virility, and life to your new clan?”
“I do.”
“Fletch your name to your claims.”
Pēzjeceni stands. From the ranks of NāpäkoduThonu, a bull is led. Glistening a deep mahogany, his coat is thick and lustrous—perfect for the marriage bed. His horns are strong and large, perfect for the marriage cups. He snorts and tosses his head to the side. A glorious offering, but such a handsome beast? Such a headstrong bull? Her groom had mentioned this bison to her, their prize breeding stud, a source of jealousy for many a man in Konuthomu. The four leaders are having trouble controlling him, what on earth is this fool thinking?
Pēzjeceni places his hand upon the bull’s snout. “Shhh, shhh, be still now.” The bull quiets, the attendants let the lines go slack, Pēzjeceni gently strokes the bison’s head, his fingers in his mane. Soft as a whisper, audible only to her and the duNothudo, he says, “You are our bison of heaven, I thank you for your labour.” as he smoothly draws his blade across the bull’s throat.
The bison thrashes. The attendants pull their lines, but Pēzjeceni stands firm, taking hold of both his horns, gazing into the eyes of the dying beast. As the stud sinks to the ground, the groom is handed a bowl, filling it from the gushing cut.
When the bull finally stills, Pēzjeceni stands with the bowl of blood, and walks over the now inundated ground to his bride and the duNothudo. He kneels, takes a sip of the blood, and presents it to Redotsuko. Redotsuko takes a sip of the blood, “A worthy offering.” and hands it to her accompanying duNothudo. They both drink, before passing it to Senisedjarha. She sips the blood. The taste is strong: metallic, acrid. The blood is warm. Thick in her mouth. She swallows. And passes the bowl to the man she’s committed to marry.
He empties the bowl, long gulps of the warm blood. Her stomach tumbles at the sight but she remains strong, firm and stoic. The path is set, tread it without wavering. She who goes astray is lost. There is no path but the path.
Redotsuko pulls a mallard feather from her sleeve. The prime of the purple flight-feathers, it glistens. Senisedjarha does not know if she truly has never seen a feather so grand, or if the ceremony and pomp has simply imbued the quill with an aura.
Pēzjeceni kneels with his ear towards her. Redotsuko takes the wire—wait, is that gold? Gold for the wire of a feather? That’s unheard of… Senisedjarha begins to worry, what exactly is her grandmother planning?
Redotsuko fastens the feather to the bare bone of Pēzjeceni’s Kemihatsārä. “Rise now, son of Djamä, dedicated of this house. Rise as Djamä Sonurupākä-Pēzjeceni.” He rises, accompanied by a wave of noise. More than murmurs, those present talk amongst themselves. To grant a new name at a wedding is unheard of? Senisedjarha thinks to herself, has this occurred before? Could it occur? Everyone is so shocked she can’t help but be amazed. The only people who don’t seem preoccupied by gawking or gossiping are the duNothudo of DjamäThamä, and those of NāpäkoduThonu. It fits into place. Such careful choreography, but why keep her in the dark? It’s a noble name. A famous name. A name for an ancestor, not the living. Too much for one so young, she can’t help but feel. But now is no time for humility: she will square that with the Great Spirit and her kacätsan in Tsukōdju’s watery halls.
She knows it’s a silly thing to complain about, but still.
They stand beside each other, each holding a horn of nabrasāmä. They’re wed. She looks at him. Brave, still, and composed. Just the faintest stain of blood remains on his lips, colouring them red and ripe, like cranberries. She can see the gooseflesh replacing his elsewise perfect skin, yet he does not shiver. Grandmother clearly saw true, and clear.
His parents went first. Fine furs, lapis, sāmä, butter, an oar, two steer for the feast.
Then the duNothudo of NāpäkoduThonu. Furs and weaving, sāmä and woodwork.
The duNothudo of the other clans follow.
The famous of the clans, and a featherless Rhadämā merchant. All families present offer gifts to the new couple.
Pēzje—no,Sonurupākä sits beside her at the high table. Seated with the duNothudo of DjamäThanä and NāpäkoduThonu, they chat and discuss. She didn’t expect him to be quite so central to the clan of his birth, he is a provincial after all? But Redotusko’s smile and wit is mirrored by the duNothudo foreign to her. It seems as though something was planned.
Sonurupākä, her husband, said something about it to her, on one of their rendezvous: that his duNothudo were speaking to him, giving him instructions, in a way they weren’t doing before. She didn’t realize her grandmother’s plans were quite so vast.
Her mind wanders amongst the wine and good cheer.
Redotsuko excuses herself, saying it is late and her bones grow old, as she readies herself to go, she leans to the married couple: “You are Konuthomu’s future. Prepare yourselves, and be strong. Let your Kacätsan speak for itself, and you shall never worry.”
The old woman wanders off to bed, and dancing begins in the clan hall.
The couple sits together as the duNothudo drift off the bed.
Sonurupākä turns to her, “You looked so very beautiful today. I am honoured to call you my wife. Know, in two days time, I shall set to work on a house for us. I have been tasked, in no unsubtle language, to build a grand hall for you.” He smiles, she smiles.
So this is marriage.
2023.05.26 14:01 dreftzg [Daily News] AP Swings For The Fences With A Spider-Man Watch And It’s Awesome, Breitling Drops SIX New Watches In One Go, Nivada's Antartic-Diver Is Fabulous And Behrens Shows Lightest And Most Interesting Watch Of The Year
It's Friday and finally we get a good news day. In fact, it's so good, I couldn't fit everything going on into one edition, so make sure to tune in on Monday for some more goodies. Two important things for today's edition: bring on the AP Spider-Man hate, but you won't change my mind and go check out that Behrens, it really is fantastic .
AP Goes Crazy With The New Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon 'Spider-Man' And It’s The Funnest Watch All Year
Watch people love to take themselves very seriously. Lamenting the benefits of hand guilloché dials while reciting mid-70s Vacheron Constantin reference numbers is something that just goes with the turf of liking watches. You know what else goes with liking watches? Outrage when a brand has some fun. Just look at the outrage that the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept ‘Black Panther’ stirred up two years ago when it launched. People called it ugly, an insult to the brand and called for the resignation of the CEO who made the watch - Francois Bennahmias.
Personally, I didn’t like the Black Panther. Not because of what it was, I just didn’t care much for the look. But the haters got what they wanted - Bennahmias is leaving. Not because he was fired, of course. But before he goes, he has one more thing to show us. The absolutely bonkers and insane Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Spider-Man Tourbillon. It’s like the Black Panther but even more in your face, even more over the top and even more fun. I love it.
“Look at AP going the way of Invicta,” people will say, like they did of the Black Panther model. Oh boy, this is so far off from an Invicta. AP used all of their significant watchmaking skills to place a sculpture of Spider-Man into their watch. You think I’m kidding when I say they go all out? According to AP, it takes them 50 hours to create just the little Spider-Man. First a rough blank is milled from a block of gold in a CNC machine, then etched with laser to create the fine texturing on the suit. Next, a single artisan engraves and refines the details on the upper body. It’s followed by hand painting to create Spider-Man’s trademark blue-and-red outfit.
The Spider-Man utilises the latest version of the Royal Oak Concept case, which remains large and chunky but more wearable than earlier generations. It’s 42 mm in diameter and 15 mm thick, but with shorter lugs and a curved profile. Made of titanium, the case is matched with a bezel and crown in black ceramic. Being a Royal Oak, all surfaces, be they titanium or ceramic, are finished to a high level with a mix of brushed, polished, and frosted finishing.
Inside is the cal. 2974, a new, hand-wind movement derived from the cal. 2948 found in the Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked.
To be clear, this is a 100% silly collaboration. But being silly is really good. Despite the fact that people online will cry out that AP is ruining its brand, keep in mind that this is a crossover between pop culture and high horology. And it will only be made in 250 pieces, with an insane price tag of CHF 195,000. So don’t worry, you likely won’t have to see one in the flesh.
And just one more thing… AP will be making a piece-unique variation of this watch up for auction to benefit the First Book and Ashoka associations. It will be called the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon ‘Black Suit Spider-Man’. A white gold case will be finely engraved to give it the effect of a luminescent spider’s web. It is combined with a black ceramic bezel. Spider-Man appears on the dial in a black suit, a reference to the one worn by the superhero in several 1980s comics, notably The Amazing Spider-Man #252 in 1984. The Black Panther also had a piece unique go up for auction and it sold for $5,200,000.
2/
Breitling Drops Six New Watches In One Day, Shrinking The AVI, Adding A Ceramic Super Avi And Reissuing A 1964 Model
It seems that Breitling no longer likes to introduce a new watch or two. They just bust through the door with a box full of new stuff and start pulling them out screaming “look at this! How about this one?!”. I’m not complaining. Far from it. This time, Breitling is showing off a complete new line of aviator chronographs with the shrunken down 42mm Classic AVI - all together six new watches.
Starting off with the 42mm Classic AVI line, it, just like the 46mm Super AVI watches that were released in 2021, honors four legendary aircraft, each with their own color schemes: blue dial with a steel bezel for the F4U Corsair; black dial with steel bezel or black dial and rose gold case for the P-51 Mustang; green dial with steel bezel for the Curtiss Warhawk; and black dial with white counters and a combination polished and satin-brushed black ceramic bezel for the de Havilland Mosquito. In each case, the watch has a bidirectional ratcheted bezel and comes on either a calfskin leather strap with a folding buckle (and lug width of 22mm) or a five-row, stainless steel bracelet with a butterfly clasp.
All the new watches are powered by the Breitling Caliber 23, an automatic caliber with 48 hours of power reserve. Those movements are cased in stainless steel (or 18k rose gold), measuring 42mm by 14.7mm with a 48mm lug-to-lug, 100 meter water resistance and an engraving of the airplane linked with each model on the caseback.
But it’s not just the Classic AVI Breitling is showing off, they have two new watches in the Super AVI and AVI Co-Pilot lines. First is a black ceramic Super AVI "Mosquito Night Fighter" that measures 46mm by 15.9mm. The watch runs off the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber B04, featuring 70 hours of power reserve and a second timezone. Then there’s also the AVI Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition, a simplified and classic 41mm reverse panda chronograph.
Pricing for the Classic AVI models starts at $5,800 and rises to $6,100 for the F4U Corsair model (on a steel bracelet). The Super AVI B04 Mosquito Night Fighter has a list price of $12,100, and the AVI Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition is limited to 164 pieces, each selling for $9,050.
3/
Nivada Grenchen Proves They Have More Than Chronographs In Their Lineup With The Gorgeous New Antarctic-Diver
Ever since Guillaume Laidet revived the Swiss watch brand with incredible history, they have primarily been focusing on updating their chronographs. And I can’t blame them - chronos are always desirable watches, sell well and, after all, you have to start somewhere. But they sure as hell aren’t stopping at the chronographs like the Chronomaster and Datomaster models. The latest release from Nivada Grenchen is the reintroduction of the Antarctic-Diver, the brand’s first dive watch from the late 1950s.
The original watch was around 36mm in diameter, while the new Antarctic-Diver is more modern, but still not too large, at 38.2mm wide and 45mm from lug tip to lug tip with a thickness of 12.9mm. The top and bottom of the lugs are bushed and the side of the case and the back are polished. The watch comes with a unidirectional bezel with a lumed ceramic insert. The dial seems busy but is rather simple, with no numerals and faux patina on the blocky indexes. For the size of the dial, the hands are relatively large, which looks a bit weird, but takes no time to get used to.
Inside the watch is a Soprod’s P024. Based on an ETA 2824, the P024 is a self-winding time-only movement with a date indicator. The caliber offers approximately 38 hours of power reserve and operates at a 28,800vph frequency.
Nivada is becoming famous for their huge selection of bands for their watches. The new Antarctic-Diver also comes with ten options. Five straps - brown or black leather in two styles or a black rubber tropic strap. Or, choose from one of five steel bracelet options - three Forstner bracelets (Klip, Rivet, Bead of Rice), and two from Nivada (Oyster, Beads of Rice). While the Nivada BoR has curved end links, the Forstner end links are straight, and the design of the bracelet differs.
Nivada has priced the new Antarctic-Diver starting at $900, which puts it right smack into the desirable under $1000 category. It’s not a limited watch in quantity made, but it is time limited. Sales of the Antarctic-Diver started yesterday, May 25th at 4PM CEST and will be limited for only two weeks on the Nivada website.
4/
Maurice Lacroix Returns The Compressor Diver Pontos S With A Lot Of Style And Color
Maurice Lacroix is out to provide us all with affordable sports watches. And I think we can all agree that this is simply a great idea. After offering the Aikon in a number of materials and configurations, the brand is turning to their Pontos line and releasing a reaimagining of the Pontos S Diver. Fun fact, ML introduced the watch at an event in Dubrovnik with Croatian world-champion freediver who the brand consulted during the development phase Lidija Lijic in attendance. It’s About Time is also based in Croatia. Maurice Lacroix, I guess my invite to the presentation got lost in the mail?
The Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver is a modern take on the 1970s compressor-style dive watch with a twist. The original reissue from 2013 featured a 43mm wide case that’s 600m water-resistant and fitted with a helium release valve. The new 2023 version takes a more relaxed approach - not only is it smaller at 42mm, it cuts down the water resistance to 300 meters and ditches the helium escape valve. The case features two oversized crown - one to to wind the watch and the other to operate and
Inside the new Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver is the automatic calibre ML115. Based on the Sellita SW200-1, this ubiquitous movement brings a 38-hour power reserve. You can get the watch on three straps - an M-branded fabric strap and two integrated rubber straps embossed with Maurice Lacroix. The bronze version comes with a blue rubber strap and a calfskin leather strap featuring a gold M logo. These straps are all fitted with quick-release spring bars allowing you to swap your straps in seconds with no tool.
The watch will set you back EUR 2,100 for the steel versions and EUR 2,650 for the limited bronze edition of 500 pieces.
5/
Behrens Introduces The Ultralight, Super-Thin And Surprisingly Affordable BHR030 20G
At the same time Watches and Wonders was going on two months ago, there was another watch show on it’s way in Geneva called Time To Watches, focusing on indie brands. I completely missed covering the event and boy did I miss something huge. Thanks to Fratello, we now know that Behrens, the Chinese brand making increasingly more interesting watches, announced the BHR030 20G at the show. Hiding behind that pretty bad name is a watch that reaches way beyond its price point.
As a caveat, the watch you see in the pictures is a prototype that Fratello got to handle live and Behrens has already said that they will be making a number of improvements to it, including the only one that harshly stands out - they will refine the contrast between the hands and markings for enhanced legibility.
The biggest gimmick the BHR030 20G is it’s insane weight. The 20g in the name stands for 20 grams. It’s hard to describe how light this is. A standard A4 piece of paper weighs 5 grams. So take four pieces of paper, and that’s the weight of this Behrens. For reference, Richard Mille’s RM 67-01 weighs 32g. Their crazy RM UP-01 Ferrari collab weighs 30g. The current lightest watch in the world is the Ultralight by independent French watchmaker named Valentin Remontet and it weighs 17g. However, Behrens already has plans to release a second version of the BHR030, which will be even lighter than 20g as it will use a proprietary carbon composite instead of titanium like the case on this one does.
The BHR030’s asymmetrical trapezoidal case measures 42mm long on the longest side. The 38mm diameter means it is nice and compact too. The watch measures just 5.2mm thick. You want to know what the crazies part about these stats is? With that thinness and the lightness, you still get 30 meters of water resistance, so it should be able to handle daily wear with ease.
Since a dial has some weight to it, Behrens said toss the dial. Look at the watch, and all you see is the movement with markings printed directly on the movement or the underside of the crystal. To display the time, Behrens uses two retrograde displays, with one for the hours and one for the minutes. Also, it’s interesting to not that the entire movement is curved to follow the curvature of the case, which, in turn, is curved to follow the curve of most wrists.
The starting price of the 32 gram RM 67-01 is $85,000. The 30 gram RM UP-01 starts at $1,888,000. The BHR030 20G will be a smidge cheaper than that. When orders start in October, Behrens expects they will be able to sell it for $7,500. Which is just insane. Production will be limited annually to 180 pieces.
6/
The New MB&F LMX “Deep Purple” Sold Exclusively In A Parisian Boutique Has One Of The Best Purple Dials Ever Made
When people were looking at MB&F as complete nutters in 2005 for creating outlandish watches, the founder of the brand Maximilian Büsser says that one of their first supporters was Laurent Picciotto, founder of the famous Chronopassion Boutique in Paris. Now, to mark this 18-year friendship, MB&F has created 15 editions of the LMX in white gold with a purple dial plate known as the LMX Paris Edition. And It really is one of the best purple dials ever made. Not that there are a ton of them out there.
The latest collaboration between MB&F and Picciotto, the LMX Paris Edition, will be available exclusively at Picciotto’s Parisian boutique. The LMX was conceived as a 10th-anniversary watch of the Legacy Machine 1 of 2011. The Legacy Machine 1 displayed an overtly classical spirit with a round case and an exposed 14mm flying balance wheel placed in the centre of the dial plate. With its two white stretched lacquered dials with Roman numerals, the movement of the LM1, developed by Jean-François Mojon, offered dual time zones that could be set independently. Büsser’s change of direction paid off handsomely, and the LM1 swept up two prizes at the prestigious GPHG 2012 awards.
Ten years later, in 2021, the LM1 was feted with the LMX, a special supercharged anniversary edition with more of the mechanics exposed on the dial. The spectacular balance wheel still rules the show but is fitted with inertia blocks for greater accuracy. Other salient changes include the inclination at 50° angles of the two independent GMT sub-dials, the exposed rotating 7-day power reserve indicator at noon, and the crowns’ relocation to 10 and 2 o’clock.
The latest LMX Paris Edition shares identical specifications to earlier editions of the LMX but now comes in an 18k white gold case with a stunning deep purple sunray-brushed dial plate. The dimensions of the case – 44mm diameter with a height of 21.44mm (incl. super-domed sapphire crystal) – are the same as other LMX editions.
The sapphire crystal caseback reveals MB&F’s manual-winding 367-part movement fitted with three concentrically arranged mainspring barrels, which deliver the mighty 7-day power reserve.
The MB&F LMX Paris Edition is a limited edition of 15 timepieces sold exclusively at Picciotto’s Chronopassion Boutique in Paris. The retail price is EUR 146,400 (incl. taxes).
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The opaline Tudor Black Bay GMT brings the albino GMT vibe you’ve always wanted
2/
A review of the new Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic “Fugu” NY0137-09A
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For those who were into scuba diving in the 1960s/70s and did not care for the professional-grade dive watches from Rolex and Blancpain, skin divers offered a more wearable and equally cool horological experience. Skin divers got their name from the fact that they were meant to be worn directly on the skin and not over a wetsuit, indicating they were not meant for deep underwater exploration. Traditionally, they came with 100 to 150 metres of water resistance and a thinner case profile. Unlike their distant cousins the Submariner, Fifty Fathoms, and even the Doxa SUB 300, skin divers were supposed to be more versatile and easy to wear on land in everyday life situations.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. The giveaway will be ending at the end of the month, so head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
submitted by dreftzg to Watches [link] [comments]
What's new
1/AP Goes Crazy With The New Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon 'Spider-Man' And It’s The Funnest Watch All Year
Watch people love to take themselves very seriously. Lamenting the benefits of hand guilloché dials while reciting mid-70s Vacheron Constantin reference numbers is something that just goes with the turf of liking watches. You know what else goes with liking watches? Outrage when a brand has some fun. Just look at the outrage that the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept ‘Black Panther’ stirred up two years ago when it launched. People called it ugly, an insult to the brand and called for the resignation of the CEO who made the watch - Francois Bennahmias.
Personally, I didn’t like the Black Panther. Not because of what it was, I just didn’t care much for the look. But the haters got what they wanted - Bennahmias is leaving. Not because he was fired, of course. But before he goes, he has one more thing to show us. The absolutely bonkers and insane Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Spider-Man Tourbillon. It’s like the Black Panther but even more in your face, even more over the top and even more fun. I love it.
“Look at AP going the way of Invicta,” people will say, like they did of the Black Panther model. Oh boy, this is so far off from an Invicta. AP used all of their significant watchmaking skills to place a sculpture of Spider-Man into their watch. You think I’m kidding when I say they go all out? According to AP, it takes them 50 hours to create just the little Spider-Man. First a rough blank is milled from a block of gold in a CNC machine, then etched with laser to create the fine texturing on the suit. Next, a single artisan engraves and refines the details on the upper body. It’s followed by hand painting to create Spider-Man’s trademark blue-and-red outfit.
The Spider-Man utilises the latest version of the Royal Oak Concept case, which remains large and chunky but more wearable than earlier generations. It’s 42 mm in diameter and 15 mm thick, but with shorter lugs and a curved profile. Made of titanium, the case is matched with a bezel and crown in black ceramic. Being a Royal Oak, all surfaces, be they titanium or ceramic, are finished to a high level with a mix of brushed, polished, and frosted finishing.
Inside is the cal. 2974, a new, hand-wind movement derived from the cal. 2948 found in the Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked.
To be clear, this is a 100% silly collaboration. But being silly is really good. Despite the fact that people online will cry out that AP is ruining its brand, keep in mind that this is a crossover between pop culture and high horology. And it will only be made in 250 pieces, with an insane price tag of CHF 195,000. So don’t worry, you likely won’t have to see one in the flesh.
And just one more thing… AP will be making a piece-unique variation of this watch up for auction to benefit the First Book and Ashoka associations. It will be called the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon ‘Black Suit Spider-Man’. A white gold case will be finely engraved to give it the effect of a luminescent spider’s web. It is combined with a black ceramic bezel. Spider-Man appears on the dial in a black suit, a reference to the one worn by the superhero in several 1980s comics, notably The Amazing Spider-Man #252 in 1984. The Black Panther also had a piece unique go up for auction and it sold for $5,200,000.
2/
Breitling Drops Six New Watches In One Day, Shrinking The AVI, Adding A Ceramic Super Avi And Reissuing A 1964 Model
It seems that Breitling no longer likes to introduce a new watch or two. They just bust through the door with a box full of new stuff and start pulling them out screaming “look at this! How about this one?!”. I’m not complaining. Far from it. This time, Breitling is showing off a complete new line of aviator chronographs with the shrunken down 42mm Classic AVI - all together six new watches.
Starting off with the 42mm Classic AVI line, it, just like the 46mm Super AVI watches that were released in 2021, honors four legendary aircraft, each with their own color schemes: blue dial with a steel bezel for the F4U Corsair; black dial with steel bezel or black dial and rose gold case for the P-51 Mustang; green dial with steel bezel for the Curtiss Warhawk; and black dial with white counters and a combination polished and satin-brushed black ceramic bezel for the de Havilland Mosquito. In each case, the watch has a bidirectional ratcheted bezel and comes on either a calfskin leather strap with a folding buckle (and lug width of 22mm) or a five-row, stainless steel bracelet with a butterfly clasp.
All the new watches are powered by the Breitling Caliber 23, an automatic caliber with 48 hours of power reserve. Those movements are cased in stainless steel (or 18k rose gold), measuring 42mm by 14.7mm with a 48mm lug-to-lug, 100 meter water resistance and an engraving of the airplane linked with each model on the caseback.
But it’s not just the Classic AVI Breitling is showing off, they have two new watches in the Super AVI and AVI Co-Pilot lines. First is a black ceramic Super AVI "Mosquito Night Fighter" that measures 46mm by 15.9mm. The watch runs off the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber B04, featuring 70 hours of power reserve and a second timezone. Then there’s also the AVI Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition, a simplified and classic 41mm reverse panda chronograph.
Pricing for the Classic AVI models starts at $5,800 and rises to $6,100 for the F4U Corsair model (on a steel bracelet). The Super AVI B04 Mosquito Night Fighter has a list price of $12,100, and the AVI Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition is limited to 164 pieces, each selling for $9,050.
3/
Nivada Grenchen Proves They Have More Than Chronographs In Their Lineup With The Gorgeous New Antarctic-Diver
Ever since Guillaume Laidet revived the Swiss watch brand with incredible history, they have primarily been focusing on updating their chronographs. And I can’t blame them - chronos are always desirable watches, sell well and, after all, you have to start somewhere. But they sure as hell aren’t stopping at the chronographs like the Chronomaster and Datomaster models. The latest release from Nivada Grenchen is the reintroduction of the Antarctic-Diver, the brand’s first dive watch from the late 1950s.
The original watch was around 36mm in diameter, while the new Antarctic-Diver is more modern, but still not too large, at 38.2mm wide and 45mm from lug tip to lug tip with a thickness of 12.9mm. The top and bottom of the lugs are bushed and the side of the case and the back are polished. The watch comes with a unidirectional bezel with a lumed ceramic insert. The dial seems busy but is rather simple, with no numerals and faux patina on the blocky indexes. For the size of the dial, the hands are relatively large, which looks a bit weird, but takes no time to get used to.
Inside the watch is a Soprod’s P024. Based on an ETA 2824, the P024 is a self-winding time-only movement with a date indicator. The caliber offers approximately 38 hours of power reserve and operates at a 28,800vph frequency.
Nivada is becoming famous for their huge selection of bands for their watches. The new Antarctic-Diver also comes with ten options. Five straps - brown or black leather in two styles or a black rubber tropic strap. Or, choose from one of five steel bracelet options - three Forstner bracelets (Klip, Rivet, Bead of Rice), and two from Nivada (Oyster, Beads of Rice). While the Nivada BoR has curved end links, the Forstner end links are straight, and the design of the bracelet differs.
Nivada has priced the new Antarctic-Diver starting at $900, which puts it right smack into the desirable under $1000 category. It’s not a limited watch in quantity made, but it is time limited. Sales of the Antarctic-Diver started yesterday, May 25th at 4PM CEST and will be limited for only two weeks on the Nivada website.
4/
Maurice Lacroix Returns The Compressor Diver Pontos S With A Lot Of Style And Color
Maurice Lacroix is out to provide us all with affordable sports watches. And I think we can all agree that this is simply a great idea. After offering the Aikon in a number of materials and configurations, the brand is turning to their Pontos line and releasing a reaimagining of the Pontos S Diver. Fun fact, ML introduced the watch at an event in Dubrovnik with Croatian world-champion freediver who the brand consulted during the development phase Lidija Lijic in attendance. It’s About Time is also based in Croatia. Maurice Lacroix, I guess my invite to the presentation got lost in the mail?
The Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver is a modern take on the 1970s compressor-style dive watch with a twist. The original reissue from 2013 featured a 43mm wide case that’s 600m water-resistant and fitted with a helium release valve. The new 2023 version takes a more relaxed approach - not only is it smaller at 42mm, it cuts down the water resistance to 300 meters and ditches the helium escape valve. The case features two oversized crown - one to to wind the watch and the other to operate and
Inside the new Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver is the automatic calibre ML115. Based on the Sellita SW200-1, this ubiquitous movement brings a 38-hour power reserve. You can get the watch on three straps - an M-branded fabric strap and two integrated rubber straps embossed with Maurice Lacroix. The bronze version comes with a blue rubber strap and a calfskin leather strap featuring a gold M logo. These straps are all fitted with quick-release spring bars allowing you to swap your straps in seconds with no tool.
The watch will set you back EUR 2,100 for the steel versions and EUR 2,650 for the limited bronze edition of 500 pieces.
5/
Behrens Introduces The Ultralight, Super-Thin And Surprisingly Affordable BHR030 20G
At the same time Watches and Wonders was going on two months ago, there was another watch show on it’s way in Geneva called Time To Watches, focusing on indie brands. I completely missed covering the event and boy did I miss something huge. Thanks to Fratello, we now know that Behrens, the Chinese brand making increasingly more interesting watches, announced the BHR030 20G at the show. Hiding behind that pretty bad name is a watch that reaches way beyond its price point.
As a caveat, the watch you see in the pictures is a prototype that Fratello got to handle live and Behrens has already said that they will be making a number of improvements to it, including the only one that harshly stands out - they will refine the contrast between the hands and markings for enhanced legibility.
The biggest gimmick the BHR030 20G is it’s insane weight. The 20g in the name stands for 20 grams. It’s hard to describe how light this is. A standard A4 piece of paper weighs 5 grams. So take four pieces of paper, and that’s the weight of this Behrens. For reference, Richard Mille’s RM 67-01 weighs 32g. Their crazy RM UP-01 Ferrari collab weighs 30g. The current lightest watch in the world is the Ultralight by independent French watchmaker named Valentin Remontet and it weighs 17g. However, Behrens already has plans to release a second version of the BHR030, which will be even lighter than 20g as it will use a proprietary carbon composite instead of titanium like the case on this one does.
The BHR030’s asymmetrical trapezoidal case measures 42mm long on the longest side. The 38mm diameter means it is nice and compact too. The watch measures just 5.2mm thick. You want to know what the crazies part about these stats is? With that thinness and the lightness, you still get 30 meters of water resistance, so it should be able to handle daily wear with ease.
Since a dial has some weight to it, Behrens said toss the dial. Look at the watch, and all you see is the movement with markings printed directly on the movement or the underside of the crystal. To display the time, Behrens uses two retrograde displays, with one for the hours and one for the minutes. Also, it’s interesting to not that the entire movement is curved to follow the curvature of the case, which, in turn, is curved to follow the curve of most wrists.
The starting price of the 32 gram RM 67-01 is $85,000. The 30 gram RM UP-01 starts at $1,888,000. The BHR030 20G will be a smidge cheaper than that. When orders start in October, Behrens expects they will be able to sell it for $7,500. Which is just insane. Production will be limited annually to 180 pieces.
6/
The New MB&F LMX “Deep Purple” Sold Exclusively In A Parisian Boutique Has One Of The Best Purple Dials Ever Made
When people were looking at MB&F as complete nutters in 2005 for creating outlandish watches, the founder of the brand Maximilian Büsser says that one of their first supporters was Laurent Picciotto, founder of the famous Chronopassion Boutique in Paris. Now, to mark this 18-year friendship, MB&F has created 15 editions of the LMX in white gold with a purple dial plate known as the LMX Paris Edition. And It really is one of the best purple dials ever made. Not that there are a ton of them out there.
The latest collaboration between MB&F and Picciotto, the LMX Paris Edition, will be available exclusively at Picciotto’s Parisian boutique. The LMX was conceived as a 10th-anniversary watch of the Legacy Machine 1 of 2011. The Legacy Machine 1 displayed an overtly classical spirit with a round case and an exposed 14mm flying balance wheel placed in the centre of the dial plate. With its two white stretched lacquered dials with Roman numerals, the movement of the LM1, developed by Jean-François Mojon, offered dual time zones that could be set independently. Büsser’s change of direction paid off handsomely, and the LM1 swept up two prizes at the prestigious GPHG 2012 awards.
Ten years later, in 2021, the LM1 was feted with the LMX, a special supercharged anniversary edition with more of the mechanics exposed on the dial. The spectacular balance wheel still rules the show but is fitted with inertia blocks for greater accuracy. Other salient changes include the inclination at 50° angles of the two independent GMT sub-dials, the exposed rotating 7-day power reserve indicator at noon, and the crowns’ relocation to 10 and 2 o’clock.
The latest LMX Paris Edition shares identical specifications to earlier editions of the LMX but now comes in an 18k white gold case with a stunning deep purple sunray-brushed dial plate. The dimensions of the case – 44mm diameter with a height of 21.44mm (incl. super-domed sapphire crystal) – are the same as other LMX editions.
The sapphire crystal caseback reveals MB&F’s manual-winding 367-part movement fitted with three concentrically arranged mainspring barrels, which deliver the mighty 7-day power reserve.
The MB&F LMX Paris Edition is a limited edition of 15 timepieces sold exclusively at Picciotto’s Chronopassion Boutique in Paris. The retail price is EUR 146,400 (incl. taxes).
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On hand - a selection of reviews
1/The opaline Tudor Black Bay GMT brings the albino GMT vibe you’ve always wanted
2/
A review of the new Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic “Fugu” NY0137-09A
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
Marin Instruments create a skin diver for the 21st centuryFor those who were into scuba diving in the 1960s/70s and did not care for the professional-grade dive watches from Rolex and Blancpain, skin divers offered a more wearable and equally cool horological experience. Skin divers got their name from the fact that they were meant to be worn directly on the skin and not over a wetsuit, indicating they were not meant for deep underwater exploration. Traditionally, they came with 100 to 150 metres of water resistance and a thinner case profile. Unlike their distant cousins the Submariner, Fifty Fathoms, and even the Doxa SUB 300, skin divers were supposed to be more versatile and easy to wear on land in everyday life situations.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. The giveaway will be ending at the end of the month, so head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
2023.05.25 14:00 dreftzg [Daily News] Massena LAB Launches A Very Attractive Mathey-Tissot Mergulhador, Unimatic Takes Inspiration From Tuscan Olive Fields For Series 8 And The Crazy People From HYT Are Back With A Quirky Rainbow Hastroid
It's Thursday and there are some very weird watches out today.
Massena LAB Launches the Mathey-Tissot Mergulhador, a Follow Up to Last Year’s Type XX Chrono
William Massena, owner of Massena LAB, is increasingly profiling his collaborations with watch companies in two directions - either super high end or accessible. Now, we’re getting the latter. Massena LAB has teamed up with the old, discreet and relatively unknown outside of watch circles brand Mathey-Tissot to recreate Mathey-Tissot’s Mergulhador Skin Diver and recreate it into a slightly more modern package.
This is not the first time Massena is working with Mathe-Tissot, as they introduced a pair of limited Type XX chronographs, which were an instant and somewhat unexpected hit. Those watches were inspired by a watch in Massena’s personal collection, and that’s also the genesis of his latest project bearing the Mathy-Tissot name. This time, the watch in question is the Mergulhador Skin Diver, a watch that you’d be forgiven for being enamored with based on name alone. “Mergulhador” means “diver” in Portuguese, and as you’d probably guess, the original version of the watch was marketed to the Portuguese market in the 1970s, and was aimed at both military and civilian customers. It’s a bit obscure, but that’s what’s fun about it, and why it makes sense for someone with Massena’s knowledge and background to bring it to a larger audience.
The star of the watch is the dial, an amber fumé that looks like it’s been exposed to the elements on a divers hand for years. The amber complements the bright orange hour markers and an orange minute track against a black background that feels right out of the 1970s. The dial also features oversized white lume plots at each hour, the size of which is certainly in keeping with the general 1970s aesthetic.
The stainless steel case is pure skin diver, measuring 41mm in diameter and 12.8mm thick, and with a cushion shape. The steel bezel rotates in both directions. While this is not be common on modern divers, it was on pretty much every single recreational skin diver in the 70s. Inside is the reliable Sellita SW200 and it gets a 36 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a choice of a black rubber or black calfskin strap. Water resistance is rated to 200 meters.
Want some bad news? Only 99 will be made and it seems that they have all been sold out. However, the Massena LAB website does allow you to join the waitlist for this watch, so who knows - they might make a new run? Highly unlikely, but one might hope. If you could get it, it would cost you $995.
2/
Unimatic Takes Inspiration From Tuscan Olive Fields For Series 8 Limited Edition
Unimatic is one of those brands you either like or hate. Yes, people will dislike it for some pretty serious quality issues when the brand started, for their pretty strong marketing game or will argue that they are overpriced for what you get. I can understand all of those criticisms, and more. But I like them. They’re fun, quirky and are great summer watches. If you can get one for EUR 500, it’s perfectly fine value for money. However, their prices might vary depending on model and limited status.
Also, I also very much appreciate their collaborations, special editions and new models. Now Unimatic has a new limited edition series of the Modello lines in a gorgeous olive color that the brands says pays homage to Tuscany. All of the models get an olive dial and fantastic creamy markers and hands, as well as olive straps. It’s all very olive here and it’s called the Series 8, applied to four of the Modello models.
Staying true to the familiar style that has marked the Modello Uno, the U1S-80 features a 40mm case with relatively short lugs. It’s the closest to a dive watch that Unimatic makes, so it makes sense that it is water resistant to 300 meters and has a mono-directional safety bezel. However, here form coves over function as it is the most minimalist of bezels, so not very useful for diving.
Then there’s the U2S-80, the new version of the Modello Due, the brand’s field watch. As such, it’s smaller than the diver and very retro. Inside the 38mm case is the automatic caliber Sellita SW200-1b which gives it a hacking second, reminiscent of vintage field watches. The Modello Tre is a combination of a tough chronograph and a rugged dive watch. The U3-80 is an Olive drab rendition of Unimatic's chrono-diver and has a singular subdial at the 9 o'clock position as everything about this brand is minimalist. The U3-80 is the largest watch in the lineup, measuring at 41.5mm including the bezel, and is also the only quartz-powered watch in the series, opting for the Seiko Meca-Quartz VK64A.
The U4S-80, or the Modello Quatro, is definitely the most minimalistic of all the watches. It takes the dive watch model of the Modello Uno and strips it of all functionality by giving it a fixed steel bezel. And it looks even better with the olive green dial and strap.
Each model of the Unimatic limited edition Series 8 will receive a production run of 400 units and each watch ships with both an olive drab two-piece TPO strap and a seatbelt NATO strap, as well as a Unimatic Tough Case for two watches.
The U1S-80 will cost you EUR 925, the U2S-80 EUR 750, the U3-80 EUR 625, and the U4S-80 EUR 750. All of these prices are without tax and the watches can be ordered now.
3/
The Crazy People From HYT Are Back With A Quirky Rainbow Hastroid
HYT has a complicated story. It made outrageous watches that polarized the community. Some argue that the watches were too out there and that there is not a big enough market for them. Those people might have been right, as HYT went bankrupt in 2021. But only a year later later, the brand is revived and it’s return is marked by the Hastroid, a watch with familiar mechanics and the HYT signature move - using fluids to display time. HYT has always been known for bold designs that incorporate flashy colors. Now they go a step further with all the colors of the rainbow on the HYT Hastroid Rainbow.
The HYT Hastroid Rainbow comes with all the features of the existing Green Nebula, Supernova Blue or Cosmic Hunter models. Measuring 48 mm in diameter and over 17mm in thickness, it has a length of 52mm. The case’s multi-layer “sandwich-like” construction also integrates cut-out areas on the sides with grilles. The dial and display have also been redefined with more depth and a complex multi-part structure. Composed of 43 components, the dial has an openworked, textured structure revealing most of the mechanical elements, and both the mechanical section (on top) and the fluidic section (the bellows on the lower part and the capillary tube around the dial) are entirely visible.
Powering the HYT Hastroid is the calibre HYT 501-CM. Made of two separate modules connected by a lever, the upper side is dedicated to timekeeping and is a hand-wound movement running at 4Hz with a power reserve of 72 hours. It is also the driving force for the fluidic indication, giving its power and delivering a constant displacement to act on the motion of the fluids, thanks to an oversized lever and a curved feeler-spindle. This sensor transforms the circular motion of the movement’s wheels into a linear motion that pushes the bellow.
That’s all that remains the same. For the Rainbow, HYT has gone all out on color. The case is made from multi-layer carbon fibre with a profile in matte black DLC-coated titanium. It is worn on a bright, bold purple rubber strap with black inlay. The rainbow effect is applied to the dial’s grille using tinted Zapon lacquer. Each dial is individually executed by Yan Patriarca, a lacquering expert. Each colour is sprayed by hand, in several layers, and with an imperceptible gradient effect. In addition, the fluid contained in the capillary tube is black, and when it moves around the coloured dial, it gives the impression that it is tinted in the shade assigned to each time slot.
The HYT Hastroid Rainbow is released as a limited edition of 15 pieces and priced at CHF 75,000 (excl. taxes).
4/
New Porsche Design Chronograph Is Exclusive To Owners Of The718 Spyder RS
Contrary to popular belief, Porsche Design is not a subsidiary of Porsche, the car manufacturer. Yes, it is owned by by Porsche SA, the holding company, but technically, the folks over at Porsche Design don’t go around designing Porsche cars. Porsche Design was founded in the early 70s by Butzi Porsche, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche with the idea of creating a Porsche boutique that would create car-themed accessories. Pretty soon, Porsche Design started making watches and the popped up on the radar of both watch lovers and car lovers. So it only made sense for Porsche Design to start making car inspired watches to satisfy this desire from customers.
Porsche Design is still doing the same to this day. And their latest watch is an exclusive one that can only be purchased by owners of the just announced 718 Spyder RS, the car that inspired the watch. The concept of owner-exclusive watches is nothing new for Porsche Design, as they have made watches for and inspired by the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the 911 GT3 RS and the 911 Dakar.
The base of the watch remains the same as the aforementioned models (save for the Dakar watch, which uses a different base watch), meaning Chronotimer Series 1 architecture, a watch that pays tribute to the earliest models created by the Butzi Porsche in the early 1970s, with a proprietary automatic flyback chronograph movement. The case, made of lightweight bead-blasted titanium, meadures 42mm in diameter, with a height of 14.6mm. You can get it untreated or with a black titanium carbide coating, just like you can get the bezel in natural or black-coated titanium, with either a tachymeter or a 60-minute scale.
The dial retains the classic architecture of the collection and offers a wide range of personalisation options. First, the individual colour ring around the dial can be chosen in all available Spyder RS standard, metallic, and special colours, but also in the 114 additional colours of the paint to sample programme. Then, the dial itself can be chosen in classic matte black or in genuine carbon fibre. Three styles of hands complete this wide range of options, with Performance (white), Essence (black) or GT (yellow) options.
Under the hood is the calibre WERK 01.200, a highly modified Valjoux base, now chronometer-certified and equipped with flyback function. The final touch comes from the oscillating weight designed to look like the wheels of the Spyder RS. Two designs are available – following the look of the classic wheels or the optional lightweight magnesium alloy wheels of the Weissach package – and available in all colours from Porsche – Brilliant Silver, Aluminum satin, Dark Silver, Neodyme, Indigo Blue, and Black. You think that’s a high level of customisation? Yeah, you can also get the VIN of your 718 Spyder RS engraved onto the rotor…
The watch comes on a leather strap with black Race-Tex inlay and Spyder RS logo embossed, and a titanium bracelet can also be specified. If you’re a owner of the new Porsche 718 Spyder RS, you can get your watch now at a starting price of EUR 9,500.
5/
Singer Introduces The Reimagined Track 1 Endurance Edition 24h Chronograph, Ready To Time The 24 Hours of Le Mans
Speaking of Porsche, especially unique Porsche’s, there’s no other name you need to know other than Singer. The Californian company takes already awesome Porsche models from the late 80s and early 90s, strip them to their core and restore it to the perfect Porsche, incorporating the best aspect of every generation into bespoke cars that have taken the world by storm. Everybody wants one. Not everybody can afford the rumoured $1 million price tag.
What you might not have known is that Singer makes watches and their latest release is the Track 1 Endurance Edition 24h Chronograph to mark their involvement with the Hertz Team JOTA at the 24h of Le Mans this year.
The new version of the Track 1 is going head on into performance and weigh saving. It is made of titanium and uses the openworked case introduced in the Track1 DLS ( Engineering). The 43mm case, with black-coated bezel, crown and pushers, has been matte finished and coated in golden ZRN. The display of the classic Track 1 has been further developed to enable a dedicated 24-hour chrono function. And to provide the best possible legibility of the time indications, this chronograph is equipped with jumping hours and minutes and a sweeping seconds hand.
Inside nothing much has changed - it’s still the same ultra-complex, ultra-innovative movement as previous editions of the Track1 - the AgenGraphe made by Swiss movement maker Agenhor. The watch comes on a perforated rubber strap closed by a deployant buckle.
Limited to 24 pieces, the Singer Reimagined Track 1 Endurance Edition 24h Chronograph is now available for pre-order from the brand’s website and priced at CHF 70,000 (excl. taxes).
6/
Newly Appointed Bremont CEO Gives First Interview, Talks Brand Direction And Overcoming Existing Challenges
Just a few weeks ago, Bremont announced they were appointing legendary watch executive Davide Cerrato as new CEO. Cerrato is perhaps best known for his tenure at Tudor where he introduced the Black Bay line. Just yesterday he gave an interview to Hodinkee and I want to link to it here as I think it’s a great read if you’re a fan of Bremont. He talks all sorts of stuff - his love for cars and watches, what the recent $59 million investment into Bremont means, his vision for the future, the challenges of finding a "hero product" for the brand, and how to bring "made in England" around the world.
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Hands-On With The Bremont MBII Anti-Shock Pilot’s Watch
2/
A Review Of The Damasko DC86 Orange Black
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The LEO, on the one hand, seems wildly impractical at its stated dimensions. And this is obviously an aesthetic that is tough to integrate into an everyday style for most people. But that, as with so many independently made watches that border on the experimental, mechanical art side of the spectrum, is where the charm is. The LEO is probably not an everyday watch, it’s a watch for curious and adventurous watch lovers to pull out of the box when they feel like conjuring a particular mood, maybe after an X-Files binge.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
submitted by dreftzg to Watches [link] [comments]
What's new
1/Massena LAB Launches the Mathey-Tissot Mergulhador, a Follow Up to Last Year’s Type XX Chrono
William Massena, owner of Massena LAB, is increasingly profiling his collaborations with watch companies in two directions - either super high end or accessible. Now, we’re getting the latter. Massena LAB has teamed up with the old, discreet and relatively unknown outside of watch circles brand Mathey-Tissot to recreate Mathey-Tissot’s Mergulhador Skin Diver and recreate it into a slightly more modern package.
This is not the first time Massena is working with Mathe-Tissot, as they introduced a pair of limited Type XX chronographs, which were an instant and somewhat unexpected hit. Those watches were inspired by a watch in Massena’s personal collection, and that’s also the genesis of his latest project bearing the Mathy-Tissot name. This time, the watch in question is the Mergulhador Skin Diver, a watch that you’d be forgiven for being enamored with based on name alone. “Mergulhador” means “diver” in Portuguese, and as you’d probably guess, the original version of the watch was marketed to the Portuguese market in the 1970s, and was aimed at both military and civilian customers. It’s a bit obscure, but that’s what’s fun about it, and why it makes sense for someone with Massena’s knowledge and background to bring it to a larger audience.
The star of the watch is the dial, an amber fumé that looks like it’s been exposed to the elements on a divers hand for years. The amber complements the bright orange hour markers and an orange minute track against a black background that feels right out of the 1970s. The dial also features oversized white lume plots at each hour, the size of which is certainly in keeping with the general 1970s aesthetic.
The stainless steel case is pure skin diver, measuring 41mm in diameter and 12.8mm thick, and with a cushion shape. The steel bezel rotates in both directions. While this is not be common on modern divers, it was on pretty much every single recreational skin diver in the 70s. Inside is the reliable Sellita SW200 and it gets a 36 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a choice of a black rubber or black calfskin strap. Water resistance is rated to 200 meters.
Want some bad news? Only 99 will be made and it seems that they have all been sold out. However, the Massena LAB website does allow you to join the waitlist for this watch, so who knows - they might make a new run? Highly unlikely, but one might hope. If you could get it, it would cost you $995.
2/
Unimatic Takes Inspiration From Tuscan Olive Fields For Series 8 Limited Edition
Unimatic is one of those brands you either like or hate. Yes, people will dislike it for some pretty serious quality issues when the brand started, for their pretty strong marketing game or will argue that they are overpriced for what you get. I can understand all of those criticisms, and more. But I like them. They’re fun, quirky and are great summer watches. If you can get one for EUR 500, it’s perfectly fine value for money. However, their prices might vary depending on model and limited status.
Also, I also very much appreciate their collaborations, special editions and new models. Now Unimatic has a new limited edition series of the Modello lines in a gorgeous olive color that the brands says pays homage to Tuscany. All of the models get an olive dial and fantastic creamy markers and hands, as well as olive straps. It’s all very olive here and it’s called the Series 8, applied to four of the Modello models.
Staying true to the familiar style that has marked the Modello Uno, the U1S-80 features a 40mm case with relatively short lugs. It’s the closest to a dive watch that Unimatic makes, so it makes sense that it is water resistant to 300 meters and has a mono-directional safety bezel. However, here form coves over function as it is the most minimalist of bezels, so not very useful for diving.
Then there’s the U2S-80, the new version of the Modello Due, the brand’s field watch. As such, it’s smaller than the diver and very retro. Inside the 38mm case is the automatic caliber Sellita SW200-1b which gives it a hacking second, reminiscent of vintage field watches. The Modello Tre is a combination of a tough chronograph and a rugged dive watch. The U3-80 is an Olive drab rendition of Unimatic's chrono-diver and has a singular subdial at the 9 o'clock position as everything about this brand is minimalist. The U3-80 is the largest watch in the lineup, measuring at 41.5mm including the bezel, and is also the only quartz-powered watch in the series, opting for the Seiko Meca-Quartz VK64A.
The U4S-80, or the Modello Quatro, is definitely the most minimalistic of all the watches. It takes the dive watch model of the Modello Uno and strips it of all functionality by giving it a fixed steel bezel. And it looks even better with the olive green dial and strap.
Each model of the Unimatic limited edition Series 8 will receive a production run of 400 units and each watch ships with both an olive drab two-piece TPO strap and a seatbelt NATO strap, as well as a Unimatic Tough Case for two watches.
The U1S-80 will cost you EUR 925, the U2S-80 EUR 750, the U3-80 EUR 625, and the U4S-80 EUR 750. All of these prices are without tax and the watches can be ordered now.
3/
The Crazy People From HYT Are Back With A Quirky Rainbow Hastroid
HYT has a complicated story. It made outrageous watches that polarized the community. Some argue that the watches were too out there and that there is not a big enough market for them. Those people might have been right, as HYT went bankrupt in 2021. But only a year later later, the brand is revived and it’s return is marked by the Hastroid, a watch with familiar mechanics and the HYT signature move - using fluids to display time. HYT has always been known for bold designs that incorporate flashy colors. Now they go a step further with all the colors of the rainbow on the HYT Hastroid Rainbow.
The HYT Hastroid Rainbow comes with all the features of the existing Green Nebula, Supernova Blue or Cosmic Hunter models. Measuring 48 mm in diameter and over 17mm in thickness, it has a length of 52mm. The case’s multi-layer “sandwich-like” construction also integrates cut-out areas on the sides with grilles. The dial and display have also been redefined with more depth and a complex multi-part structure. Composed of 43 components, the dial has an openworked, textured structure revealing most of the mechanical elements, and both the mechanical section (on top) and the fluidic section (the bellows on the lower part and the capillary tube around the dial) are entirely visible.
Powering the HYT Hastroid is the calibre HYT 501-CM. Made of two separate modules connected by a lever, the upper side is dedicated to timekeeping and is a hand-wound movement running at 4Hz with a power reserve of 72 hours. It is also the driving force for the fluidic indication, giving its power and delivering a constant displacement to act on the motion of the fluids, thanks to an oversized lever and a curved feeler-spindle. This sensor transforms the circular motion of the movement’s wheels into a linear motion that pushes the bellow.
That’s all that remains the same. For the Rainbow, HYT has gone all out on color. The case is made from multi-layer carbon fibre with a profile in matte black DLC-coated titanium. It is worn on a bright, bold purple rubber strap with black inlay. The rainbow effect is applied to the dial’s grille using tinted Zapon lacquer. Each dial is individually executed by Yan Patriarca, a lacquering expert. Each colour is sprayed by hand, in several layers, and with an imperceptible gradient effect. In addition, the fluid contained in the capillary tube is black, and when it moves around the coloured dial, it gives the impression that it is tinted in the shade assigned to each time slot.
The HYT Hastroid Rainbow is released as a limited edition of 15 pieces and priced at CHF 75,000 (excl. taxes).
4/
New Porsche Design Chronograph Is Exclusive To Owners Of The718 Spyder RS
Contrary to popular belief, Porsche Design is not a subsidiary of Porsche, the car manufacturer. Yes, it is owned by by Porsche SA, the holding company, but technically, the folks over at Porsche Design don’t go around designing Porsche cars. Porsche Design was founded in the early 70s by Butzi Porsche, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche with the idea of creating a Porsche boutique that would create car-themed accessories. Pretty soon, Porsche Design started making watches and the popped up on the radar of both watch lovers and car lovers. So it only made sense for Porsche Design to start making car inspired watches to satisfy this desire from customers.
Porsche Design is still doing the same to this day. And their latest watch is an exclusive one that can only be purchased by owners of the just announced 718 Spyder RS, the car that inspired the watch. The concept of owner-exclusive watches is nothing new for Porsche Design, as they have made watches for and inspired by the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the 911 GT3 RS and the 911 Dakar.
The base of the watch remains the same as the aforementioned models (save for the Dakar watch, which uses a different base watch), meaning Chronotimer Series 1 architecture, a watch that pays tribute to the earliest models created by the Butzi Porsche in the early 1970s, with a proprietary automatic flyback chronograph movement. The case, made of lightweight bead-blasted titanium, meadures 42mm in diameter, with a height of 14.6mm. You can get it untreated or with a black titanium carbide coating, just like you can get the bezel in natural or black-coated titanium, with either a tachymeter or a 60-minute scale.
The dial retains the classic architecture of the collection and offers a wide range of personalisation options. First, the individual colour ring around the dial can be chosen in all available Spyder RS standard, metallic, and special colours, but also in the 114 additional colours of the paint to sample programme. Then, the dial itself can be chosen in classic matte black or in genuine carbon fibre. Three styles of hands complete this wide range of options, with Performance (white), Essence (black) or GT (yellow) options.
Under the hood is the calibre WERK 01.200, a highly modified Valjoux base, now chronometer-certified and equipped with flyback function. The final touch comes from the oscillating weight designed to look like the wheels of the Spyder RS. Two designs are available – following the look of the classic wheels or the optional lightweight magnesium alloy wheels of the Weissach package – and available in all colours from Porsche – Brilliant Silver, Aluminum satin, Dark Silver, Neodyme, Indigo Blue, and Black. You think that’s a high level of customisation? Yeah, you can also get the VIN of your 718 Spyder RS engraved onto the rotor…
The watch comes on a leather strap with black Race-Tex inlay and Spyder RS logo embossed, and a titanium bracelet can also be specified. If you’re a owner of the new Porsche 718 Spyder RS, you can get your watch now at a starting price of EUR 9,500.
5/
Singer Introduces The Reimagined Track 1 Endurance Edition 24h Chronograph, Ready To Time The 24 Hours of Le Mans
Speaking of Porsche, especially unique Porsche’s, there’s no other name you need to know other than Singer. The Californian company takes already awesome Porsche models from the late 80s and early 90s, strip them to their core and restore it to the perfect Porsche, incorporating the best aspect of every generation into bespoke cars that have taken the world by storm. Everybody wants one. Not everybody can afford the rumoured $1 million price tag.
What you might not have known is that Singer makes watches and their latest release is the Track 1 Endurance Edition 24h Chronograph to mark their involvement with the Hertz Team JOTA at the 24h of Le Mans this year.
The new version of the Track 1 is going head on into performance and weigh saving. It is made of titanium and uses the openworked case introduced in the Track1 DLS ( Engineering). The 43mm case, with black-coated bezel, crown and pushers, has been matte finished and coated in golden ZRN. The display of the classic Track 1 has been further developed to enable a dedicated 24-hour chrono function. And to provide the best possible legibility of the time indications, this chronograph is equipped with jumping hours and minutes and a sweeping seconds hand.
Inside nothing much has changed - it’s still the same ultra-complex, ultra-innovative movement as previous editions of the Track1 - the AgenGraphe made by Swiss movement maker Agenhor. The watch comes on a perforated rubber strap closed by a deployant buckle.
Limited to 24 pieces, the Singer Reimagined Track 1 Endurance Edition 24h Chronograph is now available for pre-order from the brand’s website and priced at CHF 70,000 (excl. taxes).
6/
Newly Appointed Bremont CEO Gives First Interview, Talks Brand Direction And Overcoming Existing Challenges
Just a few weeks ago, Bremont announced they were appointing legendary watch executive Davide Cerrato as new CEO. Cerrato is perhaps best known for his tenure at Tudor where he introduced the Black Bay line. Just yesterday he gave an interview to Hodinkee and I want to link to it here as I think it’s a great read if you’re a fan of Bremont. He talks all sorts of stuff - his love for cars and watches, what the recent $59 million investment into Bremont means, his vision for the future, the challenges of finding a "hero product" for the brand, and how to bring "made in England" around the world.
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On hand - a selection of reviews
1/Hands-On With The Bremont MBII Anti-Shock Pilot’s Watch
2/
A Review Of The Damasko DC86 Orange Black
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
Wilbur Watch Co. LEO, an Area 51 Inspired Watch with a Unique Jumping Hour DisplayThe LEO, on the one hand, seems wildly impractical at its stated dimensions. And this is obviously an aesthetic that is tough to integrate into an everyday style for most people. But that, as with so many independently made watches that border on the experimental, mechanical art side of the spectrum, is where the charm is. The LEO is probably not an everyday watch, it’s a watch for curious and adventurous watch lovers to pull out of the box when they feel like conjuring a particular mood, maybe after an X-Files binge.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
2023.05.24 14:00 dreftzg [Daily News] Bell & Ross Celebrates Elite French Air Force Unit With Gorgeous Blue Watch, Yema Updates Superman With Cool Green, Farr+Swit Is A Very 80s Video Game Watch And Union Glashütte Has A New Chrono
It's Wednesday and the French have come out in style today. If you enjoy these news updates, throw them an upvote so more people get to see them.
Bell & Ross Celebrates Elite Unit Of French Air and Space Force 70th Anniversary With Colorful BR 03-92 Patrouille De France
While the French brand Bell & Ross makes some very nice vintage-inspired watches, as well as somewhat avant-garde ones in their Urban line, they are primarily known for their blocky watches that resemble cockpit flight instruments. So, it comes as no shock that they have worked with French special forces, squadrons, astronauts, the French Naval Air Force or elite squads such as the GIGN and the RAID. So it comes as no surprise that in 2021 Bell & Ross announced it’s partnering with France’s precision aerobatics demonstration unit, the world-famous Patrouille de France. In order to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the elite unit, Bell & Ross is now releasing the limited edition BR 03-92 Patrouille de France.
As part of the 2021 deal, Bell & Ross produced two special watches for the unit. First was the BR 03 Type A with digital display, a specific request of the pilot, and the second was the BR 03-94 Patrouille de France Chronograph. The third special edition model has now been released and pairs traditional Bell & Ross codes with flamboyant French colours and unique design elements to celebrate 7 decades of precision aerobatics.
The special edition is based on the most classic B&R model, the BR 03-92. Also known as the instrument line, it comes in the signature case (the circle within a square) with 4 functional screws, directly modelled after vintage dashboard instruments. Measuring 42mm x 42mm, 10.40mm thick, the Patrouille de France version comes in a matte microblasted ceramic case. It also has one of the coolest casebacks, decorated with the silhouettes of the 5 aircraft that have flown since the creation of the Patrouille de France in 1953 – Thunderjet, Ouragan, Mystère IV, Fouga Magister and Alpha Jet.
The dial of this BR 03-92 Patrouille de France also pays tribute to the acrobatic patrol, with a particularly bright shade of blue, almost the same as the Alpha Jet of the Patrouille de France. The matte background is home to multiple highly contrasting white elements, such as the large luminous Arabic numerals and markers, as well as oversized white-SLN-coated hands. The insignia of this elite display team and the specific logo of its 70TH anniversary appear at the heart of this dial, which unfortunately still retains its date window…
Inside is the Calibre BR-CAL.302, a Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement. The watch comes on two straps - a tone-on-tone leather strap with French stitching and a steel PVD-coated pin buckle, and a black synthetic canvas fabric strap.
Limited to 999 pieces, the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Patrouille de France 70th Anniversary is now available for orders, with deliveries scheduled for mid-July 2023. It is priced at EUR 4,200.
2/
Yema Updates The Superman 500 With A Date And Gorgeous New Dials
The French are on a tear. But that’s to be expected from Yema, who seem to release a new watch every few weeks. And each of their releases is just mighty fine. Yema is now announcing two new versions of the Superman 500, adding new colors and a date to the model initially introduced last year.
The Superman has been Yema’s star watch since it’s introduction in 1963 as basic skin diver that rivalled Rolex, Blancpain and Omega, but at a lower price. It was an instant hit, as it had great looks, 300 meter water resistance and an interesting bezel locking device. The reissued Superman 500 was an equal success for the brand.
The Yema Superman 500 upgraded the model and corrected some of its internal flaws. While keeping the design intact, Yema beefed up the specs with a revised bezel-locking system (an emblematic feature of the collection) and more precise adjustments. The watch was beefed up and is now rated to 500 meter depths and all the improvements made the watch water resistant to 30 meters even with the crown unscrewed.
Following the classic time-only and GMT models, it is now time for the third iteration, the Yema Superman 500 Dato. The date window is where you would expect it, at 3 o’clock. You can get it in two sizes, 39 or 41mm, and the Dato collection comes with two dials that are not available on the no-date models. There’s the strikingly vivid sandblasted white with black accents, or a semi-matte khaki green with beige-toned markers and hands. On both versions, the date disc matches the dial.
Inside, you won’t find a ETA or Miyota movement. Instead, the watch comes with their proprietary calibre YEMA2000, which delivers a 42h power reserve, a 4Hz frequency and has been adjusted in 4 positions for an accuracy of -10/+10 seconds/day. You can wear the watch on a steel bracelet or a black FKM rubber strap.
Available for pre-order from today, with deliveries scheduled for the end of June 2023, the Yema Superman 500 Dato will retail for EUR 1,249 on a steel bracelet and EUR 1,329 on an FKM rubber strap.
3/
The Farr + Swit Chrono Vice Edition Is Exactly What You Would Expect From An 80’s Future-Retro Affordable Watch - Tons Of Fun
Just to save you some reading time, if you dig 80’s Future-Retro, video games of the era and disco noir color schemes and are looking to spend about $500 on a watch, just go buy the Farr + Swit Solar Chrono Vice Edition.
If you need to know more, here we go. Farr + Swit is a Chicago-based brand that’s very into the 80s. You see this instantly in the three-dimensional teal grid pattern that gives the feeling of racing West in an 80s video game, while a neon pink and yellow sun goes down. It’s a busy dial, but with a purpose and looking at it for some time, I imagine that there won’t be much issue with legibility.
You definitely won’t have issue with legibility at night. Click through to the article to see the watch at nigh. Farr + Swit is known for their fun lume applications on other models and they sure gave it their best here. Absolutley everything - the hands, markers, logo, chronograph hands, subdials, a teal ring outside the dial and even the date aperture are covered in fantastic Super-LumiNova C3 green Grade X EF.
The Solar Chrono case is mostly brushed, with a polished bezel that appears to be a separate piece. Although the bezel is not extremely thin, this watch is mostly dial. It also leads to the case looking a bit bigger visually than its 42mm diameter. Also, it’s 12.5mm thick, which is not bad when you consider everything that’s crammed inside.
As the name implies, the Solar Chrono is powered by a solar quartz chronograph and Farr + Swiss say it is a Seiko meca-quartz movement. They say it will run for six months after only five hours of sunlight. It has running seconds at 6 o’clock, and a 60-minute counter at 12 o’clock. The watch comes with two two quick-release StrapHabit straps - a teal FKM rubber strap and a black sailcloth strap with magenta accents.
The Farr + Swit Solar Chrono Vice Edition is limited to 85 units which will be numbered. They are now available for pre-order and are priced at $535 USD. Deliveries are expected in mid-June 2023.
4/
Union Glashütte Introduces The Noramis Chronograph Gaisbergrennen 2023, A Retro Panda Chrono With A Competitive Price
Glashütte is an amazing place. The population of the german town is just under 6,700 people. And yet, there are 10 active watchmakers there at the moment. One of them is Union Glashütte, a slightly lesser known brand, but still more than capable to stand toe to toe with the bigger Glashütte boys. And in line with this is their retro-inspired chronograph with a panda dial known as the Noramis Chronograph Limited Edition Gaisbergrennen 2023.
The watch is named after the Gaisberg race, first organized by Baron Von Preuschen in 1929, as cars raced around Salzburg’s scenic mountain routes. It was Interrupted by the war, but resumed in 1952 until in 1969 a string of fatal accidents forced the organizers to close it down. It was revived in 2003 and the Union Glashütte’s chronograph was designed to measure elapsed times for the drivers. So it makes sense that the inspiration comes from 1960s and 1970s stopwatches with mushroom pushers, a panda dial and a pronounced domed sapphire crystal over the dial. The polished 100m water-resistant stainless steel case has a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of 14.5mm.
Union Glashütte is known for not going crazy with their prices. In order to keep the watches somewhat affordable, they don’t develop an entire in-house movement. Inside the watch is the UNG-27.S2 automatic movement, a cam-activated chronograph beating at 28,800vph, which is based on a modified Valjoux 7750. Yhe calibre has a beefed-up power reserve of 65 hours and is fitted with an anti-magnetic silicon hairspring. The rotor has cut-out letters forming the word UNION and is decorated with thick Glashütte stripes.
The watch comes on two straps - a dressy cognac-coloured calfskin strap and a traditional aerated black rally strap.
The Union Glashütte Noramis Chronograph Gaisbergrennen 2023 is a limited edition of 200 pieces and retails for EUR 3,600.
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A review of the Luminox Luminox ICE-SAR Arctic 1050 Series
2/
Swiss Zenith Watches’ answer to the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, hands on with the Zenith Chronomaster Sports Gold Watches
3/
Heading home with Glashütte Original's Senator Cosmopolite
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The HMS is a bit of an eyeful at a glance, with no clear focal point emerging between the ornate detailed structures that comprise the lugs, the case, and the dial, with each of those areas offering plenty of details to discover and appreciate. The most densely detailed area is the heart of the dial, which is open to reveal a bespoke center wheel that moves with the hour hand. This opening is surrounded by a guilloché section that dominates much of the dial real estate. The two sections are quite literally bridges with a horizontal bar that underpins the hand stack, lending further to the steam-punk vibes that emanate from the entire design.
-------------------------------------------------------------
People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
submitted by dreftzg to Watches [link] [comments]
What's new
1/Bell & Ross Celebrates Elite Unit Of French Air and Space Force 70th Anniversary With Colorful BR 03-92 Patrouille De France
While the French brand Bell & Ross makes some very nice vintage-inspired watches, as well as somewhat avant-garde ones in their Urban line, they are primarily known for their blocky watches that resemble cockpit flight instruments. So, it comes as no shock that they have worked with French special forces, squadrons, astronauts, the French Naval Air Force or elite squads such as the GIGN and the RAID. So it comes as no surprise that in 2021 Bell & Ross announced it’s partnering with France’s precision aerobatics demonstration unit, the world-famous Patrouille de France. In order to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the elite unit, Bell & Ross is now releasing the limited edition BR 03-92 Patrouille de France.
As part of the 2021 deal, Bell & Ross produced two special watches for the unit. First was the BR 03 Type A with digital display, a specific request of the pilot, and the second was the BR 03-94 Patrouille de France Chronograph. The third special edition model has now been released and pairs traditional Bell & Ross codes with flamboyant French colours and unique design elements to celebrate 7 decades of precision aerobatics.
The special edition is based on the most classic B&R model, the BR 03-92. Also known as the instrument line, it comes in the signature case (the circle within a square) with 4 functional screws, directly modelled after vintage dashboard instruments. Measuring 42mm x 42mm, 10.40mm thick, the Patrouille de France version comes in a matte microblasted ceramic case. It also has one of the coolest casebacks, decorated with the silhouettes of the 5 aircraft that have flown since the creation of the Patrouille de France in 1953 – Thunderjet, Ouragan, Mystère IV, Fouga Magister and Alpha Jet.
The dial of this BR 03-92 Patrouille de France also pays tribute to the acrobatic patrol, with a particularly bright shade of blue, almost the same as the Alpha Jet of the Patrouille de France. The matte background is home to multiple highly contrasting white elements, such as the large luminous Arabic numerals and markers, as well as oversized white-SLN-coated hands. The insignia of this elite display team and the specific logo of its 70TH anniversary appear at the heart of this dial, which unfortunately still retains its date window…
Inside is the Calibre BR-CAL.302, a Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement. The watch comes on two straps - a tone-on-tone leather strap with French stitching and a steel PVD-coated pin buckle, and a black synthetic canvas fabric strap.
Limited to 999 pieces, the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Patrouille de France 70th Anniversary is now available for orders, with deliveries scheduled for mid-July 2023. It is priced at EUR 4,200.
2/
Yema Updates The Superman 500 With A Date And Gorgeous New Dials
The French are on a tear. But that’s to be expected from Yema, who seem to release a new watch every few weeks. And each of their releases is just mighty fine. Yema is now announcing two new versions of the Superman 500, adding new colors and a date to the model initially introduced last year.
The Superman has been Yema’s star watch since it’s introduction in 1963 as basic skin diver that rivalled Rolex, Blancpain and Omega, but at a lower price. It was an instant hit, as it had great looks, 300 meter water resistance and an interesting bezel locking device. The reissued Superman 500 was an equal success for the brand.
The Yema Superman 500 upgraded the model and corrected some of its internal flaws. While keeping the design intact, Yema beefed up the specs with a revised bezel-locking system (an emblematic feature of the collection) and more precise adjustments. The watch was beefed up and is now rated to 500 meter depths and all the improvements made the watch water resistant to 30 meters even with the crown unscrewed.
Following the classic time-only and GMT models, it is now time for the third iteration, the Yema Superman 500 Dato. The date window is where you would expect it, at 3 o’clock. You can get it in two sizes, 39 or 41mm, and the Dato collection comes with two dials that are not available on the no-date models. There’s the strikingly vivid sandblasted white with black accents, or a semi-matte khaki green with beige-toned markers and hands. On both versions, the date disc matches the dial.
Inside, you won’t find a ETA or Miyota movement. Instead, the watch comes with their proprietary calibre YEMA2000, which delivers a 42h power reserve, a 4Hz frequency and has been adjusted in 4 positions for an accuracy of -10/+10 seconds/day. You can wear the watch on a steel bracelet or a black FKM rubber strap.
Available for pre-order from today, with deliveries scheduled for the end of June 2023, the Yema Superman 500 Dato will retail for EUR 1,249 on a steel bracelet and EUR 1,329 on an FKM rubber strap.
3/
The Farr + Swit Chrono Vice Edition Is Exactly What You Would Expect From An 80’s Future-Retro Affordable Watch - Tons Of Fun
Just to save you some reading time, if you dig 80’s Future-Retro, video games of the era and disco noir color schemes and are looking to spend about $500 on a watch, just go buy the Farr + Swit Solar Chrono Vice Edition.
If you need to know more, here we go. Farr + Swit is a Chicago-based brand that’s very into the 80s. You see this instantly in the three-dimensional teal grid pattern that gives the feeling of racing West in an 80s video game, while a neon pink and yellow sun goes down. It’s a busy dial, but with a purpose and looking at it for some time, I imagine that there won’t be much issue with legibility.
You definitely won’t have issue with legibility at night. Click through to the article to see the watch at nigh. Farr + Swit is known for their fun lume applications on other models and they sure gave it their best here. Absolutley everything - the hands, markers, logo, chronograph hands, subdials, a teal ring outside the dial and even the date aperture are covered in fantastic Super-LumiNova C3 green Grade X EF.
The Solar Chrono case is mostly brushed, with a polished bezel that appears to be a separate piece. Although the bezel is not extremely thin, this watch is mostly dial. It also leads to the case looking a bit bigger visually than its 42mm diameter. Also, it’s 12.5mm thick, which is not bad when you consider everything that’s crammed inside.
As the name implies, the Solar Chrono is powered by a solar quartz chronograph and Farr + Swiss say it is a Seiko meca-quartz movement. They say it will run for six months after only five hours of sunlight. It has running seconds at 6 o’clock, and a 60-minute counter at 12 o’clock. The watch comes with two two quick-release StrapHabit straps - a teal FKM rubber strap and a black sailcloth strap with magenta accents.
The Farr + Swit Solar Chrono Vice Edition is limited to 85 units which will be numbered. They are now available for pre-order and are priced at $535 USD. Deliveries are expected in mid-June 2023.
4/
Union Glashütte Introduces The Noramis Chronograph Gaisbergrennen 2023, A Retro Panda Chrono With A Competitive Price
Glashütte is an amazing place. The population of the german town is just under 6,700 people. And yet, there are 10 active watchmakers there at the moment. One of them is Union Glashütte, a slightly lesser known brand, but still more than capable to stand toe to toe with the bigger Glashütte boys. And in line with this is their retro-inspired chronograph with a panda dial known as the Noramis Chronograph Limited Edition Gaisbergrennen 2023.
The watch is named after the Gaisberg race, first organized by Baron Von Preuschen in 1929, as cars raced around Salzburg’s scenic mountain routes. It was Interrupted by the war, but resumed in 1952 until in 1969 a string of fatal accidents forced the organizers to close it down. It was revived in 2003 and the Union Glashütte’s chronograph was designed to measure elapsed times for the drivers. So it makes sense that the inspiration comes from 1960s and 1970s stopwatches with mushroom pushers, a panda dial and a pronounced domed sapphire crystal over the dial. The polished 100m water-resistant stainless steel case has a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of 14.5mm.
Union Glashütte is known for not going crazy with their prices. In order to keep the watches somewhat affordable, they don’t develop an entire in-house movement. Inside the watch is the UNG-27.S2 automatic movement, a cam-activated chronograph beating at 28,800vph, which is based on a modified Valjoux 7750. Yhe calibre has a beefed-up power reserve of 65 hours and is fitted with an anti-magnetic silicon hairspring. The rotor has cut-out letters forming the word UNION and is decorated with thick Glashütte stripes.
The watch comes on two straps - a dressy cognac-coloured calfskin strap and a traditional aerated black rally strap.
The Union Glashütte Noramis Chronograph Gaisbergrennen 2023 is a limited edition of 200 pieces and retails for EUR 3,600.
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On hand - a selection of reviews
1/A review of the Luminox Luminox ICE-SAR Arctic 1050 Series
2/
Swiss Zenith Watches’ answer to the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, hands on with the Zenith Chronomaster Sports Gold Watches
3/
Heading home with Glashütte Original's Senator Cosmopolite
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
The Peculiar Timeless HMSThe HMS is a bit of an eyeful at a glance, with no clear focal point emerging between the ornate detailed structures that comprise the lugs, the case, and the dial, with each of those areas offering plenty of details to discover and appreciate. The most densely detailed area is the heart of the dial, which is open to reveal a bespoke center wheel that moves with the hour hand. This opening is surrounded by a guilloché section that dominates much of the dial real estate. The two sections are quite literally bridges with a horizontal bar that underpins the hand stack, lending further to the steam-punk vibes that emanate from the entire design.
-------------------------------------------------------------
People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
2023.05.23 13:58 dreftzg [Daily News] J. N. Shapiro Stuns With Promise Of Completely U.S. Made Watches, Tutima Introduces A Blacked Out M2 Seven Seas S, Laurent Ferrier Hides The Tourbillon In New Grand Sport Pursuit, AP Appoints New CEO To Diversify From One-Model Lineup
It's Tuesday and not much is on the horizon. Do check out the J. N. Shapiro story I linked as it goes very in depth on what is needed to create an entire watch in the U.S. If you enjoy these news updates, throw them an upvote so more people get to see them.
J.N. Shapiro’s Launch Of The Resurgence Causes Quite A Stir. Is It Really The First U.S. Made Mechanical Watch Since 1969?
It’s been almost 60 years since the last hand wound movement was produced in the United States. A lot of hope was put into American watchmaking, with some even claiming that it could threaten the Swiss industry. But with the failure of the Hamilton Watch Company, this dream of American-made watches has died out. At least until yesterday, if you ask Josh Shapiro. The watchmaker announced that they are making what they believe is the first fully "made in America" watch since 1969 and they are calling it the Resurgance.
This was huge news instantly. Not only because it’s a very interesting watch, but also for it’s actually unbelievable claim - that no fully American-produced watches were made since man first walked on the Moon. Following the George Daniels method of watchmaking, Josh Shapiro and his team (including five full-time watchmakers who helped with the creation of this watch) aimed to make a handcrafted, high-quality bespoke watch with traditional tools all in one workshop. After attempting to re-work a vintage Hamilton 731 movement design, the team realized the movement would actually be too small. They again utilized the Daniels method by designing their ideal dial side and working through the center distances of the movement to create something totally new.
This watch is the result of 12 years of experience of Shapiro and his team. It has all of the aesthetic hallmarks of a Shapiro watch. A highly detailed multi level dial, accented with intricate engine turning that has become Shapiro’s hallmark. What sets this watch apart, though, is the movement, which is not only beautiful to look at, with healthy doses of anglage, bridges with a distinct Damaskeening pattern (the American equivalent of Côtes de Genève), and rounded spokes on the caliber’s wheels, but has been designed and fabricated entirely in the United States. Shapiro produced his first movement prototypes in 2019, and that has led to the caliber at work in the Resurgence, which beats at an old-fashioned 18,000 BPH, features a free sprung balance, hacking seconds, and can be custom made with one of three distinct bridge layouts.
Shapiro says that all components of the movement are made in his workshop, with the exception of hairsprings, mainsprings, and jewels. While the hairspring, for example, is not made in house, it is made in the U.S. They sourced a supplier in the United States and bought what the supplier deemed their minimum order - 5.3 miles of material. Enough to make 100,000 hairsprings. Shapiro claims they are working on jewel and hairspring production, and they hope to be making those in the workshop later this year.
The dials feature guilloche patterns in multiple sectors which can be customized to the taste of each client. On the Resurgence, each dial sector is constructed from a different piece of metal, which gives it an almost sector-like appearance and adds a degree of depth not commonly associated with traditional engine turned dials.
Case options are numerous. In addition to the rose gold case, the Resurgence will be available in white gold, tantalum, steel, and dark zirconium. For the first time, Shapiro is offering the option of an engine turned midcase, a design flourish that is inspired by pocket watches, and rarely seen on modern wrist watches. Cases measure 38mm by default, but Shapiro offers some customization options here based on the request of each client. As with other J.N. Shapiro watches, there are multiple opportunities for owners to make unique requests for customization, including dial colors and the type of numerals (Roman, Hindu Arabic, and Hebrew are among the options available).
Prices for the Resurgence series start at $70,000 for steel and zirconium cases, with the tantalum case priced at $80,000 and white and rose gold versions priced at $85,000. The Resurgence is limited by production capabilities deliveries are expected to begin by the end of this year.
The Resurgence itself is a truly exciting watch, and it’s completely understandable why it shook up the watch world yesterday. To make a watch that is completely made in the United States is a unique task. In fact, the good folks over at Monochrome ask the same question as me - is the Resurgence actually the first US made watch since 1969? Go read that for an in depth look at what a manufacturer has to do to qualify for a “Made in the USA” designation.
2/
Tutima Introduces A Blacked Out Limited Edition Of The M2 Seven Seas S
Based upon the utilitarian case design of a chronograph that was produced for the German Air Force in 1984, the Tutima M2 collection is the brand’s lineup of durable performance-oriented sports watches. Over the years, the M2 lineup has expanded to include a fairly diverse assortment of different models, and while some lean into a highly utilitarian and purpose-built design ethos, others take the core blueprint of the M2 series and turn it into something that can more easily exist in everyday life. Arguably some of the best examples of the latter variety of models are the 40mm versions of the Tutima M2 Seven Seas S that were released at the very end of 2022, which take the underlying design of the brand’s ultra-robust diver and render it in a more compact and refined overall package.
You can get the Seven Seas in a number of dial and bracelet/strap combinations. But Tutima just released a new version of the M2 Seven Seas S called the Black Limited Edition and the name says it all. It comes with an all black dial, case and strap and is limited to just 250 pieces.
The steel casa of the limited edition remains largely unchanged - 40mm in diameter by 12.5mm thick - but in the limited edition it comes in black PVD. It’s a robust watch, but you also get 500 meter water resistance. The dial is pitch black, with a date display at 6 o’clock. Unfortunately, Tutima did not opt to give it a color matched date wheel, so the white of the date stands out.
Inside is the same movement you would get in a regular Seven Seas S, the Tutima Caliber 330. At it’s core, it’s the brand’s version of the popular ETA 2824 or SW200, and as such, it offers a proven design and the familiar specs of operating at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. While it’s not the highest of ends of movements, it works fine in a diver. Although, a diver that’s a bit cheaper than the Tutima. The watch comes on a bicomponent strap made of impregnated, water-resistant leather with a rubber interior.
As said, the watch is limited to 250 pieces, but pricing is a tough nut to crack. Tutima does not have a webshop and they don’t list MSRP on their website. I did, however, find the watch listed on several other websites (as this seems to be the way Tutima distributes their watches) and it seems that it runs around $2,330. This seems in line with the regular Seven Seas S, which sells for $1,980 on a strap or $2,350 on a bracelet. That’s not cheap for a robust, but relatively basic diver.
3/
Laurent Ferrier Hides The Tourbillon In Their New Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit
There’s nothing more baller than making a watch with a highly-desirable complication like a tourbillon and then hiding it so that only the owner can see it when they take of their watch. Come on! How cool is that? Laurent Ferrier did exactly this with their new Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit in which they hid the tourbillon in the back, behind the fantastic pink dial and inside the titanium case.
There is no doubt that Laurent Ferrier makes the highest of end watches. And for years they have ben associated with classically styled watches. However, in 2019 they experimented with 12 pieces of the Grand Sport Tourbillon, a very modern steel watch with a brown dial and a matching rubber strap. This was an instant hit, so LF just decided to keep going. In 2020 they did 12 pieces of another version of the Grands Sport Tourbillon, this time with a gradient blue opaline dial and an integrated steel bracelet, riding that trend. In 2022, they put out a Grand Sport Auto without the tourbillon, also a huge hit for the brand.
Now it’s 2023 and they’re ready to sell out again. The dial of the new watch has gradient shades of pink with an opaline dial. The watch weighs just 118 grams, thanks to the titanium case and bracelet. Inside is the calibre LF619.01, a self-winding movement with a frequency 21,600 vph (3Hz) and a power reserve of 80 hours.
Working with titainum is expensive. When making a lot of watches you can keep costs down with economies of scale. But Laurent Ferrier is doing low production numbers (I couldn’t find how many exactly) so they will have to replace many CNC tools that are destroyed by the titanium, and will have to work slowly, as the material is known to be damaged when manipulated too quickly. This means, of course, that the price will be higher. But looking at Laurent Ferrier watches they are already meant for people in a tax bracket that is not really bothered by costs.
The Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit will take 175,000 CHF (excluding tax) out of your bank account.
4/
Audemars Piguet Appoints Ilaria Resta As CEO To Replace F.H. Bennahmias
I swear, just the other day I remembered the warranty AP was going to offer on their watches to cover theft and thought - why aren’t more CEOs in the watch world so bold with their non-product related ideas. The warranty was announced in the tenure of François-Henry Bennahmias, and Audemars Piguet officially confirmed the departure of its boss at the end of 2023 (at the latest). And now, according to an editorial published in Le Temps, AP will be guided by Ilaria Resta, previously President Perfumery at Firmenich, a Swiss company in the fragrance and flavour business.
François-Henry Bennahmias joined Audemars Piguet some 30 years ago. He began his career at AP in 1994 and became the managing director of North America in 1999. He has led the company as CEO since 2012 and has brought revenue up to about 2 Billion Swiss Francs, making it the fourth player in the Swiss Watch industry below Rolex, Cartier and Omega, with a production of about 50,000 pieces last year.
In an article published yesterday, Swiss newspaper Le Temps has announced the name of the future CEO of Audemars Piguet; Ilaria Resta. According to her biography on the website of her previous employer, Firmenich SA, Ms. Resta was named President, Global Perfumery in March 2020. Her mission was to lead “organizational change and pioneering digital innovation to lead Perfumery into new markets, augment creative excellence, and drive sales for winning performance with our customers.” Always according to Le Temps, “She will join the manufacture next August to ensure a smooth transition with François-Henry Bennahmias and will officially take up her new position on January 1, 2024”.
Despite their recent success, AP is practically based on one product line, and the AP board looked for a female leader in order to diversify their offerings in the market.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400 – What A Modern Pilot Watch Should Be
2/
Hands-On With The Limited Depancel Legend 60s Chronograph
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Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that ArtyA Tiny Purity Tourbillon Chameleon represents one of the tamest designs in the brand’s catalog. When you sell watches with tobacco leaves, bullets, and butterfly wings in them, color-changing sapphire doesn’t seem that wild. But put up against other brands that are experimenting with case materials, this watch can truly boast of something unique, with an impressive movement to boot.
-------------------------------------------------------------
People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
submitted by dreftzg to Watches [link] [comments]
What's new
1/J.N. Shapiro’s Launch Of The Resurgence Causes Quite A Stir. Is It Really The First U.S. Made Mechanical Watch Since 1969?
It’s been almost 60 years since the last hand wound movement was produced in the United States. A lot of hope was put into American watchmaking, with some even claiming that it could threaten the Swiss industry. But with the failure of the Hamilton Watch Company, this dream of American-made watches has died out. At least until yesterday, if you ask Josh Shapiro. The watchmaker announced that they are making what they believe is the first fully "made in America" watch since 1969 and they are calling it the Resurgance.
This was huge news instantly. Not only because it’s a very interesting watch, but also for it’s actually unbelievable claim - that no fully American-produced watches were made since man first walked on the Moon. Following the George Daniels method of watchmaking, Josh Shapiro and his team (including five full-time watchmakers who helped with the creation of this watch) aimed to make a handcrafted, high-quality bespoke watch with traditional tools all in one workshop. After attempting to re-work a vintage Hamilton 731 movement design, the team realized the movement would actually be too small. They again utilized the Daniels method by designing their ideal dial side and working through the center distances of the movement to create something totally new.
This watch is the result of 12 years of experience of Shapiro and his team. It has all of the aesthetic hallmarks of a Shapiro watch. A highly detailed multi level dial, accented with intricate engine turning that has become Shapiro’s hallmark. What sets this watch apart, though, is the movement, which is not only beautiful to look at, with healthy doses of anglage, bridges with a distinct Damaskeening pattern (the American equivalent of Côtes de Genève), and rounded spokes on the caliber’s wheels, but has been designed and fabricated entirely in the United States. Shapiro produced his first movement prototypes in 2019, and that has led to the caliber at work in the Resurgence, which beats at an old-fashioned 18,000 BPH, features a free sprung balance, hacking seconds, and can be custom made with one of three distinct bridge layouts.
Shapiro says that all components of the movement are made in his workshop, with the exception of hairsprings, mainsprings, and jewels. While the hairspring, for example, is not made in house, it is made in the U.S. They sourced a supplier in the United States and bought what the supplier deemed their minimum order - 5.3 miles of material. Enough to make 100,000 hairsprings. Shapiro claims they are working on jewel and hairspring production, and they hope to be making those in the workshop later this year.
The dials feature guilloche patterns in multiple sectors which can be customized to the taste of each client. On the Resurgence, each dial sector is constructed from a different piece of metal, which gives it an almost sector-like appearance and adds a degree of depth not commonly associated with traditional engine turned dials.
Case options are numerous. In addition to the rose gold case, the Resurgence will be available in white gold, tantalum, steel, and dark zirconium. For the first time, Shapiro is offering the option of an engine turned midcase, a design flourish that is inspired by pocket watches, and rarely seen on modern wrist watches. Cases measure 38mm by default, but Shapiro offers some customization options here based on the request of each client. As with other J.N. Shapiro watches, there are multiple opportunities for owners to make unique requests for customization, including dial colors and the type of numerals (Roman, Hindu Arabic, and Hebrew are among the options available).
Prices for the Resurgence series start at $70,000 for steel and zirconium cases, with the tantalum case priced at $80,000 and white and rose gold versions priced at $85,000. The Resurgence is limited by production capabilities deliveries are expected to begin by the end of this year.
The Resurgence itself is a truly exciting watch, and it’s completely understandable why it shook up the watch world yesterday. To make a watch that is completely made in the United States is a unique task. In fact, the good folks over at Monochrome ask the same question as me - is the Resurgence actually the first US made watch since 1969? Go read that for an in depth look at what a manufacturer has to do to qualify for a “Made in the USA” designation.
2/
Tutima Introduces A Blacked Out Limited Edition Of The M2 Seven Seas S
Based upon the utilitarian case design of a chronograph that was produced for the German Air Force in 1984, the Tutima M2 collection is the brand’s lineup of durable performance-oriented sports watches. Over the years, the M2 lineup has expanded to include a fairly diverse assortment of different models, and while some lean into a highly utilitarian and purpose-built design ethos, others take the core blueprint of the M2 series and turn it into something that can more easily exist in everyday life. Arguably some of the best examples of the latter variety of models are the 40mm versions of the Tutima M2 Seven Seas S that were released at the very end of 2022, which take the underlying design of the brand’s ultra-robust diver and render it in a more compact and refined overall package.
You can get the Seven Seas in a number of dial and bracelet/strap combinations. But Tutima just released a new version of the M2 Seven Seas S called the Black Limited Edition and the name says it all. It comes with an all black dial, case and strap and is limited to just 250 pieces.
The steel casa of the limited edition remains largely unchanged - 40mm in diameter by 12.5mm thick - but in the limited edition it comes in black PVD. It’s a robust watch, but you also get 500 meter water resistance. The dial is pitch black, with a date display at 6 o’clock. Unfortunately, Tutima did not opt to give it a color matched date wheel, so the white of the date stands out.
Inside is the same movement you would get in a regular Seven Seas S, the Tutima Caliber 330. At it’s core, it’s the brand’s version of the popular ETA 2824 or SW200, and as such, it offers a proven design and the familiar specs of operating at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. While it’s not the highest of ends of movements, it works fine in a diver. Although, a diver that’s a bit cheaper than the Tutima. The watch comes on a bicomponent strap made of impregnated, water-resistant leather with a rubber interior.
As said, the watch is limited to 250 pieces, but pricing is a tough nut to crack. Tutima does not have a webshop and they don’t list MSRP on their website. I did, however, find the watch listed on several other websites (as this seems to be the way Tutima distributes their watches) and it seems that it runs around $2,330. This seems in line with the regular Seven Seas S, which sells for $1,980 on a strap or $2,350 on a bracelet. That’s not cheap for a robust, but relatively basic diver.
3/
Laurent Ferrier Hides The Tourbillon In Their New Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit
There’s nothing more baller than making a watch with a highly-desirable complication like a tourbillon and then hiding it so that only the owner can see it when they take of their watch. Come on! How cool is that? Laurent Ferrier did exactly this with their new Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit in which they hid the tourbillon in the back, behind the fantastic pink dial and inside the titanium case.
There is no doubt that Laurent Ferrier makes the highest of end watches. And for years they have ben associated with classically styled watches. However, in 2019 they experimented with 12 pieces of the Grand Sport Tourbillon, a very modern steel watch with a brown dial and a matching rubber strap. This was an instant hit, so LF just decided to keep going. In 2020 they did 12 pieces of another version of the Grands Sport Tourbillon, this time with a gradient blue opaline dial and an integrated steel bracelet, riding that trend. In 2022, they put out a Grand Sport Auto without the tourbillon, also a huge hit for the brand.
Now it’s 2023 and they’re ready to sell out again. The dial of the new watch has gradient shades of pink with an opaline dial. The watch weighs just 118 grams, thanks to the titanium case and bracelet. Inside is the calibre LF619.01, a self-winding movement with a frequency 21,600 vph (3Hz) and a power reserve of 80 hours.
Working with titainum is expensive. When making a lot of watches you can keep costs down with economies of scale. But Laurent Ferrier is doing low production numbers (I couldn’t find how many exactly) so they will have to replace many CNC tools that are destroyed by the titanium, and will have to work slowly, as the material is known to be damaged when manipulated too quickly. This means, of course, that the price will be higher. But looking at Laurent Ferrier watches they are already meant for people in a tax bracket that is not really bothered by costs.
The Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit will take 175,000 CHF (excluding tax) out of your bank account.
4/
Audemars Piguet Appoints Ilaria Resta As CEO To Replace F.H. Bennahmias
I swear, just the other day I remembered the warranty AP was going to offer on their watches to cover theft and thought - why aren’t more CEOs in the watch world so bold with their non-product related ideas. The warranty was announced in the tenure of François-Henry Bennahmias, and Audemars Piguet officially confirmed the departure of its boss at the end of 2023 (at the latest). And now, according to an editorial published in Le Temps, AP will be guided by Ilaria Resta, previously President Perfumery at Firmenich, a Swiss company in the fragrance and flavour business.
François-Henry Bennahmias joined Audemars Piguet some 30 years ago. He began his career at AP in 1994 and became the managing director of North America in 1999. He has led the company as CEO since 2012 and has brought revenue up to about 2 Billion Swiss Francs, making it the fourth player in the Swiss Watch industry below Rolex, Cartier and Omega, with a production of about 50,000 pieces last year.
In an article published yesterday, Swiss newspaper Le Temps has announced the name of the future CEO of Audemars Piguet; Ilaria Resta. According to her biography on the website of her previous employer, Firmenich SA, Ms. Resta was named President, Global Perfumery in March 2020. Her mission was to lead “organizational change and pioneering digital innovation to lead Perfumery into new markets, augment creative excellence, and drive sales for winning performance with our customers.” Always according to Le Temps, “She will join the manufacture next August to ensure a smooth transition with François-Henry Bennahmias and will officially take up her new position on January 1, 2024”.
Despite their recent success, AP is practically based on one product line, and the AP board looked for a female leader in order to diversify their offerings in the market.
-------------------------------------------------------------
On hand - a selection of reviews
1/The Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400 – What A Modern Pilot Watch Should Be
2/
Hands-On With The Limited Depancel Legend 60s Chronograph
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
ArtyA pushes the envelope with a proprietary color-changing sapphirePerhaps the most remarkable thing is that ArtyA Tiny Purity Tourbillon Chameleon represents one of the tamest designs in the brand’s catalog. When you sell watches with tobacco leaves, bullets, and butterfly wings in them, color-changing sapphire doesn’t seem that wild. But put up against other brands that are experimenting with case materials, this watch can truly boast of something unique, with an impressive movement to boot.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
2023.05.22 19:16 BusinessWes [Online][5E][ET][UTC-4] "The Stranger'' Cosmic Horror Campaign Seeking Players. High production value. Professionally Streamed & Recorded. (Post 2/4)
Original post: https://www.reddit.com/lfg/comments/13gfsqa/online5eetutc4_the_stranger_cosmic_horro (graciously reviewed and approved by the subreddit mods)
This is Post (2/4), we're posting this four weeks in a row before making final picks.
Preface
This is a long post - crazy long even. That's because we care so much to find those just as impassioned as we are about this amazing hobby. We love high quality D&D campaigns, and we believe it takes effort and time to make it happen. If you take the effort to get through learning about us in this post, reading every word with care and interest, we will do the same with your application.
Our commitments:
World Preface
In this sacred fellowship, we stand steadfast in the face of the dreaded D&D group killers. Our commitment to this game is unwavering, for it is not just a hobby, but a way of life - an appointment that must be kept at all costs. For us, the work does not end with character creation or worldbuilding. Nay, we strive for a deep understanding of each character, for their hopes and dreams, their fears and flaws, so that we may weave a complex and enthralling campaign that will leave you breathless. We implore you, dear adventurer, to show up regularly and with a burning passion in your heart. Let your excitement be infectious, let your dedication be unwavering.
Overview
This campaign is getting some big investment. All players will get custom commissions of their characters, animated. Additionally, we are commissioning all maps, tokens, flairs, and elements to make this truly something special.
Campaign Preface
So we are still small, so monetization isn’t at the top of our list. That said, our goal is to 1. Play Excellent D&D, 2. Donate to charity 3. Re-invest to make better content and 4. Compensate players to allow them to play more D&D.
How specifically that all happens is still obscured by the mists of time. By participating in this campaign players release all intellectual property created for the campaign to Roll for Impact and related brands. Please note that this is meaningless while we're still small, but consider this hopeful thinking for our success. The next campaign is getting SO much effort, so we want to stay safe.
Campaign Rules
submitted by BusinessWes to lfg [link] [comments]
This is Post (2/4), we're posting this four weeks in a row before making final picks.
Preface
This is a long post - crazy long even. That's because we care so much to find those just as impassioned as we are about this amazing hobby. We love high quality D&D campaigns, and we believe it takes effort and time to make it happen. If you take the effort to get through learning about us in this post, reading every word with care and interest, we will do the same with your application.
Our commitments:
- We will respond personally to each and every application, giving constructive feedback and/or move you to the next stage!
- Every question in the comments on the world's lore will be responded to by one of our world's NPC's!
- Application Link: https://www.avarra.world
- Promo Video: https://youtu.be/RbfQWegafX8
- Sample session: https://youtu.be/FDNHxkNXM5Y?t=13120 (We're doing something new for the next campaign, and while not quite full-effort, this is a closer example of what we're going for)
- Ask a question about the lore or world in the comments! And we'll respond in character (from one of our many current character). Thumbs us up or down this post, interact to help us be visible!
- The rest are provided after application has been submitted.
- Need to get in touch privately? My discord is Wes#8045.
World Preface
In the enchanted realm of Avarra, where high magic weaves its intricate web through the fabric of existence, a burgeoning form of sorcery takes root. Secluded on the island city of Crowperch, the pursuit and mastery of void magic are richly rewarded, enticing arcanists from the farthest reaches of the world to unravel its mysteries. Yet, the enigmatic allure of Crowperch extends beyond the arcane; a diverse tapestry of industry, history, and craftsmanship entwines the island's very essence.Application Overview
Beneath the surface, the island's riches reveal themselves: the mines and quarries, abundant with untapped potential, and the surrounding seas, offering bounties from the ocean's depths. Ancient archaeological sites whisper secrets of bygone eras, while artisans ply their remarkable skills on the bustling city streets. Tales of a long-forgotten, rumored treasure continue to captivate the imaginations of adventurers and sightseers alike.
But one must pay a steep price for this wealth of opportunity and intrigue. It is wise to avert one's gaze from the iron grip of autocratic rule and the unyielding scrutiny that looms over the island's denizens. For those who venture to Crowperch, a single obligation remains: seek your heart's desire, and then depart – for the island's enigmatic embrace is not meant to last forever.
In this sacred fellowship, we stand steadfast in the face of the dreaded D&D group killers. Our commitment to this game is unwavering, for it is not just a hobby, but a way of life - an appointment that must be kept at all costs. For us, the work does not end with character creation or worldbuilding. Nay, we strive for a deep understanding of each character, for their hopes and dreams, their fears and flaws, so that we may weave a complex and enthralling campaign that will leave you breathless. We implore you, dear adventurer, to show up regularly and with a burning passion in your heart. Let your excitement be infectious, let your dedication be unwavering.
Overview
- Game Day: Saturday
- Players: 6 (5 Regular, 0-1 Floating/Guest)
- DM(s): 2 (1 Regular, 0-1 Floating/Guest)
- Game Length: 3 Months mini-arc, then decide whether to continue. However accommodate for 1-2 years on your schedule.
- Start Date: First week of September (Yes, 5 months away)
- Qualification: TTRPG Experience, RP/Improv Ability
- Questionnaire answers
- Participation in One-Shots & Community so we can get to know you.
This campaign is getting some big investment. All players will get custom commissions of their characters, animated. Additionally, we are commissioning all maps, tokens, flairs, and elements to make this truly something special.
Campaign Preface
As twilight descended upon the restless sea, the ancient ship, Her Royal Rose, creaked under the weight of its cargo. Its passengers, a motley assortment of scholars, fisherman, guard and others with business on the island of Crowperch, sit tightly in cramped quarters. Even as the tempestuous winds moaned through crevasse and open windows, the opportunities and tasks that beckon them to the island keep them going, a siren's call that drowned out the ocean's roar.Technology
The skies above were an oppressive tapestry of writhing clouds, their tendrils suffocating the last vestiges of daylight as if to obscure the path to the island. A shroud of mist swallowed the horizon, leaving the ship to navigate through a nebulous labyrinth, its destination only guaranteed by Captain Alaric Thorne.
As Her Royal Rose inched closer to Sove, the air grew heavy with mist and sea salt which deposited itself gradually on the railings, sails and masts. Little Henry Williams, the ship's messenger runs throughout the halls pattering on each door, "The captain has an announcement, all to the deck. The captain has an announcement, all to the deck." The clacking of his wooden foot pattering one after another with each step, a disfigurement he earned while working aboard Her Royal Rose.
Captain Alaric Thorne stood on the deck, the salty wind tugging at his weathered features. His voice rang out, its timbre heavy with authority and unease, as he addressed the gathered passengers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I must bring to your attention an unfortunate turn of events. It seems the Saturation has arrived earlier than anticipated this year. As many of you know, this phenomenon causes an unnaturally heavy accumulation of salt in the air, resulting in deposits that weigh down our vessel."
He paused, letting the gravity of the situation settle upon his passengers before continuing, "This unexpected occurrence has forced us to halt our usual schedule, for the safety of both the ship and her passengers. Once Her Royal Rose arrives, she will remain anchored at Sove until the Saturation clears, as navigating these treacherous waters under such conditions would be inviting disaster."
A murmur of concern rippled through the crowd, many who were on this voyage planned their departure prior to The Saturation. The captain raised his hand to quell their rising unease. "I understand this may cause you some inconvenience, but I assure you, we will resume our journey as soon as it is safe to do so. In the meantime, you may continue your research, tasks and exploration on the island. Sove is well stocked and very hospitable to travelers especially those displaced during our seasonal shifts."
With that, Captain Thorne turned away, leaving the passengers to ponder the implications of his words as the first tendrils of salt-laden mist began to coil around the ship, heralding the arrival of the Saturation.
In the dimly lit corners of their minds, the passengers could sense a truth they dared not confront: Their voyage to Crowperch was going to be a lot longer than they had hoped. As the ship drew nearer to the island, the shadows beneath the spires of the fortress atop the mountain loomed over the ship, casting a shadow over what little moonlight illuminated the darkness.
- D&D Beyond: We own ALL books on D&D Beyond, and all of them will be at your disposal for your campaign.
- Owlbear Rodeo 2.0: This new VTT is extremely promising, and has the customization ability for us to do VERY interesting unique things. We're switching here from Roll20.
- Discord: Voice chat & messenger for our campaigns. Video is required, however is not recorded. Offline RP included!
- Obsidian: How players track the world's expanding lore, and how we the DM's keep track of things. You don't have to use this, but it's a highly recommended tool for note taking.
- Recorded Sessions: Sessions will be recorded, edited and posted online. Proceeds from monetization will be used to level up our recording, roleplaying, technology and setup, get commissions, maps and such. Players will not be paid for participation, however this is possible for the future if we grow. Sessions are recorded using OBS.
- Watch2Gether: For background music as necessary. Ambience and sound effects will be streamed.
So we are still small, so monetization isn’t at the top of our list. That said, our goal is to 1. Play Excellent D&D, 2. Donate to charity 3. Re-invest to make better content and 4. Compensate players to allow them to play more D&D.
How specifically that all happens is still obscured by the mists of time. By participating in this campaign players release all intellectual property created for the campaign to Roll for Impact and related brands. Please note that this is meaningless while we're still small, but consider this hopeful thinking for our success. The next campaign is getting SO much effort, so we want to stay safe.
Campaign Rules
- Backstory: Crafting a compelling backstory for your character is essential for a great adventure. By providing a reason for your character to be adventuring with others and offering plot hooks for the DM to work with. Rather than focusing on build concepts, take this opportunity to create a real, relatable character. Who knows what unexpected twists and turns your backstory might bring to the campaign? So, let's get to writing - your character's fate is in your hands!
- Stats: Ah, stats - the bread and butter of any adventurer's character sheet. But let's face it, nobody likes a Mary Sue or a Jim The Commoner. That's why we're going to be rolling 4d6 drop the lowest, but with a twist! Each player will only generate one stat, which will then be compiled into one array for everyone to use. That way, you still get the fun of rolling, but we won't have any lopsided parties where one person is carrying the whole team. Because let's be real, nobody wants to be stuck playing the equivalent of a wet noodle while someone else is shooting laser beams out of their eyes. So, roll those dice and let fate decide your fate!
- Starting Level: Starting our campaign at level 3 makes sense because many classes get their major features at level 3, avoiding the issue of players missing out on the fun stuff. This also prevents weird mid-game transformations that can come from certain builds and allows for multiclass combos right out of the gate. So, let's start the adventure with confidence and balance, knowing that we've got all the good stuff from the get-go!
- Free Feat: We're giving you an extra feat at first level, but with a catch - it must tie into your backstory or character design in a compelling way. By doing this, we hope to reduce the cookie-cutter nature of low level characters and encourage backstory development. Rather than just taking a feat because you need it, we want you to create a unique and interesting character from the get-go. So, let's spice things up and see what kind of story you can bring to the table!
- Healing Potions: Get the max benefit as an action, or use a bonus action to get the rolled benefit.
- Flanking: Flanking now grants a +2 to hit instead of advantage, and you can't flank someone if you're being flanked yourself. But that's not all - if three or more combatants are flanking a single enemy, that enemy is officially Surrounded, and you get a +5 to melee weapon attacks. So, let's get out there and show those enemies what it means to be surrounded by a bunch of hyped-up adventurers! (But remember, enemies get the same benefit too.)
- Zero HP & Exhaustion: Everyone takes the homebrew feat Battle Fatigue. This homebrew rule makes repeated downs more punishing on players in a campaign. You may be downed (Con Modifier) times before receiving one point of exhaustion. Each time this ticker fills up, reset it and add one point of exhaustion.
- Starting Common Magic Item: At first level, all characters get a common magic item of their choice. Similar to feats, this must be related to your backstory.
- Dual Wielding: RAW, DW doesn't allow you to add the modifier to the attack, so we add the modifier to the roll like a normal roll. You still get a weaker weapon, but now at least you get to get more power from the attack.
- Resurrection: (Modified Critical Role Rules) Resurrection isn't easy, folks - you'll need to pass a DC of 10 just to be brought back. But that's just the beginning. The party can all contribute to aiding in your resurrection with multiple ability checks, and even sacrifices in the deceased's name. The Dungeon Master determines the DC for each check and makes a final resurrection roll to see if the ritual is successful. The DC for this final roll depends on how many times the character has been resurrected before and how successful the contributions were. So, bring your A-game (and maybe a goat or two) if you want to make it back from the great beyond. Each resurrection adds +5 to the DC, before party contributed modifiers.
- Death Saving Throws: These are rolled privately to the DM.
- Slow Natural Healing: Characters don't regain hit points at the end of a long rest. Instead, a character can spend Hit Dice to heal at the end of a long rest, just as with a short rest. A long rest allows the use of up to half of your total Hit Dice, +1 for sleeping somewhere comfortable, +1 for having a meal/ ration. Order: The character regains half their hit dice, then they can spend their hit dice to recover hit points.
- Silvery barbs: Silvery barbs is a second level spell.
- Turn Time Limits: We're keeping things moving with turn time limits, folks. Pay attention on other player's turns and avoid flipping through your PHB or counting dice ad nauseam. Exceptions are made for new players or chaotic combat, but we want you to look up spells and rules off-turn whenever possible. Slow combat leads to mental check-outs and boredom, so let's keep things snappy. If your turn takes too long, someone else will jump in front of you. It's like musical chairs, but with spells and swords instead.
- New Homebrew: If you've got some hot new content you want to play with, I'm your guy. Just slide into my DMs and let me take a look. Now, I'm not saying I'm gonna approve everything - I mean, some of you are out here trying to create a race of sentient cheese wheels (looking at you, Matt) - but I'll do my best to give you clear, concise well informed ruling on it.
- Session Length: ~7 Hours
- Scheduling Firm Up: Sessions are scheduled concretely, but we will firm up every 4 weeks on the next month's schedule for conflicts. Exceptions are always made for life events or serious circumstances. Life happens, and we understand that sometimes we or you may need to cancel. This is always fine, provided it is not regularly occurring. Our schedules are made every 4 weeks in advance. If your game days are always difficult to schedule, this may not be the campaign for you. In regards to scheduling, you must be able to open a clear line of communication between the DM throughout the week, in case of any emergency schedule changes or conflicts. If you are a hard person to get in touch with every week, again, this may not be the campaign or group for you.
- Start: Everyone arrives to the table and calls in on Discord. Players should also take this time to open up all the required programs and have all their materials ready. We also suggest getting some snacks here too! Bonus points for a tasty beer as well!
- Recap & Warmup (30 min): After arriving and having all our materials prepared, we begin our first activity of the session: Player Recaps! We will do this every single week, and it should be a great tool for getting insight into each character’s head and getting us caught up. We may play warm up games, and roleplay challenges.
- Session (2.5 hours): Well, this is of course where the magic happens! We roll dice, we laugh, the DM laughs, the dice laugh, the dice are mimics, oh no…
- Break (30 min): These breaks do not include bio breaks or your need to use the restroom. If you ever need to run to the bathroom or refill your glass real quick, you’re good!
- Session Continued (2.5 hours): We’ll carry on through the second part of the session!
- Session Recap (30 min): We'll discuss what happened during the session, as well as what we plan to do next session, while we finalize session notes.
- Roleplay: Get ready for some serious roleplaying, folks, because that's what we're all about. We're looking at a 70/30 split of roleplay to combat, maybe even heavier on the roleplay. It's all about immersing ourselves in the world of Avarra and telling a great story together. Sure, there may be some deviations depending on the scenarios and encounters, but we're here to communicate and engage with each other and the world on a deeper level. So, let's put on our acting hats and dive headfirst into the magical realm of Avarra.
- Hyper immersion: We're not just here to hack and slash our way through this world - we're here to really get into the nitty-gritty details. I'm talking about the flavors in each mug of ale or wine at the local tavern (because let's be real, nobody likes a bland drink), cooking around the campfire under a tree during a cool and rainy night, and even delving into the plot of that book you just picked up on your way out of town. And let's not forget about forming real relationships with your fellow characters. After all, who wants to adventure with a bunch of strangers? We're here to create meaningful connections and really bring this world to life. And to all you hack-and-slashers out there - sorry, but this might not be the group for you.
- Note Taking: The pen is mightier than the sword! And let me tell you, if you want to get the most out of Avarra, it's better to be a note taker. Especially in this next campaign! We're talking about a world that's drenched in complexity and nuance, from the setting to the story to the characters that inhabit it. And let's not forget about those intricate and subtle webs that outline the machinations of the antagonists. Oh yeah, we're going deep. But here's the deal - nothing is handed to you on a silver platter in this campaign. You're gonna have to work for it. That means constantly paying attention, working with each other, and using those note-taking skills to uncover all the hidden secrets this world has to offer. And who knows, maybe you'll even uncover some secrets about your fellow adventurers along the way. (Hey, it's possible, right?) So grab your pens, folks, because we've got a lot of worldbuilding to do.
- Teamwork: teamwork makes the dream work! We're not just a bunch of individual characters running around doing our own thing - we're building a story together that encompasses every player and character. This isn't just your story, and it's not just the DM's story. This is OUR story, and we're all playing a crucial role in it. That means you need to be a team player and work together to overcome the challenges ahead. Trust me, you're gonna need each other to survive this campaign. And hey, who knows - maybe you'll even make some lifelong friends along the way.
- Immersion: If you can be in character, you should be in character! Roleplaying is all about improv, saying yes, and going with the flow. And let's be real, the best roleplay experiences can't happen if people are constantly breaking character for no reason. I mean, that's just not good improv, folks. So, here's the deal - we expect our players to remain in character as often as possible at the table. This is theater, after all, and we need to act like we're on stage. So let's embrace our inner thespians, folks, and get ready to bring this story to life like never before.
- Rules and Terms & Conditions: Excluding homebrew, the overall rules of “gameplay” are pretty standard and in accordance with RAW.
- Milestone Leveling: You'll level up according to the story. This means that we can focus less on the grind and more on a steady progression as the story builds. And let's be real, who wants to spend all their time grinding anyway? (Not me, that's for sure. #worldbuilding).
- Table Etiquette: Be willing to listen to others and grow. I mean, let's be real - part of growing close to others and forming real relationships is learning that you can't just have carbon copies of yourself. And let's face it, none of us are perfect. So, here's the deal - emotions might flare up, idiosyncrasies might arise, and sometimes, there might be a little friction. But that's all part of being human, folks. And to be a truly good friend and player, you must always be willing to listen to your peers and adapt accordingly. I mean, that's just part of being an adult. And who knows - maybe you'll learn a thing or two about yourself along the way. (Or maybe you'll just learn that you're really bad at listening. Either way, it's a learning experience.) So let's embrace our humanity, folks, and get ready to form some real relationships at this table.
- Communication: Poor scheduling and bad communication are like the kryptonite of D&D campaigns. And we don't want any kryptonite around here, do we? (No, we do not.) So, if you're part of this group, that means you've gotta keep those communication lines open. If you're someone who likes to manipulate your availability or you're just plain untrustworthy when it comes to communication, well, let's just say that you'll be removed faster than a married paladin in a brothel. (Okay, maybe that's not the best analogy, but you get the idea.)
- Showtime: Alright folks, it's time to shine! When we all arrive at the table, it's like the lights come on and the show begins! I mean, we take a lot of pride and care with our performance here, and we treat it like real theater most of the time. (No, we don't have an intermission or a concession stand, but we're working on it.) It's okay if you're not the best voice actor or you don't have a Shakespearean-level monologue prepared. (Although if you do, please share. We're always looking for some high-quality entertainment.) What matters to us is that you tried and put in the effort. Because at the end of the day, that's what makes this campaign special - the effort and enthusiasm that we all bring to the table.
- Pay attention: When someone's consistently getting distracted it's easy to derail the immersion and fun, it's like throwing a wrench in the whole machine. And let me tell you, it's not a fun sound. That's why we have specific policies in place to make sure everyone's time and effort is being respected. And listen, we all get it - sometimes the outside world can be pretty darn distracting. (Have you seen TikTok lately? It's a black hole, I tell ya.) But here's the deal - we hold each other accountable for paying attention and staying focused, because we all want to have a good time and make the most of this campaign.
- Spotlight: Do you find yourself hogging the spotlight/air every session? Are you someone who constantly talks over others? Are you selfish about the story and really only care about where your character is going every episode? Are you hoarding all the gold and being a murder hobo? This group isn’t for you.
- As the Dungeon Master, I want to make it clear that we're not just looking for players - we're looking for friends. Our aim is to build real, lasting friendships through this game. We've been playing together for a while and plan on playing for even longer. As we add more people to our community, we hope to grow together as a team!
- We don't want any satellite players here. We want active members who will contribute to the group beyond just showing up and playing.
- Honesty is crucial to us. We demand that everyone in our group has integrity not only for us, but for themselves as well. Whether it's scheduling conflicts, personal issues, or anything in between, we want friends who will be honest with each other. As the saying goes, "If you don't heal your wounds, you end up bleeding on others you might care for."
- Players are here to play, not watch. We want everyone at the table to engage with the world, the DM, and their fellow players. If you're taking up a seat at this table, you must actively participate in the story every session. You cannot sit back and listen to it.
- This campaign is meant to be challenging. It's supposed to be deep, confusing, and enthralling around every corner. There are no billboards telling you where to go next, no tutorials, and no easy modes. The intricate web being spun by the many powers of this story and world will take all of your combined minds to figure out. Our group wants a game that keeps us on our toes, so if you think you can just "fight" your way to victory, you'll be dead by morning light.
- Lastly, we love theory crafting. We want everyone to give their input and help us figure out the best moves for the group. Part of being an active player here is contributing to the campaign and helping us navigate this crazy world. So let's get ready to play and work together to make this an unforgettable campaign!
Are you a dungeon master?
Making campaigns like these is our passion. We love going HIGH production value, HIGH quality. If this is something that you love too and you want to dungeon master in our world, we would LOVE to talk to you. As you can tell from this post, there's not enough dungeon masters out there doing this (clearly way overboard) level of effort.2023.05.22 14:05 dreftzg [Daily News] New Seiko Prospex Trio Of PADI Divers Expands Conservation Collection, TAG Updates Carrera 44 With New Green And A Weird Rubber Band, Ulysse Nardin Marks The Ocean Race Jubilee, Minase Shows Off Exquisite Handmade Dials
It's Monday, a super slow Monday. We have days like these, so I guess all we can do is daydream about taking those PADI divers out for an actual dive. If you enjoy these news updates, throw them an upvote so more people get to see them.
Trio Of Seiko Prospex ‘Great Blue’ Scuba PADI Divers Expands Conservation Collection
Seiko is the quintessential dive watch, so it makes perfect sense that they have teamed up with PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, to create an collection of watches. Seiko enthusiasts know this is nothing new, as they have been working with PADI for some years now, not only to create watches, but also to use the Save the Ocean collections to contribute to global ocean conservation projects. Proceeds from the PADI collaboration watches go towards the PADI Ocean Cleanup Campaign.
For 2023, Seiko’s range of PADI watches is expanding with the new Prospex ‘Great Blue’ Scuba PADI Divers collection. The concept is quite simple. Seiko took the Turtle, Sumo and Samurai and gave them all new deep sea themed dials, along with adding Suba to their model name. Apart from the dial, the rest remains the same, meaning that the Turtle has a 45mm case with smooth, curved edges, while the Sumo is 45mm with a facetted, round shape and the Samurai has a 43.8mm, sword-sharp, angular case.
What’s new is that dial. Each of them is a vertical gradient from dark blue to light, creating the impression of oceanic depth. But you know Seiko wouldn’t stop just at that. They are, after all, the kings of dials. To show this off, the top half of the PADI dials gets an asymmetrical wave patter. The brands says this is supposed to imitate the view of scuba divers looking up at the surface of the water with the sun beating down. Corny, but it looks fantastic. The wave pattern is identical on all three watches but slight deviations in colour make them each look unique.
I’m having some trouble getting details on availability. I can’t find them on the US site, but they are available for sale right now in Europe. The ‘Great Blue’ Samurai Scuba will set you back EUR 630, the Great Blue Turtle Scuba is EUR 655 and the Great Blue Sumo Scuba is EUR 1250.
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TAG Updates The Carrera 44 With New Green And A Rubber Band
The Carrera Chronograph 44mm was introduced in 2020, so it’s not really reasonable to expect a completely new model any time soon. But TAG is keeping it alive with refreshes. It gets a new green ceramic bezel and a completely new green rubber strap which will surely be a bit controversial.
That said, the green isn’t new to the Carrera Chronograph 44m. When it launched in 2020, it was available in green, but unlike to the blue and black versions which had ceramic bezels, the green came with a brushed steel bezel. So, here’s the update that rectifies that. There’s also a slight change to the tone of the green used and it’s a bit cooler of a green.
The case remains the same - steel, 44mm wide, 15mm thick. It’s still 100m water resistant and has sapphire crystals on both sides. Inside is the in-house, automatic calibre Heuer 02, a column-wheel chronograph with 4Hz frequency and 80h power reserve.
Another update is the bracelet. Yes, you can still get it on the traditional 3-link steel bracelet, but also a new rubber strap. And it’s unlike any other rubber strap - it’s made to mimic the look of a steel bracelet. But in rubber. It does come with a folding clasp with micro-adjustments, but still… I’m not really sold on those looks.
The new green Carrera 44mm will cost you EUR 6,200 on rubber strap, and EUR 6,400 on steel bracelet.
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Ulysse Nardin Introduces Ocean Race Diver Chronograph Limited Edition To Mark The Ocean Race Jubilee
Ulysse Nardin has a long connection with the sea. Over the years it has supplied more than 50 navies and merchant marine companies with precision marine deck chronometers and today it’s the official timing partner of the Ocean Race (up until a few years ago it was known as the Volvo Ocean Race, for those who owned these supremely cool special edition Volvo cars), the longest and toughest round-the-world team sailing race.
The race has been running since 1973 and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Ocean Race, Ulysse Nardin unveiled a 100-piece edition of its Ocean Race Diver Chronograph. I’m not one to judge here, but wouldn’t a 50-piece limited edition be more appropriate for a 50th anniversary?
Regardless, the new Chronograph is part of the Ulysse Nardain contemporary Diver family with a black, white and light blue colour scheme. It’s designed to look like the lightweight carbon hulls of the racing yachts competing in The Ocean Race, but it’s actually made out of titanium with a unidirectional bezel in a material the brand calls Carbonium, producing the signature marbled mottled effect associated with carbon. As Ulysse Nardain explains, the material used in the bezel is made from upcycled fibres from aeroplane fuselage offcuts that have a 40% lower impact on the environment than other carbon composites.
The case is sandblasted and satin-finished in black DLC and has two pushers, one with a light blue ring to start the chronograph, on either side of the large screw-down crown which helps with the 300m water resistance. The white numerals and markers on the concave bezel are raised, and the 0 is treated with Super-LumiNova. The black dial is also sandblasted and has three recessed sub-dials.
Inside is Ulysse Nardin’s in-house, automatic, integrated, column-wheel chronograph movement with a 48-hour power reserve. The watch comes on a black rubber strap with pin buckle features a black ceramic element at 6 o’clock engraved with The Ocean Race logo.
Retail price is EUR 16,000.
4/
The Minase 7 Windows Urushi Hakose Masterpieces Show Off The Exquisite Handmade Dials By Junichi Hakose
Japanese watches are well built, put so much attention on striving for mechanical perfection and often provide you with great value for money. They also create some of the most amazing dials in the watch game. Minase is a Japanese brand, albeit one you might not be necessarily familiar with, that is on the very top of creating fantastic handmade dials. The Minase 7 Windows is just such a watch - a rectangular piece with seven sapphire glass windows that gives you a perfect view of the handmade dials inside.
Now Minase introduces four new 7 Windows models in steel or rose gold as part of its Masterpiece collection, with exquisite dials representing the four seasons handmade by master lacquer artist Junichi Hakose.
Introduced in 2021, the 7 Windows collection is characterised by its complex, geometric case structure with seven bevelled sapphire crystals, five placed on the case flanks. It’s a sort of rectangle – measuring 38mm x 47mm, with a thickness of 13mm. Minase also uses the distortion-free Sallaz polishing technique called ‘Zaratsu’ at Grand Seiko.
Inspired by the four seasons and the flora and elements associated with each one, Junichi Hakose, one of Japan’s most internationally acclaimed artists, starts by applying a layer of urushi lacquer to the dial, which is heated to prevent rusting and discoloration. Repeating the procedure three times, the urushi is then decorated with a combination of miniature painting and the sprinkling of metal powder (maki-e) and flat flakes of gold (hirame).
Hakose relies on a variety of ancestral decorative patterns to create the dials: an Ichimatsu pattern, for example, is formed by different coloured squares and was originally used in textile art, while komon refers to a miniature pattern made up of countless fine dots, often seen on Japanese kimonos. The Four Seasons dial depicts the four seasons using an Ichimatsu pattern; the Komon dial is decorated with three tiny floral patterns; the Yoshino Sakura dial features cherry blossoms of different colours and sizes using five kinds of gold, silver and metal powders; and the fourth dial, known as the Yama Sakura depicts a close-up of a cherry blossom.
Each Minase 7 Windows Hakose Masterpiece is an original work of miniature art. It comes with its certificate of authenticity inside a handmade wooden box and is wrapped in a furoshiki, a traditional Japanese folding and knotting technique for packing gifts. Presented on a hand-stitched calfskin leather strap, customers can choose from 18k rose gold or stainless steel Windows cases to house the work of art.
Here come’s the slightly bizarre thing. After putting so much effort into the case and dial, inside you’ll find the Swiss ETA 2892-A2 decorated with perlage, diamond-polished bevels and a bespoke openworked rotor with apertures that resemble the brand’s drill head logo. Beating at 28,800vph, the power reserve is of 50 hours.
The steel Minase 7 Windows Urushi Hakose Masterpieces retails for EUR 16,500, and the rose gold for EUR 32,950. This is an outrageous price for an ETA powered watch. But this is not just an ETA powered watch. It’s a work of miniature urushi lacquer art that just happens to come in the form of a watch.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hands-on with the Nodus Sector Deep
2/
Here’s a review of the De Bethune DB Eight Chronograph Monopusher
3/
The Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive Ushio Diver SLGA023 really seems to have it all
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The story of the Synchron Military Poseidon goes that Poseidon Diving Systems was asked by the Swedes to provide a tough mechanical dive watch. So, like the Tudor Pelagos FXD with its connection to an elite Marine Nationale diving unit, the Poseidon is a watch that also has military credentials. The Swedish Armed Forces used the watch for a COLDDIVEX exercise in Boden, Sweden. The exercise involved testing dive equipment in subarctic conditions, including temperatures of -30° Celsius. This explains the cool Poseidon logo on the watch’s dial. However, the civilian version is supposed to have some minor differences from the actual watches provided to the Swedes.
-------------------------------------------------------------
People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
submitted by dreftzg to Watches [link] [comments]
What's new
1/Trio Of Seiko Prospex ‘Great Blue’ Scuba PADI Divers Expands Conservation Collection
Seiko is the quintessential dive watch, so it makes perfect sense that they have teamed up with PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, to create an collection of watches. Seiko enthusiasts know this is nothing new, as they have been working with PADI for some years now, not only to create watches, but also to use the Save the Ocean collections to contribute to global ocean conservation projects. Proceeds from the PADI collaboration watches go towards the PADI Ocean Cleanup Campaign.
For 2023, Seiko’s range of PADI watches is expanding with the new Prospex ‘Great Blue’ Scuba PADI Divers collection. The concept is quite simple. Seiko took the Turtle, Sumo and Samurai and gave them all new deep sea themed dials, along with adding Suba to their model name. Apart from the dial, the rest remains the same, meaning that the Turtle has a 45mm case with smooth, curved edges, while the Sumo is 45mm with a facetted, round shape and the Samurai has a 43.8mm, sword-sharp, angular case.
What’s new is that dial. Each of them is a vertical gradient from dark blue to light, creating the impression of oceanic depth. But you know Seiko wouldn’t stop just at that. They are, after all, the kings of dials. To show this off, the top half of the PADI dials gets an asymmetrical wave patter. The brands says this is supposed to imitate the view of scuba divers looking up at the surface of the water with the sun beating down. Corny, but it looks fantastic. The wave pattern is identical on all three watches but slight deviations in colour make them each look unique.
I’m having some trouble getting details on availability. I can’t find them on the US site, but they are available for sale right now in Europe. The ‘Great Blue’ Samurai Scuba will set you back EUR 630, the Great Blue Turtle Scuba is EUR 655 and the Great Blue Sumo Scuba is EUR 1250.
2/
TAG Updates The Carrera 44 With New Green And A Rubber Band
The Carrera Chronograph 44mm was introduced in 2020, so it’s not really reasonable to expect a completely new model any time soon. But TAG is keeping it alive with refreshes. It gets a new green ceramic bezel and a completely new green rubber strap which will surely be a bit controversial.
That said, the green isn’t new to the Carrera Chronograph 44m. When it launched in 2020, it was available in green, but unlike to the blue and black versions which had ceramic bezels, the green came with a brushed steel bezel. So, here’s the update that rectifies that. There’s also a slight change to the tone of the green used and it’s a bit cooler of a green.
The case remains the same - steel, 44mm wide, 15mm thick. It’s still 100m water resistant and has sapphire crystals on both sides. Inside is the in-house, automatic calibre Heuer 02, a column-wheel chronograph with 4Hz frequency and 80h power reserve.
Another update is the bracelet. Yes, you can still get it on the traditional 3-link steel bracelet, but also a new rubber strap. And it’s unlike any other rubber strap - it’s made to mimic the look of a steel bracelet. But in rubber. It does come with a folding clasp with micro-adjustments, but still… I’m not really sold on those looks.
The new green Carrera 44mm will cost you EUR 6,200 on rubber strap, and EUR 6,400 on steel bracelet.
3/
Ulysse Nardin Introduces Ocean Race Diver Chronograph Limited Edition To Mark The Ocean Race Jubilee
Ulysse Nardin has a long connection with the sea. Over the years it has supplied more than 50 navies and merchant marine companies with precision marine deck chronometers and today it’s the official timing partner of the Ocean Race (up until a few years ago it was known as the Volvo Ocean Race, for those who owned these supremely cool special edition Volvo cars), the longest and toughest round-the-world team sailing race.
The race has been running since 1973 and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Ocean Race, Ulysse Nardin unveiled a 100-piece edition of its Ocean Race Diver Chronograph. I’m not one to judge here, but wouldn’t a 50-piece limited edition be more appropriate for a 50th anniversary?
Regardless, the new Chronograph is part of the Ulysse Nardain contemporary Diver family with a black, white and light blue colour scheme. It’s designed to look like the lightweight carbon hulls of the racing yachts competing in The Ocean Race, but it’s actually made out of titanium with a unidirectional bezel in a material the brand calls Carbonium, producing the signature marbled mottled effect associated with carbon. As Ulysse Nardain explains, the material used in the bezel is made from upcycled fibres from aeroplane fuselage offcuts that have a 40% lower impact on the environment than other carbon composites.
The case is sandblasted and satin-finished in black DLC and has two pushers, one with a light blue ring to start the chronograph, on either side of the large screw-down crown which helps with the 300m water resistance. The white numerals and markers on the concave bezel are raised, and the 0 is treated with Super-LumiNova. The black dial is also sandblasted and has three recessed sub-dials.
Inside is Ulysse Nardin’s in-house, automatic, integrated, column-wheel chronograph movement with a 48-hour power reserve. The watch comes on a black rubber strap with pin buckle features a black ceramic element at 6 o’clock engraved with The Ocean Race logo.
Retail price is EUR 16,000.
4/
The Minase 7 Windows Urushi Hakose Masterpieces Show Off The Exquisite Handmade Dials By Junichi Hakose
Japanese watches are well built, put so much attention on striving for mechanical perfection and often provide you with great value for money. They also create some of the most amazing dials in the watch game. Minase is a Japanese brand, albeit one you might not be necessarily familiar with, that is on the very top of creating fantastic handmade dials. The Minase 7 Windows is just such a watch - a rectangular piece with seven sapphire glass windows that gives you a perfect view of the handmade dials inside.
Now Minase introduces four new 7 Windows models in steel or rose gold as part of its Masterpiece collection, with exquisite dials representing the four seasons handmade by master lacquer artist Junichi Hakose.
Introduced in 2021, the 7 Windows collection is characterised by its complex, geometric case structure with seven bevelled sapphire crystals, five placed on the case flanks. It’s a sort of rectangle – measuring 38mm x 47mm, with a thickness of 13mm. Minase also uses the distortion-free Sallaz polishing technique called ‘Zaratsu’ at Grand Seiko.
Inspired by the four seasons and the flora and elements associated with each one, Junichi Hakose, one of Japan’s most internationally acclaimed artists, starts by applying a layer of urushi lacquer to the dial, which is heated to prevent rusting and discoloration. Repeating the procedure three times, the urushi is then decorated with a combination of miniature painting and the sprinkling of metal powder (maki-e) and flat flakes of gold (hirame).
Hakose relies on a variety of ancestral decorative patterns to create the dials: an Ichimatsu pattern, for example, is formed by different coloured squares and was originally used in textile art, while komon refers to a miniature pattern made up of countless fine dots, often seen on Japanese kimonos. The Four Seasons dial depicts the four seasons using an Ichimatsu pattern; the Komon dial is decorated with three tiny floral patterns; the Yoshino Sakura dial features cherry blossoms of different colours and sizes using five kinds of gold, silver and metal powders; and the fourth dial, known as the Yama Sakura depicts a close-up of a cherry blossom.
Each Minase 7 Windows Hakose Masterpiece is an original work of miniature art. It comes with its certificate of authenticity inside a handmade wooden box and is wrapped in a furoshiki, a traditional Japanese folding and knotting technique for packing gifts. Presented on a hand-stitched calfskin leather strap, customers can choose from 18k rose gold or stainless steel Windows cases to house the work of art.
Here come’s the slightly bizarre thing. After putting so much effort into the case and dial, inside you’ll find the Swiss ETA 2892-A2 decorated with perlage, diamond-polished bevels and a bespoke openworked rotor with apertures that resemble the brand’s drill head logo. Beating at 28,800vph, the power reserve is of 50 hours.
The steel Minase 7 Windows Urushi Hakose Masterpieces retails for EUR 16,500, and the rose gold for EUR 32,950. This is an outrageous price for an ETA powered watch. But this is not just an ETA powered watch. It’s a work of miniature urushi lacquer art that just happens to come in the form of a watch.
-------------------------------------------------------------
On hand - a selection of reviews
1/Hands-on with the Nodus Sector Deep
2/
Here’s a review of the De Bethune DB Eight Chronograph Monopusher
3/
The Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive Ushio Diver SLGA023 really seems to have it all
-------------------------------------------------------------
Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
Underwater With The Synchron Military PoseidonThe story of the Synchron Military Poseidon goes that Poseidon Diving Systems was asked by the Swedes to provide a tough mechanical dive watch. So, like the Tudor Pelagos FXD with its connection to an elite Marine Nationale diving unit, the Poseidon is a watch that also has military credentials. The Swedish Armed Forces used the watch for a COLDDIVEX exercise in Boden, Sweden. The exercise involved testing dive equipment in subarctic conditions, including temperatures of -30° Celsius. This explains the cool Poseidon logo on the watch’s dial. However, the civilian version is supposed to have some minor differences from the actual watches provided to the Swedes.
-------------------------------------------------------------
People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
2023.05.21 04:50 A_man_has_n_o_name Men's Jewellery Recommendation
Hi Peeps,
I have been looking to get some rings and a bracelet. I have come across a few ads from Black Mamba on Instagram. There pieces look good, but not sure about their quality, and price seems a bit on the expensive side. I have searched through the internet, but there don't seem to any review on these.
Has anyone had any experience with them, how's the quality ? What materials they are using ? Is the price justified ?
Thank you! Also any advise from where can I buy some Men's rings and bracelet.
https://www.blackmambajewellery.com/collections/mens-ring/products/copy-of-mens-harris-ring-us-10-medium
submitted by A_man_has_n_o_name to IndianFashionAddicts [link] [comments]
I have been looking to get some rings and a bracelet. I have come across a few ads from Black Mamba on Instagram. There pieces look good, but not sure about their quality, and price seems a bit on the expensive side. I have searched through the internet, but there don't seem to any review on these.
Has anyone had any experience with them, how's the quality ? What materials they are using ? Is the price justified ?
Thank you! Also any advise from where can I buy some Men's rings and bracelet.
https://www.blackmambajewellery.com/collections/mens-ring/products/copy-of-mens-harris-ring-us-10-medium
2023.05.19 23:32 turbateur500 6.3KG HAUL SHIPPED TO CANADA PD-LINE B : SICKO MEW SHIRTS, REVENGE JEANS, LV BELT, DIME JEANS, JORDAN 4 BLACK CATS, JORDAN 1 OBSIDIANS, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, BAPE CHROME HEARTS TEE, CHROME HEARTS BRACELET, HOMER CHAIN
 | submitted by turbateur500 to FashionReps [link] [comments] |
2023.05.19 14:18 dreftzg [Daily News] Doxa Does Vintage Patina Right With the Sub 300T SE Clive Cussler, IWC Turns The Pilot Chronograph 41 Green and Gold, Bulgari Throws Watches And Gems Into A Bag - Crazyness Emerges, The LIV GX-AC Is The Exact Opposite Of Trendy
It's Friday and I just fell in love with Doxa. But I still managed to dig some stuff up. If you enjoy these news updates, throw them an upvote so more people get to see them.
Doxa Goes High Concept With Sub 300T Special Edition Dedicated To Adventure Novelist Clive Cussler
Dirk Pitt is a tall, muscular adventurer with dark wavy hair and opaline green eyes. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy and served as a pilot during the Vietnam War. After leaving the Air Force, Pitt became a full time adventurer and explorer. His weapon of choice is a .45 Colt that he received from his father. His drink of choice is tequila with salt and lime. And most of the time, he strapped an orange dial Doxa dive watch to his wrist.
Dirk Pitt is, unfortunately, not real. He is a major protagonist in books written by Clive Cussler, one of the greatest adventure novelists of modern time. Cussler, who passed away in 2020, wrote over 85 books and sold more than 100 million copies. He is also credited as the man most responsible for the success of Doxa, just by including them as such a crucial part of Pitt’s live, and all of this despite the fact that Doxa also had Cousteau, Swiss Army, the potential invention of the helium escape valve and the creation of the no-deco bezel going for it. Cussler was that important to the brand. That’s why they announce today the SUB 300T Clive Cussler Edition, paying tribute to their hero.
Starting off, how did Cussler end up choosing the Doxa for Pitt in the first place? During his younger years and before becoming a full-time writer, Clive Cussler worked in a dive shop. Once his first novel finished, he decided to quit his position in the shop, devoting the rest of his life to the creation of his books. And before he left, the manager of the shop gifted him an orange dial Doxa SUB 300T. The same watch was worn by Matthew McConaughey in the movie Sahara, based on Cussler’s book.
When brands create limited editions, they usually slap an engraving on the caseback and maybe modify the dial a bit. But Doxa decided to go another route. They created a special - not limited but numbered - model that reimagines the SUB 300T in a voluntarily aged, almost antique-like manner. Fauxtina is usually a horrible, horrible thing that luckily only lasted as a trend for a couple of years. But here, in this Doxa, it is wonderful.
Under the patina, this is a SUB 300T, with everything it means regarding the specifications. 42.5mm in diameter, with a reasonable length of 44.50mm, it is a modernised version of the classic SUB 300. The case is tough… this model is water-resistant to 1,200m.
What changes compared to a classic 300T is surely this distinctive aged coating on the steel surfaces – all of them, from top to bottom. People who have seen it live say that it looks more aged in photos than in real life, and that on the wrist it has a stealthy, matt grey tone. The dial is also new. Beige-greenish, it’s decorated with the image of an old compass. It is paired with painted markers in black and luminous material, and black hands also largely lumed. Touches of red are found on the square seconds hand, the Clive Cussler logo and the date. Also, a bit gimmicky, the dates 7, 15, and 31 are displayed in red, a reference to the author’s birthday (07/15/1931).
Each watch is individually engraved with its own exclusive number on the side of the bezel, and the back also shows a series of inscriptions, specifically the names of shipwrecks and other historical artefacts that have been discovered or surveyed by NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency, a non profit Cussler founded in 1979. Because of course Cussler was also an explorer of shipwrecks.
Inside the watch is the Sellita SW200-1 and it comes on an artificially aged beads of rise bracelet with a folding clasp and ratcheting wetsuit extension. Additionally, you also get a beige NATO strap in the presentation box, which is wonderfully designed like one of Cussler’s books.
The Doxa SUB 300T Clive Cussler Edition is now available from selected retailers and on the brand’s e-boutique and is a special numbered edition (no mention of a limitation). It is priced at EUR 2,690 and a percentage of sales from this special edition watch will be donated to NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency Cussler founded in 1979.
2/
IWC Turns The Pilot Chronograph 41 Green And Gold
IWC loves the combination of green and gold. I mean, who doesn’t. First they gave the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar a gold case and green dial and now it’s the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 that gets a green dial and a rose gold case.
This luxurious edition of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 relies on the same specifications as the steel counterpart introduced back in 2021, which was itself released first with a green dial. This means 41mm in diameter, with a mostly brushed case with several polished accents and a hefty thickness of 14.5mm. The main novelty comes from the material, as this watch comes for the first time in precious metal, or 5N 18k gold to be precise – meaning that almost all possible materials have now been used, including stainless steel, titanium, bronze, Ceratanium and ceramic.
This warm gold case is paired with a sunray-brushed green dial which has traditional white markers and tracks, however, the hands are done in gold tone to match the case. Complementing the dial, it comes on a green rubber strap closed by a gold pin buckle. Inside is the Calibre 69385, a Valfleurier-built chronograph movement with column-wheel delivering 46h of power reserve.
This IWC joins the permanent collection is unlimited and will set you back EUR 24,200.
3/
Bulgari Throws A Couple Of Watches Into A Bag Of Diamonds And Gemstones And Complete Craziness Emerges
Bulgari makes some very nice watches. But when they make a high-jewellery watch, that’s when they show themselves at their best. Today Bulgari announced two secret watches for men, which is in itself a rare feat.
First up is the Octo Roma Mediterranea, housed in a white gold 44mm rose gold case set with baguette-cut diamonds, the octopus and his tentacles concealing the movement are brought to life with a dynamic setting of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and neon-blue Paraiba tourmalines. Raising the hinged secret cover containing the octopus reveals a second octagonal bezel set with brilliant-cut diamonds framing the modern, ultra-thin BVL 268 SK calibre with flying tourbillon.
Then there’s the Octo Roma Cameo Imperiale, the second secret watch hides its mechanism with a cameo of Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of Rome. To recreate the traditional technique of cameo carving, Bulgari collaborated with skilled cameo artisans in Torre del Greco. The head of the emperor is embellished with a diamond laurel wreath, while his toga is made of lapis lazuli and his protective armour of diamonds. It can only leave you speechless. The 44mm platinum case of the Cameo Imperiale is also set with baguette-cut diamonds, and the hinged cover with the cameo can be lifted to reveal the BVL 268 SK calibre framed by brilliant-cut diamonds set in the bezel.
The Octo Roma Mediterranea and Octo Roma Cameo Imperiale are one-of-a-kind timepieces, and their price, as you have probably guessed, is exclusively on demand.
4/
The LIV GX-AC Signature Orange Is The Exact Opposite Of Everything Modern Watch Collectors Say They Want, And We Should Welcome It
Poke around the internet a bit, and you’ll see that the perfect watch should be 36mm, thin, vintage looking, with 200m water resistance, an in house movement and under $1000. This is, of course, completely wrong. As there is no perfect watch. Watches are a personal experience and everyone has their definition of perfection. As more brands aim to satisfy the wants of the vocal watch enthusiasts for smaller watches, some brands, like LIV, will sell you a huge and fun watch for an OK price. Like the LIV GX-AC Signature Orange, a solid black and orange hunk of a watch.
LIV was founded in 2014 by husband and wife Chaz and Esti Chazanow, who say that “the microbrand set out to make distinctively designed, Swiss-made watches for affordable prices”. I’m wary when a brand pushes the Swiss-made thing so hard, but take from it you will.
Even in photos, it’s clear that this is a huge watch - 46mm in diameter, 15.5mm thick, 54mm lug-to-lug, stainless steel, a hobnail bezel with exposed screws, huge pushers for the chrono… It’s a lot. But hey, there are people who really want something like this. The dial is split up into two sections - a matte black and fanning guilloché section. The hour markers are all small applied trapezoids filled white luminous material and the dial is given a little bit of extra sunken depth with the 2 and 4 markers represented as orange stencils in a sandwich construction.
Inside is the ETA 7750 movement, a popular chronograph movement with a 48 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a bright orange silicone strap, but you can also wear it on an inverted black silicone strap with orange accents, or a black IP-coated stainless steel bracelet for no extra cost. Just keep in mind that this watch has a 23mm lug width, so strap options might be limited.
The LIV GX-AC Signature Orange is limited to 1000 pieces and will set you back EUR 1,216.
5/
From Sustainability To Being Selected by NASA and Macron, An Interview With The Owner Of Awake Watches
I usually just stick to reporting watch news here. But every now and again I come across watch-related that’s worth a read. One of those pieces is this interview from Monochrome with Awake founder Lilian Thibault. It’s an interesting look at how a small microbrand gets started and how far it can grow in a very short time.
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The New Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph 5968R Gold-and-Brown
2/
Lorca is a new brand and its inaugural watch is the Model No.1 GMT
3/
Going hands on with the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman 41
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The Perfos cannot reinvent this amalgamation that originates from the 1972 Royal Oak, but it can add its own twist to every single ingredient, inside and out. Although rather large at 39 by 39mm — bear in mind that the measurements of rectangular watches will result in very different perceived dimensions when compared to those of round watches — it is dripping with ’70s coolness (especially of the Americana sort, to our eyes). Just as ’70s interior design and decor are making a comeback, it’s hard not to imagine this watch fitting perfectly in a Night Palm interior.
-------------------------------------------------------------
People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
submitted by dreftzg to Watches [link] [comments]
What's new
1/Doxa Goes High Concept With Sub 300T Special Edition Dedicated To Adventure Novelist Clive Cussler
Dirk Pitt is a tall, muscular adventurer with dark wavy hair and opaline green eyes. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy and served as a pilot during the Vietnam War. After leaving the Air Force, Pitt became a full time adventurer and explorer. His weapon of choice is a .45 Colt that he received from his father. His drink of choice is tequila with salt and lime. And most of the time, he strapped an orange dial Doxa dive watch to his wrist.
Dirk Pitt is, unfortunately, not real. He is a major protagonist in books written by Clive Cussler, one of the greatest adventure novelists of modern time. Cussler, who passed away in 2020, wrote over 85 books and sold more than 100 million copies. He is also credited as the man most responsible for the success of Doxa, just by including them as such a crucial part of Pitt’s live, and all of this despite the fact that Doxa also had Cousteau, Swiss Army, the potential invention of the helium escape valve and the creation of the no-deco bezel going for it. Cussler was that important to the brand. That’s why they announce today the SUB 300T Clive Cussler Edition, paying tribute to their hero.
Starting off, how did Cussler end up choosing the Doxa for Pitt in the first place? During his younger years and before becoming a full-time writer, Clive Cussler worked in a dive shop. Once his first novel finished, he decided to quit his position in the shop, devoting the rest of his life to the creation of his books. And before he left, the manager of the shop gifted him an orange dial Doxa SUB 300T. The same watch was worn by Matthew McConaughey in the movie Sahara, based on Cussler’s book.
When brands create limited editions, they usually slap an engraving on the caseback and maybe modify the dial a bit. But Doxa decided to go another route. They created a special - not limited but numbered - model that reimagines the SUB 300T in a voluntarily aged, almost antique-like manner. Fauxtina is usually a horrible, horrible thing that luckily only lasted as a trend for a couple of years. But here, in this Doxa, it is wonderful.
Under the patina, this is a SUB 300T, with everything it means regarding the specifications. 42.5mm in diameter, with a reasonable length of 44.50mm, it is a modernised version of the classic SUB 300. The case is tough… this model is water-resistant to 1,200m.
What changes compared to a classic 300T is surely this distinctive aged coating on the steel surfaces – all of them, from top to bottom. People who have seen it live say that it looks more aged in photos than in real life, and that on the wrist it has a stealthy, matt grey tone. The dial is also new. Beige-greenish, it’s decorated with the image of an old compass. It is paired with painted markers in black and luminous material, and black hands also largely lumed. Touches of red are found on the square seconds hand, the Clive Cussler logo and the date. Also, a bit gimmicky, the dates 7, 15, and 31 are displayed in red, a reference to the author’s birthday (07/15/1931).
Each watch is individually engraved with its own exclusive number on the side of the bezel, and the back also shows a series of inscriptions, specifically the names of shipwrecks and other historical artefacts that have been discovered or surveyed by NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency, a non profit Cussler founded in 1979. Because of course Cussler was also an explorer of shipwrecks.
Inside the watch is the Sellita SW200-1 and it comes on an artificially aged beads of rise bracelet with a folding clasp and ratcheting wetsuit extension. Additionally, you also get a beige NATO strap in the presentation box, which is wonderfully designed like one of Cussler’s books.
The Doxa SUB 300T Clive Cussler Edition is now available from selected retailers and on the brand’s e-boutique and is a special numbered edition (no mention of a limitation). It is priced at EUR 2,690 and a percentage of sales from this special edition watch will be donated to NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency Cussler founded in 1979.
2/
IWC Turns The Pilot Chronograph 41 Green And Gold
IWC loves the combination of green and gold. I mean, who doesn’t. First they gave the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar a gold case and green dial and now it’s the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 that gets a green dial and a rose gold case.
This luxurious edition of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 relies on the same specifications as the steel counterpart introduced back in 2021, which was itself released first with a green dial. This means 41mm in diameter, with a mostly brushed case with several polished accents and a hefty thickness of 14.5mm. The main novelty comes from the material, as this watch comes for the first time in precious metal, or 5N 18k gold to be precise – meaning that almost all possible materials have now been used, including stainless steel, titanium, bronze, Ceratanium and ceramic.
This warm gold case is paired with a sunray-brushed green dial which has traditional white markers and tracks, however, the hands are done in gold tone to match the case. Complementing the dial, it comes on a green rubber strap closed by a gold pin buckle. Inside is the Calibre 69385, a Valfleurier-built chronograph movement with column-wheel delivering 46h of power reserve.
This IWC joins the permanent collection is unlimited and will set you back EUR 24,200.
3/
Bulgari Throws A Couple Of Watches Into A Bag Of Diamonds And Gemstones And Complete Craziness Emerges
Bulgari makes some very nice watches. But when they make a high-jewellery watch, that’s when they show themselves at their best. Today Bulgari announced two secret watches for men, which is in itself a rare feat.
First up is the Octo Roma Mediterranea, housed in a white gold 44mm rose gold case set with baguette-cut diamonds, the octopus and his tentacles concealing the movement are brought to life with a dynamic setting of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and neon-blue Paraiba tourmalines. Raising the hinged secret cover containing the octopus reveals a second octagonal bezel set with brilliant-cut diamonds framing the modern, ultra-thin BVL 268 SK calibre with flying tourbillon.
Then there’s the Octo Roma Cameo Imperiale, the second secret watch hides its mechanism with a cameo of Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of Rome. To recreate the traditional technique of cameo carving, Bulgari collaborated with skilled cameo artisans in Torre del Greco. The head of the emperor is embellished with a diamond laurel wreath, while his toga is made of lapis lazuli and his protective armour of diamonds. It can only leave you speechless. The 44mm platinum case of the Cameo Imperiale is also set with baguette-cut diamonds, and the hinged cover with the cameo can be lifted to reveal the BVL 268 SK calibre framed by brilliant-cut diamonds set in the bezel.
The Octo Roma Mediterranea and Octo Roma Cameo Imperiale are one-of-a-kind timepieces, and their price, as you have probably guessed, is exclusively on demand.
4/
The LIV GX-AC Signature Orange Is The Exact Opposite Of Everything Modern Watch Collectors Say They Want, And We Should Welcome It
Poke around the internet a bit, and you’ll see that the perfect watch should be 36mm, thin, vintage looking, with 200m water resistance, an in house movement and under $1000. This is, of course, completely wrong. As there is no perfect watch. Watches are a personal experience and everyone has their definition of perfection. As more brands aim to satisfy the wants of the vocal watch enthusiasts for smaller watches, some brands, like LIV, will sell you a huge and fun watch for an OK price. Like the LIV GX-AC Signature Orange, a solid black and orange hunk of a watch.
LIV was founded in 2014 by husband and wife Chaz and Esti Chazanow, who say that “the microbrand set out to make distinctively designed, Swiss-made watches for affordable prices”. I’m wary when a brand pushes the Swiss-made thing so hard, but take from it you will.
Even in photos, it’s clear that this is a huge watch - 46mm in diameter, 15.5mm thick, 54mm lug-to-lug, stainless steel, a hobnail bezel with exposed screws, huge pushers for the chrono… It’s a lot. But hey, there are people who really want something like this. The dial is split up into two sections - a matte black and fanning guilloché section. The hour markers are all small applied trapezoids filled white luminous material and the dial is given a little bit of extra sunken depth with the 2 and 4 markers represented as orange stencils in a sandwich construction.
Inside is the ETA 7750 movement, a popular chronograph movement with a 48 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a bright orange silicone strap, but you can also wear it on an inverted black silicone strap with orange accents, or a black IP-coated stainless steel bracelet for no extra cost. Just keep in mind that this watch has a 23mm lug width, so strap options might be limited.
The LIV GX-AC Signature Orange is limited to 1000 pieces and will set you back EUR 1,216.
5/
From Sustainability To Being Selected by NASA and Macron, An Interview With The Owner Of Awake Watches
I usually just stick to reporting watch news here. But every now and again I come across watch-related that’s worth a read. One of those pieces is this interview from Monochrome with Awake founder Lilian Thibault. It’s an interesting look at how a small microbrand gets started and how far it can grow in a very short time.
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On hand - a selection of reviews
1/The New Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph 5968R Gold-and-Brown
2/
Lorca is a new brand and its inaugural watch is the Model No.1 GMT
3/
Going hands on with the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman 41
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
Charles Zuber Perfors Founder’s Edition, the latest contender for another slice from the integrated bracelet luxury steel watch segmentThe Perfos cannot reinvent this amalgamation that originates from the 1972 Royal Oak, but it can add its own twist to every single ingredient, inside and out. Although rather large at 39 by 39mm — bear in mind that the measurements of rectangular watches will result in very different perceived dimensions when compared to those of round watches — it is dripping with ’70s coolness (especially of the Americana sort, to our eyes). Just as ’70s interior design and decor are making a comeback, it’s hard not to imagine this watch fitting perfectly in a Night Palm interior.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
2023.05.19 11:00 luxury-watches Rolex Daytona Yellow Gold Diamond Dial Watch
https://reddit.com/link/13lpw4y/video/515fbd6d6r0b1/player
This particular model features a yellow gold case, which is made from 18k solid yellow gold. The use of yellow gold gives the watch a striking and opulent appearance. The case has a diameter of approximately 40mm, which is a classic size for the Daytona collection.
The dial of the watch is adorned with diamonds, adding a touch of elegance and luxury. The diamond hour markers, along with the gold hands, create a visually stunning contrast against the black background. The dial also features three sub-dials for measuring chronograph functions, including a 30-minute counter, a 12-hour counter, and a small seconds sub-dial.
The watch is powered by Rolex's caliber 4130, a self-winding mechanical chronograph movement. The movement is developed and manufactured in-house by Rolex, ensuring exceptional accuracy, reliability, and performance. It has a power reserve of approximately 72 hours, meaning it can run for about three days without being worn or wound.
The Daytona 116518LN comes with a black Oysterflex bracelet, which combines the sportiness of a rubber strap with the comfort and durability of a metal bracelet. The bracelet is fitted with a yellow-gold Oysterlock folding clasp, providing a secure and comfortable fit on the wrist.
As with all Rolex watches, the Daytona Yellow Gold Diamond Dial Watch is crafted with meticulous attention to detail and undergoes rigorous testing to ensure its durability, precision, and water resistance. It has a water resistance rating of up to 100 meters (330 feet), making it suitable for everyday wear and some water activities.
The Rolex Daytona Yellow Gold Diamond Dial Watch 116518LN is a symbol of luxury, craftsmanship, and technical excellence. It is highly regarded by watch enthusiasts and collectors for its timeless design, exceptional performance, and prestigious brand heritage.
Check New Price - https://amzn.to/3Mf9wwh
#Rolex #RolexDaytona #RolexYellowGold #RolexDiamondDial #luxurywatch #Rolexdaytona #Rolexchronograph #Rolexchronographgold #GoldRolex #RolexDaytonaReview
submitted by luxury-watches to u/luxury-watches [link] [comments]
https://reddit.com/link/13lpw4y/video/515fbd6d6r0b1/player
Rolex Daytona Yellow Gold Diamond Dial Watch
Product specifications
- Rolex: Rolex
- Model number: 116518LN
- ASIN: B084BVKJ4D
- Dial window material type: Sapphire Crystal
- Case Material: Yellow Gold
- Case diameter: 40 millimeters
- Band Material: Robber
- Band: 20 millimeters
- Band Color: Black
- Dial Color: Beige
- Bezel Material: Ceramic
- Bezel Function: Stationary
- Special features: Engraved tachymetric scale
- Movement: Automatic
- Water-resistant depth: 100 Meters
This particular model features a yellow gold case, which is made from 18k solid yellow gold. The use of yellow gold gives the watch a striking and opulent appearance. The case has a diameter of approximately 40mm, which is a classic size for the Daytona collection.
The dial of the watch is adorned with diamonds, adding a touch of elegance and luxury. The diamond hour markers, along with the gold hands, create a visually stunning contrast against the black background. The dial also features three sub-dials for measuring chronograph functions, including a 30-minute counter, a 12-hour counter, and a small seconds sub-dial.
The watch is powered by Rolex's caliber 4130, a self-winding mechanical chronograph movement. The movement is developed and manufactured in-house by Rolex, ensuring exceptional accuracy, reliability, and performance. It has a power reserve of approximately 72 hours, meaning it can run for about three days without being worn or wound.
The Daytona 116518LN comes with a black Oysterflex bracelet, which combines the sportiness of a rubber strap with the comfort and durability of a metal bracelet. The bracelet is fitted with a yellow-gold Oysterlock folding clasp, providing a secure and comfortable fit on the wrist.
As with all Rolex watches, the Daytona Yellow Gold Diamond Dial Watch is crafted with meticulous attention to detail and undergoes rigorous testing to ensure its durability, precision, and water resistance. It has a water resistance rating of up to 100 meters (330 feet), making it suitable for everyday wear and some water activities.
The Rolex Daytona Yellow Gold Diamond Dial Watch 116518LN is a symbol of luxury, craftsmanship, and technical excellence. It is highly regarded by watch enthusiasts and collectors for its timeless design, exceptional performance, and prestigious brand heritage.
Check New Price - https://amzn.to/3Mf9wwh
#Rolex #RolexDaytona #RolexYellowGold #RolexDiamondDial #luxurywatch #Rolexdaytona #Rolexchronograph #Rolexchronographgold #GoldRolex #RolexDaytonaReview
2023.05.18 19:30 cbvv1992 🔥50% Off Code – $4.94 Triple Protection Bracelet, Morse Code Bracelet Adjustable 6 MM Tiger Eye Black Obsidian Hematite Bracelet (3 Colors)
 | submitted by cbvv1992 to DealAndSale [link] [comments] |
2023.05.17 14:15 dreftzg [Daily News] Omega Gets Three New Sexy Worldtimers, Ball Honours A Truly Legendary Pilot, O&W Draws Inspiration From A Groovy 70s TV-shaped Chrono And The Cult Kurono Calendrier Is Back One Last Time
It's Wednesday and don't you dare miss out on that Kurono! If you enjoy these news updates, throw them an upvote so more people get to see them.
Omega Introduces Sexy New Members Of The Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer Collection, Including One in Titanium
Omega does not release a lot of watches per year. Today marks only their third this year, with one (the colorful Aqua Terra line) actually being announced almost a year before being released a few weeks ago. But when they do, they firmly fall into two categories - ‘meh’ and ‘woah, that’s cool, I want to buy it at one point’.
Today’s release falls into the latter category - it’s three new Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer watches - one that comes in steel with a fantastic green dial/bezel with a steel bracelet, a steel with the same green dial/bezel but on a green rubber strap and a titanium with a strap.
The titanium Worldtimer differentiates itself from the other two because of the way it was made - lasers. Omega uses lasers ablation to create the black and grey aesthetic, with no other added elements other than the word London, which itself has a hand-applied red varnish. It features a brushed black ceramic bezel meant to play off of the matte dial texture and blackened hands to match that bezel. The lume on the hands glows in blue SuperLuminova. The black rubber strap affixed to the rather large 43mm case features a decorative link in titanium and a titanium clasp.
The green versions are basically the same watch, but, you know, green. Instead of all the black and grey, you get a green ceramic bezel that plays against the green dial. But the dial here is different, with curved vertical lines reminiscent of the cylindrical globe and is done in a sun-brushed PVD finish. The hands and markers on these variants are crafted from Omega's 18k Moonshine gold.
One element both travel watches share is the globe at the center of the dial. Omega has created a miniaturized model of the Earth as viewed from above the North Pole. According to the brand, this was done by "laser-ablating continents and colors on a grade 5 titanium surface." Around this map circles a 24-hour indicator beneath hesalite glass, split into night and day.
Inside the watches beats the METAS-certified Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8938. The steel model retails for $10,200 on strap and $10,400 on bracelet, while the titanium model retails for $11,800.
While it is a large watch, that green is just incredible.
2/
The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Sled Driver Honours A Legendary Pilot
Brian Shul was serving as an American Foreign Air Advisor in the Vietnam War, when his plane was shot down in 1973. He couldn’t eject from the flailing aircraft, and crashed in the middle of the jungle. After surviving the impact and being engulfed in flames, he managed to crawl to safety as hallucinations set in. His rescue degenerated into a shootout, but he was treated and evacuated in a helicopter. When Shul reached the hospital in Okinawa, it was believed he would succumb to his burns, but somehow he survived. Two months later, he was flown to Texas and underwent a year of surgeries, totalling 15 major operations and months of physical therapy. Just two days after being released from hospital, Brian Shul was back in the pilot seat of an Air Force fighter jet. He enjoyed a long and fruitful career with the United States Air Force, rounding it out by flying the world’s fastest manned jet — the SR-71 Blackbird.
Brian Shul could then appropriately be described as a badass. And as such, it’s no wonder that Ball would love to name their latest special edition after him. So, here’s the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Sled Driver, named after a book written by the now 75-year-old Shul. Since the book Sled Driver is about Shul’s expeirence with the SR-71, it’s no wonder that this legendary aircraft found it’s way to the dial of the new Ball. Of course, the watch remains incredibly legible with all this added detail, and the tritium gas tubes which glow 24/7 are even lined up with the Blackbird’s jet engines neatly. Between the watch hands, fourth GMT hand, and the 24-hour bi-colour bezel, three time zones are available for viewing at any given moment.
There are three colour options for the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Sled Driver, with the blue and black version the most exclusive. It uses the 42mm case size with Ball’s unique crown protection system, and will only be available for 15 days. The other versions are fitted with green and black or red and blue bezel inserts, and each of these are available in either 42mm or 40mm sizes, as well as your choice of rubber strap or H-link steel bracelets.
You can preorder the watch now, and it’s supposed to be delivered between September and October 2023. Each colour is limited to 199 pieces. Yours for $3,349 on a rubber strap or $3,599 on a steel bracelet.
3/
Ollech & Wajs Draws Inspiration From Groovy 70s TV-shaped Chrono For Their New Tool Watch
Ollech & Wajs has been making watches since 1956 but after founder Joseph Ollech died in 1992, Albert Wajs renamed the brand to OW and eventually sold it in 2017. The new owners, however, did not start pumping out generic watches, but rather drew on the very rich of the brand to create some quite interesting watches. The newest of which is the OW 8001, a three-hand-and-date inspired by a 1973 TV-shaped chronograph with a brown fumé dial.
The watch the new OW 8001 is somewhat based on is the ref. 8000 of 1973, an angular TV-screen-style dial chronograph with a Havana fumé dial. Now… the odd thing is that the new 8001 is not a chronograph and does not have a TV-screen dial. What it does have is a sharp tonneau-shaped case, a solid three-link bracelet and a brown fumé dial.
Measuring 39.56mm across (standard size for all OW cases) and with a thickness of 12mm, the hyper-robust 300m water-resistant stainless steel case is equipped with a large 6.10mm screw-down crown and caseback, a fixed steel bezel and an extra-thick anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The non-rotating bezel combines numeric and round Super-LumiNova markers at 5-minute intervals. Perhaps the most obvious similarities with the 1973 chronograph are the colour of the dial and the blunt, baton-shaped hour and minute hands. Using a double-lacquering technique, the dial reveals an attractive fumé or gradient finish.
Inside is a chronometer-certified version of the Soprod Newton Precision P092, which the brand chose as a successor to the ETA 2824-2. While the movment is COSC-certified, there have been some controversies over the quality of the same movement used in other brands, so buyer beware.
A tradition at OW, the first 56 (year the brand was founded) OW 8001 models will come with numbered crowns. The retail price is CHF 1,856.
4/
The Kurono 2023 Anniversary Calendrier “Azuki” will be the last Calendrier I produced
Kurono watches, designed by japanese master watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, have for years gathered a following of hard core enthousiasts. And it’s understandable why. Asaoka’s watches under his own name sell for tens of thousands of dollars, but under the Kurono brand Asaoka has brought his high end finishing and incredible dials to a much lower price point - Kurono watches, depending on the tier of release, typically hover at less than US$1,500 for the entry models, with more complicated or “Grand” artisanal tier models with Urushi lacquer dials costing between US$3,000 – $4,000.
Now Asaoka is producing one final run of the Calendrier I watch, named the Anniversary Calendrier ‘Azuki’ : アズキ. It’s packaged in a 38mm, 316L stainless-steel case that is 11.5mm thick. The Calendrier I, from a case perspective, has the distinction of a coined bezel and a month-corrector pusher at the 2′ position. But, like all Kurono models, the case is fully distortion-free mirror-polished – a level found quite a bit of above its price point.
The dial layout remains the same as the previous Calendrier I’s green dial, with a railroad outer minutes track, gothic hour numerals, day register at 9′, month register at 3′, and black on white date window at 6′. The distinct, hand-bent, and mirror polished Kurono leaf handset is also once again used. But, for the first time, Kurono has used a phosphor-bronze dial plate in order to achieve its deep maroon colour. Asaoka claims that the incredible color is inspired by the the Datsun 240Z, which he believes to be the last in Japan to use such a deep maroon.
Beneath a solid caseback is the automatic Miyota 9122, the usage of which allows Kurono to keep pricing down. In line with previous Kurono releases, the watch is outfitted on a pebbled black leather strap, made in Japan of course, with a 20mm width where it meets the case and a tapered 16mm width as you reach the pin/buckle closure.
The main problem with Kurono watches is it’s insanely high demand. Therefore this final run will be limited in time - on Friday, May 26th, Kurono will open two order windows, each lasting 20 minutes, and whoever manages to place their order will get a watch. The Kurono Calendrier 'Azuki' is priced at US$1,830. For more details on the order windows, head on over to the Kurono website.
5/
Hawaii Based Imperial Watch Co. Announces Trio of New Royalguard 200 Watches
There aren’t a lot of watch brands based in Hawaii. But that doesn’t make the Imperial Watch Co. any less cool. In fact, it might make it even more cool. In October 2022, the brand introduced their Royalguard 200 which sold out instantly. Now the brand is bringing back the Royalguard in three limited edition colors, with both date and no-date options. Imperial has also revived the original blue bezel variant, presenting it in a limited run of just 30 pieces with a date function.
The colors are very nice. First up is the Tropical, which captures the rusty brown and red tones reminiscent of a well-aged tropical bezel. Then there’s the Ghosted Green, a soft, muted shade of green that changes from light green to a deep emerald depending on the light. And of course, there’s the Classic Black, which has a vintage, almost gray faded aesthetic.
The case pays homage to classic skin-diver designs, boasting elegantly shaved down lugs that seamlessly merge into the bracelet. Mostly brushed, the 38mm steel case has a chamfered edge, and you get 200m of water resistance. The bracelet tapers from 20mm down to 16mm at the milled clasp, presenting a blend of brushed and polished three-link segments that is evocative of a vintage speedmaster flat link bracelet.
Inside is the reliable Seiko NH35 movement. Imperial has limited production to 50 pieces in Tropical, 50 pieces in Ghosted Green, 70 pieces in Classic Black, and a mere 30 pieces in the original blue variant with a date complication.
For a limited time, the Royalguard will be available at an exclusive launch price of $399, but this offer lasts only for the first 72 hours. Subsequently, it will return to its original price tag of $500. Imperial Watch Co.
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How about a review of the very nice Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF
2/
Hands-on with the Awake Mission To Earth collection
3/
The new Pilot signals a radical change in the flight path of Zenith’s pilot watches
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It’s hard to imagine how fine a more or less simple steel watch can be. You’ve likely encountered high-end steel watches from the typical luxury houses that come to mind. For example, Omega, Rolex, or Grand Seiko make stunning steel watches with excellent finishing. It’s fair to ask yourself, how much better or different can finishing get? And then, if you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity, you get to see Naoya Hida’s watches, and you realize that a seemingly simple steel watch still has plenty of room for elevation.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
submitted by dreftzg to Watches [link] [comments]
What's new
1/Omega Introduces Sexy New Members Of The Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer Collection, Including One in Titanium
Omega does not release a lot of watches per year. Today marks only their third this year, with one (the colorful Aqua Terra line) actually being announced almost a year before being released a few weeks ago. But when they do, they firmly fall into two categories - ‘meh’ and ‘woah, that’s cool, I want to buy it at one point’.
Today’s release falls into the latter category - it’s three new Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer watches - one that comes in steel with a fantastic green dial/bezel with a steel bracelet, a steel with the same green dial/bezel but on a green rubber strap and a titanium with a strap.
The titanium Worldtimer differentiates itself from the other two because of the way it was made - lasers. Omega uses lasers ablation to create the black and grey aesthetic, with no other added elements other than the word London, which itself has a hand-applied red varnish. It features a brushed black ceramic bezel meant to play off of the matte dial texture and blackened hands to match that bezel. The lume on the hands glows in blue SuperLuminova. The black rubber strap affixed to the rather large 43mm case features a decorative link in titanium and a titanium clasp.
The green versions are basically the same watch, but, you know, green. Instead of all the black and grey, you get a green ceramic bezel that plays against the green dial. But the dial here is different, with curved vertical lines reminiscent of the cylindrical globe and is done in a sun-brushed PVD finish. The hands and markers on these variants are crafted from Omega's 18k Moonshine gold.
One element both travel watches share is the globe at the center of the dial. Omega has created a miniaturized model of the Earth as viewed from above the North Pole. According to the brand, this was done by "laser-ablating continents and colors on a grade 5 titanium surface." Around this map circles a 24-hour indicator beneath hesalite glass, split into night and day.
Inside the watches beats the METAS-certified Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8938. The steel model retails for $10,200 on strap and $10,400 on bracelet, while the titanium model retails for $11,800.
While it is a large watch, that green is just incredible.
2/
The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Sled Driver Honours A Legendary Pilot
Brian Shul was serving as an American Foreign Air Advisor in the Vietnam War, when his plane was shot down in 1973. He couldn’t eject from the flailing aircraft, and crashed in the middle of the jungle. After surviving the impact and being engulfed in flames, he managed to crawl to safety as hallucinations set in. His rescue degenerated into a shootout, but he was treated and evacuated in a helicopter. When Shul reached the hospital in Okinawa, it was believed he would succumb to his burns, but somehow he survived. Two months later, he was flown to Texas and underwent a year of surgeries, totalling 15 major operations and months of physical therapy. Just two days after being released from hospital, Brian Shul was back in the pilot seat of an Air Force fighter jet. He enjoyed a long and fruitful career with the United States Air Force, rounding it out by flying the world’s fastest manned jet — the SR-71 Blackbird.
Brian Shul could then appropriately be described as a badass. And as such, it’s no wonder that Ball would love to name their latest special edition after him. So, here’s the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Sled Driver, named after a book written by the now 75-year-old Shul. Since the book Sled Driver is about Shul’s expeirence with the SR-71, it’s no wonder that this legendary aircraft found it’s way to the dial of the new Ball. Of course, the watch remains incredibly legible with all this added detail, and the tritium gas tubes which glow 24/7 are even lined up with the Blackbird’s jet engines neatly. Between the watch hands, fourth GMT hand, and the 24-hour bi-colour bezel, three time zones are available for viewing at any given moment.
There are three colour options for the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Sled Driver, with the blue and black version the most exclusive. It uses the 42mm case size with Ball’s unique crown protection system, and will only be available for 15 days. The other versions are fitted with green and black or red and blue bezel inserts, and each of these are available in either 42mm or 40mm sizes, as well as your choice of rubber strap or H-link steel bracelets.
You can preorder the watch now, and it’s supposed to be delivered between September and October 2023. Each colour is limited to 199 pieces. Yours for $3,349 on a rubber strap or $3,599 on a steel bracelet.
3/
Ollech & Wajs Draws Inspiration From Groovy 70s TV-shaped Chrono For Their New Tool Watch
Ollech & Wajs has been making watches since 1956 but after founder Joseph Ollech died in 1992, Albert Wajs renamed the brand to OW and eventually sold it in 2017. The new owners, however, did not start pumping out generic watches, but rather drew on the very rich of the brand to create some quite interesting watches. The newest of which is the OW 8001, a three-hand-and-date inspired by a 1973 TV-shaped chronograph with a brown fumé dial.
The watch the new OW 8001 is somewhat based on is the ref. 8000 of 1973, an angular TV-screen-style dial chronograph with a Havana fumé dial. Now… the odd thing is that the new 8001 is not a chronograph and does not have a TV-screen dial. What it does have is a sharp tonneau-shaped case, a solid three-link bracelet and a brown fumé dial.
Measuring 39.56mm across (standard size for all OW cases) and with a thickness of 12mm, the hyper-robust 300m water-resistant stainless steel case is equipped with a large 6.10mm screw-down crown and caseback, a fixed steel bezel and an extra-thick anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The non-rotating bezel combines numeric and round Super-LumiNova markers at 5-minute intervals. Perhaps the most obvious similarities with the 1973 chronograph are the colour of the dial and the blunt, baton-shaped hour and minute hands. Using a double-lacquering technique, the dial reveals an attractive fumé or gradient finish.
Inside is a chronometer-certified version of the Soprod Newton Precision P092, which the brand chose as a successor to the ETA 2824-2. While the movment is COSC-certified, there have been some controversies over the quality of the same movement used in other brands, so buyer beware.
A tradition at OW, the first 56 (year the brand was founded) OW 8001 models will come with numbered crowns. The retail price is CHF 1,856.
4/
The Kurono 2023 Anniversary Calendrier “Azuki” will be the last Calendrier I produced
Kurono watches, designed by japanese master watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, have for years gathered a following of hard core enthousiasts. And it’s understandable why. Asaoka’s watches under his own name sell for tens of thousands of dollars, but under the Kurono brand Asaoka has brought his high end finishing and incredible dials to a much lower price point - Kurono watches, depending on the tier of release, typically hover at less than US$1,500 for the entry models, with more complicated or “Grand” artisanal tier models with Urushi lacquer dials costing between US$3,000 – $4,000.
Now Asaoka is producing one final run of the Calendrier I watch, named the Anniversary Calendrier ‘Azuki’ : アズキ. It’s packaged in a 38mm, 316L stainless-steel case that is 11.5mm thick. The Calendrier I, from a case perspective, has the distinction of a coined bezel and a month-corrector pusher at the 2′ position. But, like all Kurono models, the case is fully distortion-free mirror-polished – a level found quite a bit of above its price point.
The dial layout remains the same as the previous Calendrier I’s green dial, with a railroad outer minutes track, gothic hour numerals, day register at 9′, month register at 3′, and black on white date window at 6′. The distinct, hand-bent, and mirror polished Kurono leaf handset is also once again used. But, for the first time, Kurono has used a phosphor-bronze dial plate in order to achieve its deep maroon colour. Asaoka claims that the incredible color is inspired by the the Datsun 240Z, which he believes to be the last in Japan to use such a deep maroon.
Beneath a solid caseback is the automatic Miyota 9122, the usage of which allows Kurono to keep pricing down. In line with previous Kurono releases, the watch is outfitted on a pebbled black leather strap, made in Japan of course, with a 20mm width where it meets the case and a tapered 16mm width as you reach the pin/buckle closure.
The main problem with Kurono watches is it’s insanely high demand. Therefore this final run will be limited in time - on Friday, May 26th, Kurono will open two order windows, each lasting 20 minutes, and whoever manages to place their order will get a watch. The Kurono Calendrier 'Azuki' is priced at US$1,830. For more details on the order windows, head on over to the Kurono website.
5/
Hawaii Based Imperial Watch Co. Announces Trio of New Royalguard 200 Watches
There aren’t a lot of watch brands based in Hawaii. But that doesn’t make the Imperial Watch Co. any less cool. In fact, it might make it even more cool. In October 2022, the brand introduced their Royalguard 200 which sold out instantly. Now the brand is bringing back the Royalguard in three limited edition colors, with both date and no-date options. Imperial has also revived the original blue bezel variant, presenting it in a limited run of just 30 pieces with a date function.
The colors are very nice. First up is the Tropical, which captures the rusty brown and red tones reminiscent of a well-aged tropical bezel. Then there’s the Ghosted Green, a soft, muted shade of green that changes from light green to a deep emerald depending on the light. And of course, there’s the Classic Black, which has a vintage, almost gray faded aesthetic.
The case pays homage to classic skin-diver designs, boasting elegantly shaved down lugs that seamlessly merge into the bracelet. Mostly brushed, the 38mm steel case has a chamfered edge, and you get 200m of water resistance. The bracelet tapers from 20mm down to 16mm at the milled clasp, presenting a blend of brushed and polished three-link segments that is evocative of a vintage speedmaster flat link bracelet.
Inside is the reliable Seiko NH35 movement. Imperial has limited production to 50 pieces in Tropical, 50 pieces in Ghosted Green, 70 pieces in Classic Black, and a mere 30 pieces in the original blue variant with a date complication.
For a limited time, the Royalguard will be available at an exclusive launch price of $399, but this offer lasts only for the first 72 hours. Subsequently, it will return to its original price tag of $500. Imperial Watch Co.
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On hand - a selection of reviews
1/How about a review of the very nice Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF
2/
Hands-on with the Awake Mission To Earth collection
3/
The new Pilot signals a radical change in the flight path of Zenith’s pilot watches
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
A Brief Encounter with the Naoya Hida Watches, Including the New Type 4It’s hard to imagine how fine a more or less simple steel watch can be. You’ve likely encountered high-end steel watches from the typical luxury houses that come to mind. For example, Omega, Rolex, or Grand Seiko make stunning steel watches with excellent finishing. It’s fair to ask yourself, how much better or different can finishing get? And then, if you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity, you get to see Naoya Hida’s watches, and you realize that a seemingly simple steel watch still has plenty of room for elevation.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
2023.05.16 14:06 dreftzg [Daily News] Seiko Partners With Peanuts For An Affordable Snoopy Watch, Citizen Brings Colorful Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch To The US, Aera Updates their D-1 Diver and P-1 Pilot Watch And Cuervo y Sobrinos Shows Off New Cuban Waters Inspired Colors
It's Tuesday and here's some sweet, sweet watch news! If you enjoy these news updates, throw them an upvote so more people get to see them.
Seiko Partners With Peanuts To Bring You An Another Affordable Snoopy Watch Option
Go out and try to score a Silver Snoopy Speedmaster that Omega released in 2020. Good luck. You will either not be able to find one, or you will pay an exorbanat amount of money or you. But if you’re hell bent on having a Snoopy on your watch, there are luckily several more affordable and accessible options. Both Timex and Swatch had great collabs with Peanuts comics, and now Seiko is joining the party with two new Seiko 5 Sports limited editions that are both Snoopy themed, and capture a lot of the charm from the original comics in subtle ways
The new watches use the smaller Seiko 5 Sports platforms, the 38mm case size with a dive bezel, and the 36mm field watch style case without a bezel. Each has a white dial with graphics pulled right from the comic. The larger dive style watch has an image of Snoopy with a surfboard (with the words “Seiko 5 Sports” printed on in).The smaller watch features Snoopy and Woodstock flying in an imaginary helicopter with the back of the case featuring Woodstock parachuting down to safety.
Since these watches are part of the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the Seiko 5 Sports, the artwork for the new watches was pulled from Peanuts comics dating to 1968. Another extra touch is Seiko changing all the numerals on the watch into the Schultz font, making the watches seem more grounded in their original comic strip roots.
Other than the artwork on the watches, the basics are the same as the recently updated Seiko 5 Sports. 100 meters of water resistance on each reference, push/pull crowns, hardlex crystals, and the 4R36 movement. The watches both ship on a leather strap, but also include an additional NATO style strap.
Availability of these special editions is not immediately clear. It looks that they will be limited to markets outside the US and they will most likely be available in June.
At press time, availability appears limited to markets outside of the United States, but pre-orders listing a June delivery date are open at several well known international retailers. The retail price for the “Surfboard” model is £350, and is limited to 8,900 pieces. The “Parachute” is priced at £330 and is a limited edition of 6,500.
2/
Citizen Brings Colorful Budget Friendly Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch To The US
In 2022, Citizen introduced the NJ015 “Tsuyosa”, a budget-friendly steel integrated bracelet watch with an automatic movement and a number of great dial colors. It was an instant hit, but also caused some controversy - it was available only in select markets and the U.S. was not one of them.
Now, that changes as Citizen is introducing the NJ015 series to the U.S. It’s the exact same Tsuyosa you find in the rest of the world, with a variety of colorful dial configurations, a 40mm case with a four o'clock crown and an integrated steel bracelet. Inside the watch is the Citizen in-house caliber 8210 visible through an exhibition caseback featuring a beat rate of 21,600VPH and 40 hours of power reserve. In addition to the colors the dial features a three o'clock date aperture with a magnifier as well as luminescent baton markers
You can get it in five variations: Black, blue, green, yellow, and turquoise. The bracelet features polished center links and you have water resistance of 50m.
This newly announced collection is available beginning May 23, and are as affordable as expected - $450.
3/
Aera Updates Their D-1 Diver And P-1 Pilot Watch With New Colors, Brighter Lume, And A Better Movement
There are new brands and then there are new brands. You could call Baltic, which started in 2016, a new watch brand. But then there are brands like the British Aera, which only launched last year with two models - the D-1 diver and P-1 pilot watch. A year later, they’re back with major and minor updates to the pair.
Aera watches are bit. Unapologetically so. The steel cases measure 43mm in diameter, while the pilot’s is 15mm thick and the diver is 16mm thick. A lot of the thickness comes from dramatically domed, double curved sapphire crystals. There’s also a lot of curviness with these watches. The case is also very curved, just like the dial.
For the new D-1 Ocean Diver and P-1 Moon Pilot, Aera has introduced new color options along with some internal upgrades. Blue, of course, is a natural choice for a dive watch, and for the Ocean Diver they appear to have done a nice job of matching the tone of the bezel to the dial (and the strap). The P-1 Moon Pilot’s gray tone is inspired by the color of moon dust. The Moon Pilot still features big Arabic numerals with a smaller outer track counting off the minutes.
The two key improvements made to these latest Aeras concern the lume and the movement. The brand is now using Globolight luminescent material on the markers and numerals for each watch, which should provide a significantly brighter and longer lasting lume experience. Aera has also improved the movement, moving up to an Elabore grade Sellita SW200-1. This grade of Sellita caliber promises more accurate and consistent timekeeping, and Aera says their calibers have been adjusted to work within a -7 to +20 rate per day.
Both watches are limited editions of 300 pieces each. The retail price for the D-1 Ocean Diver is $1,600, and the P-1 Moon Pilot sells for $1,500.
4/
Cuervo y Sobrinos Shows Off New Buceador Caribe With Cuban Waters Inspired Colors
Cuervo y Sobrinos is a different kind of Swiss watch. You don’t see many Swiss brands that have Cuban roots, and Cuervo y Sobrinos is not shy about expressing its colourful and exuberant Caribbean personality. Introduced two years ago, the Buceador Caribe dive watch flaunts an original and complex case construction. Now the brand is updating the line with three new color variants that are inspired by the different tonalities of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic Ocean - navy blue, light blue and black.
The Buceador Caribe is a dive watch, which is fitting seeing as Buceador means diver in Spanish and it measures 43mm across with a thickness of 15.8mm in a stainless case that gives it 200m water resistance. At 2 o’clock is a crown that adjusts the internal rotating bezel, while the crown at 9 o’clock adjusts the time and winds the mainspring. The pusher at 4 o’clock is an extra safety precaution and unlocks the blue bezel crown. All models feature two-tone rotating inner dive bezels with a luminous pip at noon, large luminous indices and hands, an octagonal-framed date window at 6 o’clock and the brand’s coat of arms at noon.
The navy blue model (2860.1BL) has a high contrast red 15-min area on the dive bezel, followed by a lighter blue area. The numerals on the dive bezel and dial are filled with sand-coloured Super-LumiNova. It comes on a navy blue rubber strap and a more elegant dark blue calfskin strap, but you can also get it on the new stainless steel Milanese bracelet. The light blue reference (2860.1LB) is the only one with a gradient dial. The all-important 15-min countdown area of the dive bezel is picked out in white with red numerals, while the remaining area of the bezel is a bright light blue colour. The luminescence on this model is white.
The black dial reference (2860.3NY) is cased in a black DLC-coated stainless steel case and is not available with the Milanese steel bracelet. By far the boldest of the trilogy, the black dial is combined with yellow accents. It is delivered with a black rubber strap and a complementary black calfskin strap. Inside is the CYS 8126 automatic movement based on a Soprod P024, an alternative to the ETA 2824.
The price of the new models with the Milanese bracelet is CHF 3,100 (excl. VAT) while the models delivered with two straps (rubber and calfskin) will retail for CHF 3,000 (excl. VAT).
5/
The latest Arceau Model From Hermès Is A Poetic Petite Lune Moon Phase
Take a better look at the Hermès Arceau watch and you will notice the unusual shape of it’s case. It’s supposed to be shaped like a stirrup, which is a nod to the beginnings of the brand in 1837 when founder founder Thierry Hermès began making harnesses and saddles. The Arceau has, therefore, always seemed very important to Hermès, and most attention is paid to them. The latest Arceau is this Petite Lune moon phase floating in a radiant aventurine night sky with celestial bodies crafted from semi-precious materials.
Housed in a 38mm Arceau white gold case with a rose-cut diamond in the crown, the bezel is set with 70 brilliant-cut diamonds. The galactic landscape is staged against a sparkling aventurine glass background enhanced with five different-sized diamonds to evoke twinkling stars. The recessed moon phase aperture floats in an unusual position at 10:30 on the dial, eclipsed somewhat by the presence of three large celestial bodies dominating the night sky.
The Arceau Petite Lune is powered by the automatic movement H1837, a reference to the year that Hermès was founded. Designed in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture in 2012, this automatic is only 3.7mm thick and is fitted with a double barrel, runs at a frequency of 4 Hz and delivers a power reserve of 42 hours. The watch is delivered on a Hermès sapphire-blue alligator leather strap with a white gold pin buckle.
The Hermès Arceau Petite Lune joins the Arceau collection and retails for EUR 40,000.
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Hands on with the new elegant & accessible Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Collection
2/
Yesterday we had the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante review, today it’s the Tonda PF Skeleton
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Escapism is the source for a lot of humanity’s great works, whether it’s the novels of Jules Verne or the post-impressionist paintings of Van Gogh. For the legendary fashion designer Ralph Lauren, it was the John Wayne and Gary Cooper led Hollywood Westerns of the 1940s and ‘50s. When his company reached its 50th anniversary of making clothes other than neckties in 2018, the Ralph Lauren American Western Watch Collection was created to honour the founder’s love for cowboy culture. Ever since the introduction of the Polo Western range in 1978, the crossover between denim workwear and Western style has been deftly explored by Ralph Lauren and is perhaps their most sought-after output besides the Polo shirt and Polo Bear.
-------------------------------------------------------------
People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
submitted by dreftzg to Watches [link] [comments]
What's new
1/Seiko Partners With Peanuts To Bring You An Another Affordable Snoopy Watch Option
Go out and try to score a Silver Snoopy Speedmaster that Omega released in 2020. Good luck. You will either not be able to find one, or you will pay an exorbanat amount of money or you. But if you’re hell bent on having a Snoopy on your watch, there are luckily several more affordable and accessible options. Both Timex and Swatch had great collabs with Peanuts comics, and now Seiko is joining the party with two new Seiko 5 Sports limited editions that are both Snoopy themed, and capture a lot of the charm from the original comics in subtle ways
The new watches use the smaller Seiko 5 Sports platforms, the 38mm case size with a dive bezel, and the 36mm field watch style case without a bezel. Each has a white dial with graphics pulled right from the comic. The larger dive style watch has an image of Snoopy with a surfboard (with the words “Seiko 5 Sports” printed on in).The smaller watch features Snoopy and Woodstock flying in an imaginary helicopter with the back of the case featuring Woodstock parachuting down to safety.
Since these watches are part of the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the Seiko 5 Sports, the artwork for the new watches was pulled from Peanuts comics dating to 1968. Another extra touch is Seiko changing all the numerals on the watch into the Schultz font, making the watches seem more grounded in their original comic strip roots.
Other than the artwork on the watches, the basics are the same as the recently updated Seiko 5 Sports. 100 meters of water resistance on each reference, push/pull crowns, hardlex crystals, and the 4R36 movement. The watches both ship on a leather strap, but also include an additional NATO style strap.
Availability of these special editions is not immediately clear. It looks that they will be limited to markets outside the US and they will most likely be available in June.
At press time, availability appears limited to markets outside of the United States, but pre-orders listing a June delivery date are open at several well known international retailers. The retail price for the “Surfboard” model is £350, and is limited to 8,900 pieces. The “Parachute” is priced at £330 and is a limited edition of 6,500.
2/
Citizen Brings Colorful Budget Friendly Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch To The US
In 2022, Citizen introduced the NJ015 “Tsuyosa”, a budget-friendly steel integrated bracelet watch with an automatic movement and a number of great dial colors. It was an instant hit, but also caused some controversy - it was available only in select markets and the U.S. was not one of them.
Now, that changes as Citizen is introducing the NJ015 series to the U.S. It’s the exact same Tsuyosa you find in the rest of the world, with a variety of colorful dial configurations, a 40mm case with a four o'clock crown and an integrated steel bracelet. Inside the watch is the Citizen in-house caliber 8210 visible through an exhibition caseback featuring a beat rate of 21,600VPH and 40 hours of power reserve. In addition to the colors the dial features a three o'clock date aperture with a magnifier as well as luminescent baton markers
You can get it in five variations: Black, blue, green, yellow, and turquoise. The bracelet features polished center links and you have water resistance of 50m.
This newly announced collection is available beginning May 23, and are as affordable as expected - $450.
3/
Aera Updates Their D-1 Diver And P-1 Pilot Watch With New Colors, Brighter Lume, And A Better Movement
There are new brands and then there are new brands. You could call Baltic, which started in 2016, a new watch brand. But then there are brands like the British Aera, which only launched last year with two models - the D-1 diver and P-1 pilot watch. A year later, they’re back with major and minor updates to the pair.
Aera watches are bit. Unapologetically so. The steel cases measure 43mm in diameter, while the pilot’s is 15mm thick and the diver is 16mm thick. A lot of the thickness comes from dramatically domed, double curved sapphire crystals. There’s also a lot of curviness with these watches. The case is also very curved, just like the dial.
For the new D-1 Ocean Diver and P-1 Moon Pilot, Aera has introduced new color options along with some internal upgrades. Blue, of course, is a natural choice for a dive watch, and for the Ocean Diver they appear to have done a nice job of matching the tone of the bezel to the dial (and the strap). The P-1 Moon Pilot’s gray tone is inspired by the color of moon dust. The Moon Pilot still features big Arabic numerals with a smaller outer track counting off the minutes.
The two key improvements made to these latest Aeras concern the lume and the movement. The brand is now using Globolight luminescent material on the markers and numerals for each watch, which should provide a significantly brighter and longer lasting lume experience. Aera has also improved the movement, moving up to an Elabore grade Sellita SW200-1. This grade of Sellita caliber promises more accurate and consistent timekeeping, and Aera says their calibers have been adjusted to work within a -7 to +20 rate per day.
Both watches are limited editions of 300 pieces each. The retail price for the D-1 Ocean Diver is $1,600, and the P-1 Moon Pilot sells for $1,500.
4/
Cuervo y Sobrinos Shows Off New Buceador Caribe With Cuban Waters Inspired Colors
Cuervo y Sobrinos is a different kind of Swiss watch. You don’t see many Swiss brands that have Cuban roots, and Cuervo y Sobrinos is not shy about expressing its colourful and exuberant Caribbean personality. Introduced two years ago, the Buceador Caribe dive watch flaunts an original and complex case construction. Now the brand is updating the line with three new color variants that are inspired by the different tonalities of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic Ocean - navy blue, light blue and black.
The Buceador Caribe is a dive watch, which is fitting seeing as Buceador means diver in Spanish and it measures 43mm across with a thickness of 15.8mm in a stainless case that gives it 200m water resistance. At 2 o’clock is a crown that adjusts the internal rotating bezel, while the crown at 9 o’clock adjusts the time and winds the mainspring. The pusher at 4 o’clock is an extra safety precaution and unlocks the blue bezel crown. All models feature two-tone rotating inner dive bezels with a luminous pip at noon, large luminous indices and hands, an octagonal-framed date window at 6 o’clock and the brand’s coat of arms at noon.
The navy blue model (2860.1BL) has a high contrast red 15-min area on the dive bezel, followed by a lighter blue area. The numerals on the dive bezel and dial are filled with sand-coloured Super-LumiNova. It comes on a navy blue rubber strap and a more elegant dark blue calfskin strap, but you can also get it on the new stainless steel Milanese bracelet. The light blue reference (2860.1LB) is the only one with a gradient dial. The all-important 15-min countdown area of the dive bezel is picked out in white with red numerals, while the remaining area of the bezel is a bright light blue colour. The luminescence on this model is white.
The black dial reference (2860.3NY) is cased in a black DLC-coated stainless steel case and is not available with the Milanese steel bracelet. By far the boldest of the trilogy, the black dial is combined with yellow accents. It is delivered with a black rubber strap and a complementary black calfskin strap. Inside is the CYS 8126 automatic movement based on a Soprod P024, an alternative to the ETA 2824.
The price of the new models with the Milanese bracelet is CHF 3,100 (excl. VAT) while the models delivered with two straps (rubber and calfskin) will retail for CHF 3,000 (excl. VAT).
5/
The latest Arceau Model From Hermès Is A Poetic Petite Lune Moon Phase
Take a better look at the Hermès Arceau watch and you will notice the unusual shape of it’s case. It’s supposed to be shaped like a stirrup, which is a nod to the beginnings of the brand in 1837 when founder founder Thierry Hermès began making harnesses and saddles. The Arceau has, therefore, always seemed very important to Hermès, and most attention is paid to them. The latest Arceau is this Petite Lune moon phase floating in a radiant aventurine night sky with celestial bodies crafted from semi-precious materials.
Housed in a 38mm Arceau white gold case with a rose-cut diamond in the crown, the bezel is set with 70 brilliant-cut diamonds. The galactic landscape is staged against a sparkling aventurine glass background enhanced with five different-sized diamonds to evoke twinkling stars. The recessed moon phase aperture floats in an unusual position at 10:30 on the dial, eclipsed somewhat by the presence of three large celestial bodies dominating the night sky.
The Arceau Petite Lune is powered by the automatic movement H1837, a reference to the year that Hermès was founded. Designed in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture in 2012, this automatic is only 3.7mm thick and is fitted with a double barrel, runs at a frequency of 4 Hz and delivers a power reserve of 42 hours. The watch is delivered on a Hermès sapphire-blue alligator leather strap with a white gold pin buckle.
The Hermès Arceau Petite Lune joins the Arceau collection and retails for EUR 40,000.
-------------------------------------------------------------
On hand - a selection of reviews
1/Hands on with the new elegant & accessible Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Collection
2/
Yesterday we had the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante review, today it’s the Tonda PF Skeleton
-------------------------------------------------------------
Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
The Ralph Lauren American Western is fit for the Wild WestEscapism is the source for a lot of humanity’s great works, whether it’s the novels of Jules Verne or the post-impressionist paintings of Van Gogh. For the legendary fashion designer Ralph Lauren, it was the John Wayne and Gary Cooper led Hollywood Westerns of the 1940s and ‘50s. When his company reached its 50th anniversary of making clothes other than neckties in 2018, the Ralph Lauren American Western Watch Collection was created to honour the founder’s love for cowboy culture. Ever since the introduction of the Polo Western range in 1978, the crossover between denim workwear and Western style has been deftly explored by Ralph Lauren and is perhaps their most sought-after output besides the Polo shirt and Polo Bear.
-------------------------------------------------------------
People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
2023.05.15 22:20 Darkaibr Compensa comprar mais 16gb de RAM?
 | Boa tarde, pessoal Eu não entendo muito sobre configurações de computador, mas fui aprendendo só o básico enquanto tava pesquisando um notebook pra comprar. Eu vou comprar esse DELL G16 da foto lá nos EUA, que tá saindo praticamente o mesmo preço do G15 aqui no Brasil, só que com as configurações bem melhores. Na descrição dele fala que a RAM é expansível até 32gb, ele vem com 16gb. Gostaria de saber se vale a pena comprar essa memória RAM da foto, que também está na promoção, aí eu já compraria junto e instalaria aqui no Brasil. Eu vou usar ele tanto para jogos, quanto para ferramentas de análise de dados, como PowerBI, MySQL, etc. Gostaria de saber se vou ter um bom ganho com isso, pq se sim, acredito ser um bom investimento pelo preço. submitted by Darkaibr to computadores [link] [comments] Desde já, obrigado! |
2023.05.15 17:05 RepsOwens Review détaillée de plus de 20 items (Balenciaga / Gallery Dept / Grailz / Y Project et d'autres)
 | Hello tout le monde, c'est la première fois que je poste sur ce sub et que je fais une review de haul en général, j'ai essayé de détailler le plus possible ce que je pense de chaque item. N'hésitez pas à commenter si vous avez des questions. Bonne lecture ! submitted by RepsOwens to FrenchReps [link] [comments] AgentJe suis passé par Pandabuy pour tous mes hauls, n'ayant pas utilisé d'autre agents je ne peux pas vraiment comparer mais je suis très satisfait du service, le support client est très réactif pour répondre aux questions / demande d'échange. Je continuerais à utiliser cet agent pour mes prochaines commandes.ShippingHaul 1: EU Tariffless, 9.9kg, 192 USD Haul 2: EU Tariffless, 7.7kg, 159 USD Haul 3: EU Tariffless, 7.7kg, 157 USDJ'ai choisi EU Tariffless pour tous mes hauls afin d'éviter tout problème avec les douanes, c'est un peu plus cher mais ça vaut le coût à mon avis. A noter que j'ai pris l'assurance pour tous mes colis qui rajoute environ une vingtaine d'euros au prix de livraison (les prix affichés sont avec l'assurance). ItemsSneakersBalenciaga Triple S Black Clear Sole (GT batch) https://preview.redd.it/01oo1pqx900b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c77a2a389e44af744d3bacd90bfcb5ea74f25b66 Seller: Beans Note: 3/5 Prix: 108 USD W2C Je suis satisfait de cette paire, elle semble assez proche de l'originale mais la semelle semble plus jaunie que sur l'originale. Contrairement aux vraies elle est très inconfortable même après l'avoir porté plusieurs fois. Si cette paire vous intéresse je vous conseillerais de passer par un autre vendeur qui a le batch Italian (c'est le même que Beans), vous économiserez pas mal. Balenciaga Triple S Grey Yellow (OK batch) https://preview.redd.it/25m6shpy900b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc1541fa3979e16698d72ce08548b9bccd7d20bd Seller: lol2021 Note: 4/5 Prix: 54 USD W2C Cette paire était pour ma copine mais les mêmes remarques sur le confort s'appliquent que pour l'autre. Ce batch est beaucoup moins cher mais est pourtant de très bonne qualité. Le plus gros problème est le gris du mesh sur les côtés qui n'est pas du tout de la bonne teinte de gris, je n'enlève pas de point car nous étions au courant lors de la commande. Nike Strangelove Dunks (PK batch) https://preview.redd.it/48sw5qjz900b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df9321e0c08a17e1e26d614b2d2a6885b0c6a44a Seller: WWTOP Note: 5/5 Prix: 65 USD W2C Encore une paire pour ma copine, excellente qualité et très proche de l'originale, rien à redire, je n'ai pas l'impression qu'il y ait de flaw apparente. A noter qu'elle est livrée avec la special box et tous les stickers qui vont avec. Balenciaga Defender Black (OK batch) https://preview.redd.it/7dv1vub1a00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4307c2ee7fe4dfa170f011ed177e86b046d0cd95 Seller: WWTOP Note: 5/5 Prix: 85 USD W2C Un énorme banger, c'est devenu ma nouvelle paire préférée et je la porte presque tous les jours. Très confortable et aucune grosse flaw apparente. Le seul problème est le distressing qui n'est pas aussi prononcé que sur l'originale mais cela ne se voit pas après l'avoir porté quelques fois. HoodiesPlayboi Carti Cat HoodiePas de photo Seller: Flaneur Note: 4/5 Prix: 22 USD W2C Un cadeau pour mon frère, il en est super content et le hoodie est de relativement bonne qualité. Il possède quelques flaws au niveau de l'impression mais bon pour ce prix on ne va pas chipoter. Gallery Dept Flame Hoodie https://preview.redd.it/65a2yjjid00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8eda7b2c0e4217350a6c20eed94d62597fc8b4a Seller: Cloyad Note: 3.5/5 Prix: 46 USD W2C Le hoodie est épais et de bonne qualité, c'est le seul batch que j'ai trouvé qui correspond à l'original au niveau des drawstrings et de la capuche. Malgré tout la couture de l'étiquette sur la manche gauche est un peu ratée et il y a plein de fils qui dépassent des étiquettes à l'intérieur. Off White Blue Flame Hoodie https://preview.redd.it/8y5qu7bjd00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=533262b4860f8194bd3cab8d30130e7c852f87f1 Seller: Henry Note: 5/5 Prix: 51 USD W2C Cadeau pour ma copine, elle le porte très souvent donc je suppose qu'il est bien. Il est très épais et semble très confortable. Je possède plusieurs hoodies off white retail et c'est assez hallucinant à quel point les détails sont proche. La seul différence que j'ai pu noter est la texture de l'impression au toucher, mais c'est vraiment un détail minime. Balenciaga Apple Be Different Hoodie https://preview.redd.it/wip9ajyjd00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=faab09f7ffef1e057d5c7f6326a7e6f56f0b9c6f Seller: Bad Mood Club Note: 5/5 Prix: 51 USD W2C Le vendeur m'a envoyé une taille plus petite que ce que j'avais demandé mais je met quand même 5/5 tellement ce hoodie est incroyable. La coupe est vraiment simpa, il est crop est très large au niveau du buste. Très très épais et confortable, je le porte tout le temps. Il y a très peu d'exemplaires originaux de ce hoodie donc il est difficile de comparer mais je ne suis pas certain que la version retail soit distress. Balenciaga Fortnite Hoodie Pas de photo Seller: Cloyad (mais je suis pas certain) Note: 4/5 Prix: 55 USD W2C Encore un cadeau pour mon frère qui le voulait pour la blague. Pas grand chose à dire, le hoodie est de bonne qualité mais un peu cher pour une pièce aussi simple. Les trous d'ou sortent les drawstrings sont de la mauvaise couleur mais ce n'est pas comme si qui que ce soit s'en rendra compte. Grailz Mind Slaughter Hoodie https://preview.redd.it/0abmpa7ld00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1c6a3921c783dcbc7e026ce40d751e7b167c316 Seller: B197 Shop Note: 3.5/5 Prix: 40 USD W2C Ce hoodie est pas mal mais est assez fin à mon avis. Au dela de ça l'impression et l'effet usé sont très bien réussies. La broderie sur la manche gauche est un peu faite à l'arrache, on peut voir le trait de la machine qui connecte les lettres. T ShirtsBalenciaga Long Sleeve https://preview.redd.it/w6yov6tqd00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72ea40e2074d6b180c18dd37bbd48df3322b0330 Seller: Cloyad Note: 2/5 Prix: 35 USD Lien mort Je pensais qu'il s'agissait d'un pull à la base et pas d'un long sleeve, il n'est pas de mauvaise qualité mais la taille ne suit pas du tout la size chart annoncée donc c'est plus un pyjama qu'autre chose en l'état. Balenciaga Year Of The Tiger T-Shirt https://preview.redd.it/2khges3sd00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=18de52836981d570b4e0043dfed043d666a8f04c Seller: Cloyad Note: 4/5 Prix: 35 USD W2C Très bon t-shirt bien épais, la broderie est assez bien réalisée, petite dédicace à l'étiquette dans le coup qui s'est décousue au premier lavage. Globalement je suis très satisfait de ce tshirt et je le porte régulièrement. Balenciaga Scissors Distressed T-Shirt https://preview.redd.it/p2x0i4ssd00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77c7a201bdbb2975799fd22ea7f60cb09ad32626 Seller: Jenny Turtle Note: 5/5 Prix: 33 USD W2C (OOS) Qualité incroyable, copie parfaite de l'originale, ce vendeur est connu pour ses produits d'excellente qualité et ne m'a pas déçu. Rien à redire. PantalonsBalenciaga Baggy Destroyed Denim https://preview.redd.it/dx3iqnmpf00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0209e7e923164a3d329db44a3abbf534fc15008 Seller: Bad Mood Club Note: 4/5 Prix: 51 USD W2C Très proche visuellement de l'originale, s'accorde très bien avec le tshirt troué précédent pour un vrai look de mendiant. Je ne l'ai pas encore beaucoup porté étant donné qu'il faisait assez froid mais j'ai bien prévu de le saigner cet été. Mon seul reproche est que la toile est assez fine et qu'il sent le pétrole chinois. Balenciaga Cargo https://preview.redd.it/cdmtzwl1e00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=493696e693a39a98c0b4758d956f8f67cdc5615b Seller: 东殿川 阿光一号 (aucune idée de quoi mettre ici) Note: 4.5/5 Prix: 25 USD W2C Incroyable pour le prix, très confortable et de relativement bonne qualité. Le plus gros problème est la couture à l'intérieur des poches qui est absolument immonde, il y a des fils qui se baladent dans absolument toutes les poches, ceci dit pour le prix c'est tout à fait honnête. Grailz Baggy Denim https://preview.redd.it/fav0g0c2e00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24e1179129b49537d7f8ea2908ed64a1259a829c Seller: Bad Mood Club Note: 4.5/5 Prix: 47 USD W2C Très bon denim, la toile est épaisse et de bonne qualité, tous les accessoires sont là et de bonne qualité. Les zippers sont assez mauvais mais ça semble un problème récurrent sur toutes les reps. Le seul vrai point négatif sont les poches principales qui sont très petites et dans un tissu synthétique assez désagréable. Y Project Denim https://preview.redd.it/b2ti0gi3e00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=273fdd985ae02e642806a1e412bc0dcdf3309c10 Seller: Bad Mood Club Note: 5/5 Prix: 44 USD W2C Mon nouveau pantalon préféré, j'ai presque acheté le vrai et j'étais étonné de trouver une rep de cette pièce, le denim est d'excellente qualité et les détails sont tous là, le patch à l'arrière du denim est très bien répliqué et les boutons sont brandés. J'adore la façon dont se pantalon tombe sur les chaussures. AccessoiresBalenciaga Extreme Gamer CapPas de photo Seller: Cloyad Note: 4/5 Prix: 24 USD W2C Encore un cadeau, assez proche de l'originale et de bonne qualité. Cela dit je pense qu'il s'agit d'un batch pas très cher revendu par cloyad, pour ce genre de pièce je conseillerais de passer directement par des vendeurs weidian moins cher, il n'y a souvent pas beaucoup de batch différents et ça ne vaut pas vraiment le coup de passer par cloyad / wave. Louis Vuitton Cuban Necklace https://preview.redd.it/qmo6dbmaf00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74aeb907ef02ee43426a5d14d1200fe14ebc82d5 Seller: Survival Source Note: 3/5 Prix: 16 USD W2C Je ne sais pas vraiment pourquoi j'ai acheté ça étant donné que je ne vais surement jamais le porter. La copie semble très bonne mais il manque 2 maillons comparé à l'originale. Louis Vuitton Cuban Bracelet https://preview.redd.it/e3dz5k3af00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c21dad9837c6a80ca51b310ca0dfdd69b549df3 Seller: Survival Source Note: 3.5/5 Prix: 21 USD W2C Idem je ne sais pas trop ce qui s'est passé dans ma tête, même si je préfère ce bracelet et le porte de temps en temps. La qualité est très bonne comme souvent avec Survival Source. Balenciaga Gaffer Cap https://preview.redd.it/nfcjcsh9f00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=23444da505394b229725969e903780af1452e881 Seller: Wave Note: 4/5 Prix: 14 USD W2C J'aime beaucoup cette casquette et je la porte souvent, encore une fois je pense qu'on peut trouver le même batch moins cher en cherchant un peu. Ma seule critique est qu'il y a beaucoup de petits fils qui se baladent mais rien de très grave. Lunettes de soleil Gentle Monster x Heron Preston https://preview.redd.it/kyafymz8f00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8133f2956f33e0aaef667346c9462338a143533e Seller: Aooko Note: 3.5/5 Prix: 48 USD W2C Je les porte pas mal et c'est une bonne paire de lunettes mais je trouve quand même que le prix est très élevé pour ce genre de produit. Une des branche est un petit peu plus courbée que l'autre mais ce n'est rien de grave. Porte clés Off White Pas de photo (limite d'image et c'est pas très intéressant) Seller: 龘龘叒叕 Note: 4/5 Prix: 2 USD W2C J'en ai acheté 2, un rouge et un noir. Le rouge est très proche des vrais ceintures off-white mais le noir par contre fait très cheap. Mais bon il s'agit d'un porte clé qui coute le prix d'un café donc on va pas se plaindre. Yeezy Gap Flame Cap https://preview.redd.it/6sx3ehs7f00b1.jpg?width=560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=62a2f4cf367926444ac755c78c1a25c94c006bf3 Seller: Wave Note: 3.5/5 Prix: 15 USD W2C Bonne casquette mais la forme est très bizarre une fois sur ma tête, après c'est peut être moi qui a un crane étrange je ne sais pas trop. Même remarque qu'avant sur le prix. |
2023.05.15 14:03 dreftzg [Daily News] The Zenith Defy Extreme E Is 96 Grams Of Hight Tech Watchmaking, Two New Fantastic Colors For Oris Divers, Breitling Pays Homage To College Sports, And New Laidet/Auffret Project Smashes Trough Kickstarter Goal
It's Monday, and we're going to dive right in. If you enjoy these news updates, throw them an upvote so more people get to see them.
The Zenith Defy Extreme E Is 96 Grams Of Hight Tech Watchmaking
For a couple of years now, Zenith has been the official timekeeper of the Extreme E racing series, an international off-road racing series that features electric SUVs competing in remote locations around the world to help raise awareness about climate change. Zentih has produced a handful of special editions marking their involvement in the race, and for this year they are releasing the new Zenith Defy Extreme E 2023 Limited Edition.
The watch is very similar to previous Extreme E limited editions, but instead of the red, orange, yellow, or purple colorway like previous iterations, the new edition gets what the brand calls the “Vital Green” color throughout its strap and dial accents. The case measures 45mm wide, but it’s almost completely made of forged carbon fiber, meaning that it weighs only 96 grams. Which is pretty crazy for such a big watch.
It’s still a very sporty watch so it gives you 200 meters of water resistance and it comes on a rubber green strap with a velcro closure. In another marketing effort to connect it to the racing series, Zenith says they use recycled Continental CrossContact tires that were used during the first season’s races for the strap. The dial is interesting - made out of tinted sapphire to give it a skeletonized appearance, an it has a three-register layout with splashes of the Vital Green color.
Inside is the same El Primero 9004 automatic chronograph movement that can be found inside other models from the Defy Extreme series. Featuring two independent escapements, with one running at 36,000vph (5 Hz) for the time, and another running at 360,000vph (50 Hz) for the chronograph, the Zenith El Primero 9004 offers users the ability to measure times down to 1/100th of a second, while still being able to provide a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. To get the 1/100th of a second measurement easier, the centrally-mounted chronograph seconds hand rotates once per second instead of once per minute.
Zenith also decided to up production this year. Previous editions were limited to 20 pieces, but this year there will be 100 pieces made. You won’t have to hurry much though, as they likely won’t sell out very fast with a price of $30,100.
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New Colours For The Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400 And Aquis Small Second Date
While green has been a favorite watch color for a couple of years now, it didn’t deter Oris from slapping a beautiful shade of it on its new Aquis Date Calibre 400, but also gave it a twist - a gradient that seems to be a hit this year. Oris also updates another watch - the Aquis Small Second Date - with a new color, but not green this time. It’s a gorgeous shade of blue.
The Aquis Date 43.5mm was the first model to be equipped with the brand’s proprietary calibre 400 in 2020. Developed entirely in-house by COO Beat Fischli and his team, produced by a network of suppliers, the calibre 400 is a robust automatic anti-magnetic movement with a five-day power reserve and a 10-year warranty.
Now this Aquis date model gets an update from the blue dial and gets a green dial version that has already appeared on the dial of the smaller 41.5mm Aquis Dates. The gradient of the dial comes in the shape of a lighter green center and darker outsides. The watch has a notched unidirectional rotating bezel has a matching green scratch-proof ceramic inlay and the case has 300m water resistance. The date window at 6 o’clock has a black background, and the dial is protected by a domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating.
The Oris Aquis Date is also fitted with the brand’s patented DIY Quick Strap Change mechanism and can be purchased with a steel bracelet or a rubber strap, both with extendable folding clasps. If you get it on the bracelet it will set you back CHF 3,500, while the rubber version goes for CHF 3,400.
Then there’s the new blue gradient dial version of the Small Second Date. Not to be confused with the blue gradient dial version of the Small Second Date that was released a few years ago. This new one leans to a more petroleum blue and it’s quite a looker.
The blue dial has the running seconds displayed on a snailed sub-dial at 9 o’clock and the date window is at 3 o’clock. The case is 45.5mm wide, 15.9mm thick and the water resistance is updated to 500m.
Inside is an automatic Sellita SW220-1-base movement – Oris calibre743. Beating at 28,800vhp, the power reserve is just 38 hours. Available on a metal bracelet or blue rubber strap, both options come with Oris’s extendable security folding clasp and Quick Strap Change system.
The stainless steel bracelet version costs CHF 2,500 while that on the rubber strap comes in at CHF 2,650.
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The Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition Pays Homage To Highest Levels Of College Sports
To people who don’t live in the US and don’t already follow college sports in the US, it’s extremely difficult to explain just how popular these sports are among the general public there. People form their whole identities around supporting their favorite college team, and it doesn’t even have to be your alma mater. How’s this for an illustration - there are only 11 stadiums in the world with a capacity of over 100,000 people. The largest is in India, which makes sense and the second largest is in North Korea, which is also understandable. The 11th largest is in Australia. Every single other stadium between spot 2 and spot 11 is a college football stadium in the US. And they regularly fill them up.
Breitling is getting on this college sports bandwagon with a new release of their entry-level quartz chronograph that pay homage to the most popular schools - this is the Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition series. The new collection launches with four models in four different colors - an orange one to pay tribute to Princeton University, the red one is for The University of Alabama, and the two blue models are dedicated to The United States Naval Academy and the University of Michigan. While these colors have been available in the regular Endurance Pro lineup, the dials get a logo of the schools.
From a structure and functionality standpoint, the new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition watches are identical to the standard-production models that were originally announced in 2020. Which means you get a case made of Breitlight, which is Breitling’s name for a carbon-composite material. It’s 44mm in diameter by 12.5mm thick, but it only weighs 64.5 grams, including the thick rubber strap.
Inside is the Breitling Caliber 82 thermo-compensated SuperQuartz chronograph movement (ETA base) that can be found inside the standard-production models. While most people are not fans of Quartz movements, this one has some neat tricks up its sleeve. Quartz movements are fairly sensitive to large changes in temperature and the Breitling Endurance Pro has a temperature sensor that allows the movement to compensate, giving it an annual precision of +/-10 seconds per year.
The Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition collection will, somewhat expectedly, be available only in the North American market and will cost $3,700, which is $300 premium over the regular Breitling Endurance Pro.
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Fortis Introduces Limited Edition Flieger F-43 Triple-GMT PC-7 TEAM Edition, Used By The Swiss Air Force Aerobatics Display Team
Fortis might want to attempt to make other watches, but pretty much everyone will agree that the Flieger will be their bread and butter. And they can’t make enough special editions of them. That’s why it makes perfect sense that they have announced their new limited production watch in collaboration with the Swiss Air Force PC-7 team, an aerobatics display group that uses F/A-18 fighter jets or red, white, and blue Pilatus PC-7s to show off the dynamism, elegance, and precision the Swiss Air Force is capable of. And Fortis is their official watch.
Fortis has made a number of special editions for the PC-7 team, including the Aeromaster Chronograph and Day-Date editions of 2019. But in 2023, the team will get the Flieger, as should be expected from an elite flying squad. The watch is based on the Triple-GMT Flieger and is limited to 100 pieces.
The case measures 43mm and is made of brushed titanium, just like the regular Triple-GMT, but this editions gets a dark gray DLC coating. The 24-click bezel remains a bidirectional 12-hour GMT one. However, in place of the “12” is a depiction of the PC-7 aircraft, while the “04” has been swapped out in favor of a wine glass. Why? Because pilot’s have an alcohol cut off time of 8 hours before flight.
The dial remains as good as unchanged from the original Triple-GMT. There’s a couple of slight modifications for the limited edition - there’s a “PC-7 TEAM” signature at six and the counterbalance of the second hand also holds a hidden detail in the form of additional white lines to mimic the tips of the plane’s propeller.
Inside, and behind a smoked sapphire crystal with an etched PC-7 Team logo, is the caliber WERK 13. This is a movement crafted in partnership with Kenissi, the folks that are officially an arm of Tudor. You get 70 hours of autonomy, with COSC certification and 27 jewels. It is also a “true” traveler’s GMT, allowing the independent setting of the local hour hand that also alters the date both forward and backward.
The limited edition comes on Mission Green hybrid strap, as well as a bonus PC-7 Team hook strap in Swiss red. Limited to 100 pieces, the watch will cost you €5,300.
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Hublot Teams Up With Nespresso To Create A Big Bang Watch Made From Recycled Capsules and Coffee Grounds
You have to give Hublot credit where credit is due. If they do one thing very well, then it’s experimenting with new materials. So, with their latest partnership with Nespresso, they release the Hublot Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin whose case and strap are made out of recycled Nespresso aluminium capsules and coffee grounds.
Measuring 42mm in diameter, the case uses 28% of recycled aluminium, which is then anodized to obtain the green colour. The caseback and container housing the movement are fashioned out of eco-titanium. The water resistance is rated at 100m. The watch comes with two straps made from eco-material. The first one uses 4.1% of recycled coffee grounds and 8.2% of white recycled rubber. The second one is made with SingTex, a partner of Nespresso, producing a fabric made of 5% recycled coffee grounds and 95% recycled polyester.
The Hublot Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin is released in a limited edition of 200 pieces. The price is set at €25,200.
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New Laidet/Auffret Project Argon Space One Jump Hour Smashes Trough Kickstarter Goal In Record Time
Is there anything Guillaume Laidet can’t do? Laidet, 37, is a watch entrepreneur who’s behind the return of Nivada Grenchen, Excelsior Park and Vulcain. For his most recent project, he has teamed up with Théo Auffret. Auffret (27), is a Paris-based independent watchmaker who won the Journe watchmaking award and has already presented several fascinating, complex watches built by hand. The two are launching their new project, the Argon SpaceOne, a futuristic watch that looks way more expensive than it is. It launched on Kickstarter on May 11th, looking to raise $108,594. To date, they have raised $753,669, easily breaking through their goal, creating an instant hit and are happily on their way to perhaps the most funded watch ever on Kickstarter.
The design of the first watch of this newly-developed brand is, without a doubt, strongly inspired by space exploration and sci-fi. These are themes that have been used extensively by some of the most talented and respected independent watchmakers, such as De Bethune, Urwerk or MB&F. But the thing is, all of those watches are worth a small fortune. Argon is offering a strong design language and a classic movement, at a price of a vintage automatic diver.
The case is bold, original, and futuristic yet with a certain vintage, 1950s flair. It’s a huge watch, but photos make it look very wearable. The case is elongated, with a width of 51.67mm. However, the lug-to-lug measurement is only 42mm and the height of the case, at the highest point in the middle, is 12.61mm.
At launch, the Argon SpaceOne will be available in 4 different editions; polished steel, brushed steel, brushed titanium, brushed and blue-coated titanium and forged carbon. The watch does not have a traditional dial, but rather a window through which you can see three concentric discs, displaying the seconds (centre), the hours (middle, and also the only jumping disc) and the minutes (periphery). The first two discs are made of brass with super luminous, while the minutes disc, which sits on top of the hour disc, is made of sapphire with super luminous.
To keep the price low, Argon uses an off-the-shelves automatic base movement – the Swiss-made Soprod P024, an alternative to the ETA 2824. In order to bring the jumping hour complication, Auffret has developed a 9-part module, which is connected to the base movement and supports a spring and an intermediate wheel.
Each version of the Argon SpaceOne is delivered with two 22/18mm FKM rubber straps, one in black, and one in orange. The watches are exclusively available on Kickstarter for the next 4 weeks. The brushed titanium and forged carbon models are limited to 100 pieces. Deliveries are estimated for December 2023. The steel models are priced at EUR 1,500, while the titanium and carbon versions come at EUR 1,900. A bargain, considering it looks so much more expensive
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Speaking of watches that look way more expensive than they actually are, how about this Behrens Perigee. Chinese watches are looking better by the month
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Hands on with the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante
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The new Accutron Astronaut Bulova Lunar Pilot models celebrate their place in the space race
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The hand-painted Earth globe with a tiny golden Sun in the zenith is a fun little object, more poetic than functional in precise GMT-indication terms. It makes a complete turn in 24 hours, and it tells you where on Earth there is noon, 6 AM, 6 PM, and night – to learn where it is dark on our planet, you will have to flip the watch over, the properly marked aperture – A l’autre bout du monde – will reveal the dark side of the Earth.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
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What's new
1/The Zenith Defy Extreme E Is 96 Grams Of Hight Tech Watchmaking
For a couple of years now, Zenith has been the official timekeeper of the Extreme E racing series, an international off-road racing series that features electric SUVs competing in remote locations around the world to help raise awareness about climate change. Zentih has produced a handful of special editions marking their involvement in the race, and for this year they are releasing the new Zenith Defy Extreme E 2023 Limited Edition.
The watch is very similar to previous Extreme E limited editions, but instead of the red, orange, yellow, or purple colorway like previous iterations, the new edition gets what the brand calls the “Vital Green” color throughout its strap and dial accents. The case measures 45mm wide, but it’s almost completely made of forged carbon fiber, meaning that it weighs only 96 grams. Which is pretty crazy for such a big watch.
It’s still a very sporty watch so it gives you 200 meters of water resistance and it comes on a rubber green strap with a velcro closure. In another marketing effort to connect it to the racing series, Zenith says they use recycled Continental CrossContact tires that were used during the first season’s races for the strap. The dial is interesting - made out of tinted sapphire to give it a skeletonized appearance, an it has a three-register layout with splashes of the Vital Green color.
Inside is the same El Primero 9004 automatic chronograph movement that can be found inside other models from the Defy Extreme series. Featuring two independent escapements, with one running at 36,000vph (5 Hz) for the time, and another running at 360,000vph (50 Hz) for the chronograph, the Zenith El Primero 9004 offers users the ability to measure times down to 1/100th of a second, while still being able to provide a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. To get the 1/100th of a second measurement easier, the centrally-mounted chronograph seconds hand rotates once per second instead of once per minute.
Zenith also decided to up production this year. Previous editions were limited to 20 pieces, but this year there will be 100 pieces made. You won’t have to hurry much though, as they likely won’t sell out very fast with a price of $30,100.
2/
New Colours For The Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400 And Aquis Small Second Date
While green has been a favorite watch color for a couple of years now, it didn’t deter Oris from slapping a beautiful shade of it on its new Aquis Date Calibre 400, but also gave it a twist - a gradient that seems to be a hit this year. Oris also updates another watch - the Aquis Small Second Date - with a new color, but not green this time. It’s a gorgeous shade of blue.
The Aquis Date 43.5mm was the first model to be equipped with the brand’s proprietary calibre 400 in 2020. Developed entirely in-house by COO Beat Fischli and his team, produced by a network of suppliers, the calibre 400 is a robust automatic anti-magnetic movement with a five-day power reserve and a 10-year warranty.
Now this Aquis date model gets an update from the blue dial and gets a green dial version that has already appeared on the dial of the smaller 41.5mm Aquis Dates. The gradient of the dial comes in the shape of a lighter green center and darker outsides. The watch has a notched unidirectional rotating bezel has a matching green scratch-proof ceramic inlay and the case has 300m water resistance. The date window at 6 o’clock has a black background, and the dial is protected by a domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating.
The Oris Aquis Date is also fitted with the brand’s patented DIY Quick Strap Change mechanism and can be purchased with a steel bracelet or a rubber strap, both with extendable folding clasps. If you get it on the bracelet it will set you back CHF 3,500, while the rubber version goes for CHF 3,400.
Then there’s the new blue gradient dial version of the Small Second Date. Not to be confused with the blue gradient dial version of the Small Second Date that was released a few years ago. This new one leans to a more petroleum blue and it’s quite a looker.
The blue dial has the running seconds displayed on a snailed sub-dial at 9 o’clock and the date window is at 3 o’clock. The case is 45.5mm wide, 15.9mm thick and the water resistance is updated to 500m.
Inside is an automatic Sellita SW220-1-base movement – Oris calibre743. Beating at 28,800vhp, the power reserve is just 38 hours. Available on a metal bracelet or blue rubber strap, both options come with Oris’s extendable security folding clasp and Quick Strap Change system.
The stainless steel bracelet version costs CHF 2,500 while that on the rubber strap comes in at CHF 2,650.
3/
The Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition Pays Homage To Highest Levels Of College Sports
To people who don’t live in the US and don’t already follow college sports in the US, it’s extremely difficult to explain just how popular these sports are among the general public there. People form their whole identities around supporting their favorite college team, and it doesn’t even have to be your alma mater. How’s this for an illustration - there are only 11 stadiums in the world with a capacity of over 100,000 people. The largest is in India, which makes sense and the second largest is in North Korea, which is also understandable. The 11th largest is in Australia. Every single other stadium between spot 2 and spot 11 is a college football stadium in the US. And they regularly fill them up.
Breitling is getting on this college sports bandwagon with a new release of their entry-level quartz chronograph that pay homage to the most popular schools - this is the Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition series. The new collection launches with four models in four different colors - an orange one to pay tribute to Princeton University, the red one is for The University of Alabama, and the two blue models are dedicated to The United States Naval Academy and the University of Michigan. While these colors have been available in the regular Endurance Pro lineup, the dials get a logo of the schools.
From a structure and functionality standpoint, the new Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition watches are identical to the standard-production models that were originally announced in 2020. Which means you get a case made of Breitlight, which is Breitling’s name for a carbon-composite material. It’s 44mm in diameter by 12.5mm thick, but it only weighs 64.5 grams, including the thick rubber strap.
Inside is the Breitling Caliber 82 thermo-compensated SuperQuartz chronograph movement (ETA base) that can be found inside the standard-production models. While most people are not fans of Quartz movements, this one has some neat tricks up its sleeve. Quartz movements are fairly sensitive to large changes in temperature and the Breitling Endurance Pro has a temperature sensor that allows the movement to compensate, giving it an annual precision of +/-10 seconds per year.
The Breitling Endurance Pro University Edition collection will, somewhat expectedly, be available only in the North American market and will cost $3,700, which is $300 premium over the regular Breitling Endurance Pro.
4/
Fortis Introduces Limited Edition Flieger F-43 Triple-GMT PC-7 TEAM Edition, Used By The Swiss Air Force Aerobatics Display Team
Fortis might want to attempt to make other watches, but pretty much everyone will agree that the Flieger will be their bread and butter. And they can’t make enough special editions of them. That’s why it makes perfect sense that they have announced their new limited production watch in collaboration with the Swiss Air Force PC-7 team, an aerobatics display group that uses F/A-18 fighter jets or red, white, and blue Pilatus PC-7s to show off the dynamism, elegance, and precision the Swiss Air Force is capable of. And Fortis is their official watch.
Fortis has made a number of special editions for the PC-7 team, including the Aeromaster Chronograph and Day-Date editions of 2019. But in 2023, the team will get the Flieger, as should be expected from an elite flying squad. The watch is based on the Triple-GMT Flieger and is limited to 100 pieces.
The case measures 43mm and is made of brushed titanium, just like the regular Triple-GMT, but this editions gets a dark gray DLC coating. The 24-click bezel remains a bidirectional 12-hour GMT one. However, in place of the “12” is a depiction of the PC-7 aircraft, while the “04” has been swapped out in favor of a wine glass. Why? Because pilot’s have an alcohol cut off time of 8 hours before flight.
The dial remains as good as unchanged from the original Triple-GMT. There’s a couple of slight modifications for the limited edition - there’s a “PC-7 TEAM” signature at six and the counterbalance of the second hand also holds a hidden detail in the form of additional white lines to mimic the tips of the plane’s propeller.
Inside, and behind a smoked sapphire crystal with an etched PC-7 Team logo, is the caliber WERK 13. This is a movement crafted in partnership with Kenissi, the folks that are officially an arm of Tudor. You get 70 hours of autonomy, with COSC certification and 27 jewels. It is also a “true” traveler’s GMT, allowing the independent setting of the local hour hand that also alters the date both forward and backward.
The limited edition comes on Mission Green hybrid strap, as well as a bonus PC-7 Team hook strap in Swiss red. Limited to 100 pieces, the watch will cost you €5,300.
5/
Hublot Teams Up With Nespresso To Create A Big Bang Watch Made From Recycled Capsules and Coffee Grounds
You have to give Hublot credit where credit is due. If they do one thing very well, then it’s experimenting with new materials. So, with their latest partnership with Nespresso, they release the Hublot Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin whose case and strap are made out of recycled Nespresso aluminium capsules and coffee grounds.
Measuring 42mm in diameter, the case uses 28% of recycled aluminium, which is then anodized to obtain the green colour. The caseback and container housing the movement are fashioned out of eco-titanium. The water resistance is rated at 100m. The watch comes with two straps made from eco-material. The first one uses 4.1% of recycled coffee grounds and 8.2% of white recycled rubber. The second one is made with SingTex, a partner of Nespresso, producing a fabric made of 5% recycled coffee grounds and 95% recycled polyester.
The Hublot Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin is released in a limited edition of 200 pieces. The price is set at €25,200.
6/
New Laidet/Auffret Project Argon Space One Jump Hour Smashes Trough Kickstarter Goal In Record Time
Is there anything Guillaume Laidet can’t do? Laidet, 37, is a watch entrepreneur who’s behind the return of Nivada Grenchen, Excelsior Park and Vulcain. For his most recent project, he has teamed up with Théo Auffret. Auffret (27), is a Paris-based independent watchmaker who won the Journe watchmaking award and has already presented several fascinating, complex watches built by hand. The two are launching their new project, the Argon SpaceOne, a futuristic watch that looks way more expensive than it is. It launched on Kickstarter on May 11th, looking to raise $108,594. To date, they have raised $753,669, easily breaking through their goal, creating an instant hit and are happily on their way to perhaps the most funded watch ever on Kickstarter.
The design of the first watch of this newly-developed brand is, without a doubt, strongly inspired by space exploration and sci-fi. These are themes that have been used extensively by some of the most talented and respected independent watchmakers, such as De Bethune, Urwerk or MB&F. But the thing is, all of those watches are worth a small fortune. Argon is offering a strong design language and a classic movement, at a price of a vintage automatic diver.
The case is bold, original, and futuristic yet with a certain vintage, 1950s flair. It’s a huge watch, but photos make it look very wearable. The case is elongated, with a width of 51.67mm. However, the lug-to-lug measurement is only 42mm and the height of the case, at the highest point in the middle, is 12.61mm.
At launch, the Argon SpaceOne will be available in 4 different editions; polished steel, brushed steel, brushed titanium, brushed and blue-coated titanium and forged carbon. The watch does not have a traditional dial, but rather a window through which you can see three concentric discs, displaying the seconds (centre), the hours (middle, and also the only jumping disc) and the minutes (periphery). The first two discs are made of brass with super luminous, while the minutes disc, which sits on top of the hour disc, is made of sapphire with super luminous.
To keep the price low, Argon uses an off-the-shelves automatic base movement – the Swiss-made Soprod P024, an alternative to the ETA 2824. In order to bring the jumping hour complication, Auffret has developed a 9-part module, which is connected to the base movement and supports a spring and an intermediate wheel.
Each version of the Argon SpaceOne is delivered with two 22/18mm FKM rubber straps, one in black, and one in orange. The watches are exclusively available on Kickstarter for the next 4 weeks. The brushed titanium and forged carbon models are limited to 100 pieces. Deliveries are estimated for December 2023. The steel models are priced at EUR 1,500, while the titanium and carbon versions come at EUR 1,900. A bargain, considering it looks so much more expensive
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On hand - a selection of reviews
1/Speaking of watches that look way more expensive than they actually are, how about this Behrens Perigee. Chinese watches are looking better by the month
2/
Hands on with the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante
3/
The new Accutron Astronaut Bulova Lunar Pilot models celebrate their place in the space race
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
The Mesmerizing Vicenterra Astroluna T1 AventurineThe hand-painted Earth globe with a tiny golden Sun in the zenith is a fun little object, more poetic than functional in precise GMT-indication terms. It makes a complete turn in 24 hours, and it tells you where on Earth there is noon, 6 AM, 6 PM, and night – to learn where it is dark on our planet, you will have to flip the watch over, the properly marked aperture – A l’autre bout du monde – will reveal the dark side of the Earth.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
2023.05.15 04:04 InvertedOpticsPhoto [WTS] Heimdallr Sea Ghost NTTD - Nice!
![[WTS] Heimdallr Sea Ghost NTTD - Nice!](https://external-preview.redd.it/GMsFTzhh4_u3pK9Ya8hZdIbvH_6Rvh4Ee_dFf2LcohQ.png?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=f507d7fb62bdfccc7ad07ab226f221a612082031 "[WTS] Heimdallr Sea Ghost NTTD - Nice!") | Hello Watchx submitted by InvertedOpticsPhoto to ChineseWatches [link] [comments] Up for sale is my Heimdallr Seaghost V1 “James Bond Sea*****r No Time to Die” homage. This 42mm titanium watch wore great as my daily watch for a few months however the time has come to move on since I don’t wear it at all anymore. There’s nothing wrong with it, I’m just moving on. The watch retails ~$240 + tax and a month shipping to USA. I preordered and waited months for it. The watch will come with the inner and outer boxes, warranty card, unworn nato strap, black tropic strap worn once or twice, and a surprisingly comfortable mesh bracelet. Please note a rivet is missing, as shown in the video, which was used for my 6.25” wrist. I’ve packaged the watch with the NATO strap and included a strap changing tool because I can’t package it in the box with the mesh strap. I’m asking $200 + Shipping to CONUS and will ship USPS by default within 24 hours of receiving payment. I accept PP F&F (G&S +3%), Apple Pay, Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, etc. I’ve sold several watches here and on watchexchange — my transaction history and buyer reviews can be requested. Timestamp Photo Album Thanks for looking! |
2023.05.14 18:25 Thirsha_42 Tight Money Ch 13
Here is chapter 13 of Tight Money.
Special thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating the universe and allowing fan writers to join the fun.
Additional thanks to u/BiasMushroom, u/YakiTapioca, u/cruisingNW, u/SavingsSyllabub7788, u/YaaliAnnar, u/White_Dragon_Coranth, u/Illwood and u/Redundant-Honse for letting me use elements from their fanfics in mine.
Next chapter will return to Leena and Dani at the dinner with the parents.
Thanks to Tanner, Sandman and blankxlate for proofreading this chapter.
I love your comments so please tell me what you think so I can get better or if you have suggestions for future snippets of life on Venlil Prime you would like to see me cover, leave it in the comments.
First Previous
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Memory transcription subject: Oulo, Grain Mill Worker
Date [standardized human time]: November 1, 2136
I believed what my wife had told me. I heard what Mino had said. I knew about the empathy studies. The news repeated there hadn’t been even a single human attack on Venlil Prime but my heart still attempted to beat its way out of my chest and fur stood at attention as we meandered towards the low, wide gate of the space port. Mino sighed as he fixed me with a pitying look. He collected his thoughts before he attempted to allay my obviously overactive fears.
“Everything will be fine, Oulo. They won’t hurt you.”
“I know that, I do, but my body has a mind of its own.”
There wasn’t any more time to get ready however, as we arrived at our destination. The gate guard took our credentials and directed us to the assigned hangar. Upon our approach, a dock manager signaled for us to pull in the loading bay and park. We got out, and I could feel my skin crawling. My mind raced with intrusive thoughts to flee or hide and a voice in my head that adamantly insisted that I was in danger, though I did my best to ignore them.
The dock manager walked up with his pad and offered it to us.
“Here’s the delivery receipt. Are you staying to unload?”
Mino and I flicked our ears in assent and I placed my paw on the data pad to sign for the delivery.
“Either of you worked with humans before?”
Mino responded confidently for both of us, “My partner hasn’t but I have.”
“Good.” The manager waved his tail appreciatively towards Mino and fixed me with a one eyed glare. “Naia has had enough exterminator calls and we don’t need you callin’ them again. Is that clear?”
“Yes. My wife said it just took a bit of time to get used to them. I won’t cause trouble.”
The dock manager reviewed his pad with impatient swipes. He informed us that our ship would arrive momentarily and he would escort the humans to assist us once they had finished with their current task. He hurried off without another word leaving me and Mino to look after ourselves as we waited for our ship to arrive.
I took a moment to look around the space port loading docks and everything seemed rather normal if a bit less busy than I remembered. Just a typical paw with a few venlil hustling to and fro around the open lanes and hangars; the occasional vehicle pulling in and out of the bays to load or unload various goods onto the ships waiting to depart.
As a container ship gracefully descended into the dock, Mino and I began to unlock the truck and turned on the conveyor belt that would move the ipsom flour into the ship. The dock manager marched towards us with six humans following him, each wearing pelts that revealed their arms and hats protecting their eyes from the ever present sun.
Their thin skin glistened in the sunlight as their muscled arms swayed back and forth. I could see their vascular system underneath their skin, their sharp eyes all focused on me. I tried to keep my composure but the thoughts of being in danger were persistent.
Mino, sun bless him, stepped forward and introduced us to the humans by holding out his paw and shaking the humans’ hands. Then he explained that behavior to me and the humans held their hands out to shake my paw. With great reluctance I shook the first human’s hand. He held my paw firmly but not painfully and waved it up and down twice before letting go and telling us his name. The rest of the humans did the same and the manager, satisfied that I wasn’t going to cause a scene, left to his other duties.
The tallest human, Obi, towered over the rest of the group. He must be [two meters] tall, maybe more with the darkest skin of the group. Unlike the other humans, he seemed to lack any hair anywhere on his form. Hàoyǔ and Yìchén had lighter complections and seemed to be near identical copies of each other. They moved together as though with a shared mind. Carmen, the only female of the group, had a darker complexion and obsidian hair. She and Jake, the smallest male, were still a head taller than me. Jake was the only human with light gold hair and a fair pigmentation.
Jake rubbed his hands together and asked, “So, what are we loading?”
He picked up a crate and examined our mill’s logo. It seemed that despite our higher gravity, these crates that normally took two venlil to move, posed an insignificant burden to him. Jake placed it on the loading belt while the others took positions in the ship or by the truck. The humans moved the crates of ipsom flour, each carefully packed and sealed in an airtight container, by themselves.
Oulo and I would have to share the burden of a single crate and for the first time in my life, I had a slight feeling of inadequacy standing next to these gentle giants. If anything, only the wide profile of the boxes, requiring the full width of their reach, seemed to bother them. Mino nudged me with his tail and motioned for us to help, we were here for a job, and responded to Jake’s question.
“This is Ipsom flour. We use it to make strayu.”
The humans were fascinated by our descriptions of strayu and asked many questions about its origin and purpose. Mino and I explained how it was made and its cultural significance within the federation and Venlil Prime in particular. The voice in my head quieted and my fear subsided with the routine motions of loading crates. The humans told us about their cultures. It was enthralling to hear the humans talk about such radically different cultures within this small group.
Carmen said she was from a province called Mexico and described her people’s food to us. It all sounded delicious the way she described it. Hàoyǔ and Yìchén came from a province called China. They described their culture as one of the oldest on earth with beautiful art and architecture. Obi described his home province of Nigeria as part of an industrial and technological hub of trade and research. The last human, Jake, came from the province of Canada and seemed less enthusiastic to share his culture, claiming that his people were only good at making a strange sugary substance known as ‘maple syrup’, and playing a violent sport called ‘hockey’.
As the claw wore on, the humans talked and jabbed at each other without rest, Mino and I had to take regular breaks to catch our breath. We continued to chat with the humans, sharing stories and experiences. About half way through the claw I asked how they were adjusting to Venlil Prime and Jake was the first to answer.
“I’m getting ripped is how!”
Carmen responded with the same enthusiasm, “I gained 60 pounds just by stepping foot on this planet and already I’ve lost 15. I’m in the best shape in my life.”
Obi chimed in with, “The lack of a night has bothered me most but overall, I cannot complain. The curtains help.”
Hàoyǔ and Yìchén nodded but didn’t say anything. Jake began taking various poses to flaunt his muscles. Obi seemed to take it as a challenge and began to take his own poses. Carmen, Hàoyǔ and Yìchén laughed at the display, all smiling. If I had not known better, I would have thought this was a menacing and violent display. Jake and Obi stopped when Hàoyǔ asked Mino and me how we were dealing with the revelation about the kolshian and farsul conspiracy. Mino was quick to respond.
“I always knew it! I knew there was something rotten in the federation. Something was always off; things didn’t make sense if you thought about them long enough.”
I laughed, “He’s right. He has been coming up with crazy ideas for [years]. I never thought he would actually be right. It still doesn’t seem real. To think that there were so many predators in the galaxy. If we had not met humans, I don’t think I would have believed it.”
The job was taking less time than expected with the humans' help. They took smaller breaks than we did but had not really stopped since they started. The truck was nearly empty now. Mino and I were moving another crate when Mino asked the humans a question and the mood of the group shifted instantly.
“I don’t mean to upset you but why aren’t you all in the military? Most of the humans I have met were either in the military or trying to join.”
In unison, the humans took out their small data pads and started to select through the apps. Yìchén held his device towards us first.
“These are my kids. We lost their mother when the federation attacked; I can't leave them.”
On his device was an image of a woman with long black hair and two small children with Yìchén behind them. They were smiling and holding what I assumed to be a treat on a stick.
Hàoyǔ held his up his device to show us a picture of his and Yìchén’s families together. “My wife is with them and our child right now. As much as I want to hurt the federation, my duty is here, to my family.”
Obi showed us his data pad next. On it was a human with grey hair sitting in a chair with a very gangly predator beast in her lap. Her skin was saggy and wrinkled; she seemed frail for a human.
“This is my mama. I’m all she has left. It would break her heart if I went off to war.”
Jake handed Mino his pad. The display showed a mated pair of humans with three children.
“My brother and sister-in-law didn’t make it so my wife and I took their kids in. I couldn’t leave them. They are my world now.”
A tear fell down his cheek as Carmen showed us a picture of a man with dark hair and a boy dressed in very colorful pelts with their faces painted white.
“My husband couldn’t get out of Mexico City. Even if I had lost my son too, I wouldn’t go.”
She swiped her finger across the small pad and presented it to me. Now it displayed a video of several kids playing with paint. Smiling children took turns painting designs on each other.
“I have so many more children to look after.”
It was sobering to see these pictures and the determination in the human’s faces. They were a mix of conflicted emotions. It was clear they were angry but if I wasn’t mistaken, there was an underlying sadness in their tone. I don’t doubt they wanted to hurt the kolshians and farsul but their familial bonds took priority. This, more than Cilany’s interview, more than the empathy tests, their upstanding behavior on Venlil Prime, the news, or anything else convinced me that humans had empathy and were going to be steadfast allies and valued members of the herd.
We spent the rest of the claw talking about their families. When it was time to return to the mill the dock manager paid us and Mino and I said our goodbyes. The humans insisted on taking pictures with us then giving us each a hug before climbing into their own vehicle. I gave the keys to Mino and asked him to drive. I needed to reflect on this experience.
“You okay, Oulo?”
I had to take stock of my surroundings again after Mino had interrupted my thoughts.
“Hm? Oh, yeah. I’m just thinking. I don’t know what I was expecting but I was pleasantly surprised.”
“I told you, humans are good people.”
Memory transcription subject: Niit, Capitol Spaceport Logistics Coordinator
Date [standardized human time]: November 3 and 4, 2136
“It’s even affecting the local park life. That human bird and one of our own blue song birds. If you are a new listener just type in United Nations tested Welsh bomb on Dawn Creek, they’ve consid- no they didn’t consider using it, they’ve used it on our troops.
On the Cradle they spread Sun Bliss on the troops. You think Sun Bliss is just some mild tranquilizer? Ha! They got stuff that’ll whack your brain permanently. Brain chips. They have special vaccines that are really nano tech that already reengineer your brain.
The screen switched to show an internet encyclopedia article with the headline, “Welsh bomb.”
Yeah, there it is the Welsh bomb. Look it up for yourself, I mean this is what, what do you think spring water is? It’s a Welsh bomb baby.
And I’m not saying that people didn’t naturally have interspecies feelings. I'm not even getting into it quite frankly, I mean give me a break. You think I’m shocked by it so I’m up here bashing it because I don’t like interspecies couples?
Rux grabbed a roll of papers from his desk and began yelling. People had called for him to be screened for predators disease but they just didn’t see that he was one of the most anti-predator venlil on the planet.
I don’t like them putting chemicals in the water that turn the brahkin birds Welsh! Do you understand that? Ugh Ugh Ugh I’m sick of this speh. I’m sick of being social engineered. It’s not funny.”
Laughter erupted behind me. Mirna was bent over laughing in the doorway. I was so engrossed in the stream I didn’t hear her open the door. I quickly paused Rux and turned to Mirna as she recovered. She was short, even for a venlil, but had such a pleasant and outgoing manner that she lifted the mood wherever she went.
“That man is a hoot! The speh he says, he has to be one of the greatest improv comedians on Venlil Prime! Oh, my favorite was the parasite one; how ridiculous.”
“It’s true, Earth is covered in parasites!”
“Don’t tell me you believe that garbage? It’s all made up. He’s just trying to scare people so they buy his garb…”
That was when she noticed my bottle of Rux’s endurance pills on the desk. Her ears focused on me and her tail straightened so fast, for a moment, I thought I was looking at my mother about to scold me for telling fibs again. Before she could say another word, Mr. Cass entered the room, looking up from his datapad.
“What garbage are we thinking about buying? If it fixes those loaders or the fabricators, garbage or not I’d like to at least hear the offer.”
My boss took one look at my pad; Rux was still frozen on the screen. I had been caught, stained paw.
He sighed and forced his eyes shut as hard as they would go for a moment, “Niit, I warned you about listening to that fool at work.” He opened his eyes and asked, “Have you found replacement parts for the fabricators?” he didn’t bother to hide the exasperation in his voice.
I flicked my ear no. It figures that the fabricators were damaged after only a few days, but you couldn't expect much from people who weren’t trained to use them properly.
“Have you called the human repairmen yet?”
“We can’t give them access to our technology! If they…”
Mr. Cass held up his paw to silence me.
“The humans we hired…”
“You hired humans?! You can’t trust them. They’re predators!”
“Niit…”
“They’re primitive savages!”
“Niit!”
“They lay eggs that will eat you alive! You should have gone through me…”
“CAN IT YOU SPECIST TWIT! I DON’T NEED YOUR PERMISSION MS. TREKAS! YOU HANDLE LOGISTICS, NOT PERSONNEL.”
Mirna scurried out of the room after Mr. Cass’s outburst. I wished I could as well, but he was blocking the door. He was seething and I thought he might have caught predators’ disease from the humans.
“The humans and the old conveyor belts are the only things keeping us in operation right now! Niit, you more than anyone know how bad things are right now! We need to get those fabricators fixed as soon as possible. This is your last chance. Call the human repairmen, get them out here to diagnose the problem and make the necessary parts. If I hear about any more anti-human Venkahnspeh again… I will have to let you go.”
“They got to you too.”
“Enough!”
Mr. Cass stormed over to my desk and I fell over my chair trying to back away from him. He picked up my holopad and started to leave the room.
“I’ll leave this in your locker. Since you have already taken your break listening to this speh, I expect you to work straight to the end of the claw. Get those machines fixed! Call the humans.”
After he left, it took [several minutes] for my heart to settle down. I needed this job but I couldn’t believe how thorough the invasion was. The humans had sabotaged everything and inserted themselves everywhere. I stared at the computer trying to work up the nerve to call the human repair service. I tried to think of an alternative but I had already contacted everyone I knew and they were all in the same position.
There was no option. I had to choose between my job, becoming a collaborator, and fighting against the invasion. It felt like an eternity before I shamefully resigned myself to the only option I had left. I searched for the repair service number.
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First Previous
I think my descriptions were lacking in the previous chapters so please let me know if this chapter is better or if you have suggestions for how I could improve that part of my writing in particular.
submitted by Thirsha_42 to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
Special thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating the universe and allowing fan writers to join the fun.
Additional thanks to u/BiasMushroom, u/YakiTapioca, u/cruisingNW, u/SavingsSyllabub7788, u/YaaliAnnar, u/White_Dragon_Coranth, u/Illwood and u/Redundant-Honse for letting me use elements from their fanfics in mine.
Next chapter will return to Leena and Dani at the dinner with the parents.
Thanks to Tanner, Sandman and blankxlate for proofreading this chapter.
I love your comments so please tell me what you think so I can get better or if you have suggestions for future snippets of life on Venlil Prime you would like to see me cover, leave it in the comments.
First Previous
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Memory transcription subject: Oulo, Grain Mill Worker
Date [standardized human time]: November 1, 2136
I believed what my wife had told me. I heard what Mino had said. I knew about the empathy studies. The news repeated there hadn’t been even a single human attack on Venlil Prime but my heart still attempted to beat its way out of my chest and fur stood at attention as we meandered towards the low, wide gate of the space port. Mino sighed as he fixed me with a pitying look. He collected his thoughts before he attempted to allay my obviously overactive fears.
“Everything will be fine, Oulo. They won’t hurt you.”
“I know that, I do, but my body has a mind of its own.”
There wasn’t any more time to get ready however, as we arrived at our destination. The gate guard took our credentials and directed us to the assigned hangar. Upon our approach, a dock manager signaled for us to pull in the loading bay and park. We got out, and I could feel my skin crawling. My mind raced with intrusive thoughts to flee or hide and a voice in my head that adamantly insisted that I was in danger, though I did my best to ignore them.
The dock manager walked up with his pad and offered it to us.
“Here’s the delivery receipt. Are you staying to unload?”
Mino and I flicked our ears in assent and I placed my paw on the data pad to sign for the delivery.
“Either of you worked with humans before?”
Mino responded confidently for both of us, “My partner hasn’t but I have.”
“Good.” The manager waved his tail appreciatively towards Mino and fixed me with a one eyed glare. “Naia has had enough exterminator calls and we don’t need you callin’ them again. Is that clear?”
“Yes. My wife said it just took a bit of time to get used to them. I won’t cause trouble.”
The dock manager reviewed his pad with impatient swipes. He informed us that our ship would arrive momentarily and he would escort the humans to assist us once they had finished with their current task. He hurried off without another word leaving me and Mino to look after ourselves as we waited for our ship to arrive.
I took a moment to look around the space port loading docks and everything seemed rather normal if a bit less busy than I remembered. Just a typical paw with a few venlil hustling to and fro around the open lanes and hangars; the occasional vehicle pulling in and out of the bays to load or unload various goods onto the ships waiting to depart.
As a container ship gracefully descended into the dock, Mino and I began to unlock the truck and turned on the conveyor belt that would move the ipsom flour into the ship. The dock manager marched towards us with six humans following him, each wearing pelts that revealed their arms and hats protecting their eyes from the ever present sun.
Their thin skin glistened in the sunlight as their muscled arms swayed back and forth. I could see their vascular system underneath their skin, their sharp eyes all focused on me. I tried to keep my composure but the thoughts of being in danger were persistent.
Mino, sun bless him, stepped forward and introduced us to the humans by holding out his paw and shaking the humans’ hands. Then he explained that behavior to me and the humans held their hands out to shake my paw. With great reluctance I shook the first human’s hand. He held my paw firmly but not painfully and waved it up and down twice before letting go and telling us his name. The rest of the humans did the same and the manager, satisfied that I wasn’t going to cause a scene, left to his other duties.
The tallest human, Obi, towered over the rest of the group. He must be [two meters] tall, maybe more with the darkest skin of the group. Unlike the other humans, he seemed to lack any hair anywhere on his form. Hàoyǔ and Yìchén had lighter complections and seemed to be near identical copies of each other. They moved together as though with a shared mind. Carmen, the only female of the group, had a darker complexion and obsidian hair. She and Jake, the smallest male, were still a head taller than me. Jake was the only human with light gold hair and a fair pigmentation.
Jake rubbed his hands together and asked, “So, what are we loading?”
He picked up a crate and examined our mill’s logo. It seemed that despite our higher gravity, these crates that normally took two venlil to move, posed an insignificant burden to him. Jake placed it on the loading belt while the others took positions in the ship or by the truck. The humans moved the crates of ipsom flour, each carefully packed and sealed in an airtight container, by themselves.
Oulo and I would have to share the burden of a single crate and for the first time in my life, I had a slight feeling of inadequacy standing next to these gentle giants. If anything, only the wide profile of the boxes, requiring the full width of their reach, seemed to bother them. Mino nudged me with his tail and motioned for us to help, we were here for a job, and responded to Jake’s question.
“This is Ipsom flour. We use it to make strayu.”
The humans were fascinated by our descriptions of strayu and asked many questions about its origin and purpose. Mino and I explained how it was made and its cultural significance within the federation and Venlil Prime in particular. The voice in my head quieted and my fear subsided with the routine motions of loading crates. The humans told us about their cultures. It was enthralling to hear the humans talk about such radically different cultures within this small group.
Carmen said she was from a province called Mexico and described her people’s food to us. It all sounded delicious the way she described it. Hàoyǔ and Yìchén came from a province called China. They described their culture as one of the oldest on earth with beautiful art and architecture. Obi described his home province of Nigeria as part of an industrial and technological hub of trade and research. The last human, Jake, came from the province of Canada and seemed less enthusiastic to share his culture, claiming that his people were only good at making a strange sugary substance known as ‘maple syrup’, and playing a violent sport called ‘hockey’.
As the claw wore on, the humans talked and jabbed at each other without rest, Mino and I had to take regular breaks to catch our breath. We continued to chat with the humans, sharing stories and experiences. About half way through the claw I asked how they were adjusting to Venlil Prime and Jake was the first to answer.
“I’m getting ripped is how!”
Carmen responded with the same enthusiasm, “I gained 60 pounds just by stepping foot on this planet and already I’ve lost 15. I’m in the best shape in my life.”
Obi chimed in with, “The lack of a night has bothered me most but overall, I cannot complain. The curtains help.”
Hàoyǔ and Yìchén nodded but didn’t say anything. Jake began taking various poses to flaunt his muscles. Obi seemed to take it as a challenge and began to take his own poses. Carmen, Hàoyǔ and Yìchén laughed at the display, all smiling. If I had not known better, I would have thought this was a menacing and violent display. Jake and Obi stopped when Hàoyǔ asked Mino and me how we were dealing with the revelation about the kolshian and farsul conspiracy. Mino was quick to respond.
“I always knew it! I knew there was something rotten in the federation. Something was always off; things didn’t make sense if you thought about them long enough.”
I laughed, “He’s right. He has been coming up with crazy ideas for [years]. I never thought he would actually be right. It still doesn’t seem real. To think that there were so many predators in the galaxy. If we had not met humans, I don’t think I would have believed it.”
The job was taking less time than expected with the humans' help. They took smaller breaks than we did but had not really stopped since they started. The truck was nearly empty now. Mino and I were moving another crate when Mino asked the humans a question and the mood of the group shifted instantly.
“I don’t mean to upset you but why aren’t you all in the military? Most of the humans I have met were either in the military or trying to join.”
In unison, the humans took out their small data pads and started to select through the apps. Yìchén held his device towards us first.
“These are my kids. We lost their mother when the federation attacked; I can't leave them.”
On his device was an image of a woman with long black hair and two small children with Yìchén behind them. They were smiling and holding what I assumed to be a treat on a stick.
Hàoyǔ held his up his device to show us a picture of his and Yìchén’s families together. “My wife is with them and our child right now. As much as I want to hurt the federation, my duty is here, to my family.”
Obi showed us his data pad next. On it was a human with grey hair sitting in a chair with a very gangly predator beast in her lap. Her skin was saggy and wrinkled; she seemed frail for a human.
“This is my mama. I’m all she has left. It would break her heart if I went off to war.”
Jake handed Mino his pad. The display showed a mated pair of humans with three children.
“My brother and sister-in-law didn’t make it so my wife and I took their kids in. I couldn’t leave them. They are my world now.”
A tear fell down his cheek as Carmen showed us a picture of a man with dark hair and a boy dressed in very colorful pelts with their faces painted white.
“My husband couldn’t get out of Mexico City. Even if I had lost my son too, I wouldn’t go.”
She swiped her finger across the small pad and presented it to me. Now it displayed a video of several kids playing with paint. Smiling children took turns painting designs on each other.
“I have so many more children to look after.”
It was sobering to see these pictures and the determination in the human’s faces. They were a mix of conflicted emotions. It was clear they were angry but if I wasn’t mistaken, there was an underlying sadness in their tone. I don’t doubt they wanted to hurt the kolshians and farsul but their familial bonds took priority. This, more than Cilany’s interview, more than the empathy tests, their upstanding behavior on Venlil Prime, the news, or anything else convinced me that humans had empathy and were going to be steadfast allies and valued members of the herd.
We spent the rest of the claw talking about their families. When it was time to return to the mill the dock manager paid us and Mino and I said our goodbyes. The humans insisted on taking pictures with us then giving us each a hug before climbing into their own vehicle. I gave the keys to Mino and asked him to drive. I needed to reflect on this experience.
“You okay, Oulo?”
I had to take stock of my surroundings again after Mino had interrupted my thoughts.
“Hm? Oh, yeah. I’m just thinking. I don’t know what I was expecting but I was pleasantly surprised.”
“I told you, humans are good people.”
Memory transcription subject: Niit, Capitol Spaceport Logistics Coordinator
Date [standardized human time]: November 3 and 4, 2136
“It’s even affecting the local park life. That human bird and one of our own blue song birds. If you are a new listener just type in United Nations tested Welsh bomb on Dawn Creek, they’ve consid- no they didn’t consider using it, they’ve used it on our troops.
On the Cradle they spread Sun Bliss on the troops. You think Sun Bliss is just some mild tranquilizer? Ha! They got stuff that’ll whack your brain permanently. Brain chips. They have special vaccines that are really nano tech that already reengineer your brain.
The screen switched to show an internet encyclopedia article with the headline, “Welsh bomb.”
Yeah, there it is the Welsh bomb. Look it up for yourself, I mean this is what, what do you think spring water is? It’s a Welsh bomb baby.
And I’m not saying that people didn’t naturally have interspecies feelings. I'm not even getting into it quite frankly, I mean give me a break. You think I’m shocked by it so I’m up here bashing it because I don’t like interspecies couples?
Rux grabbed a roll of papers from his desk and began yelling. People had called for him to be screened for predators disease but they just didn’t see that he was one of the most anti-predator venlil on the planet.
I don’t like them putting chemicals in the water that turn the brahkin birds Welsh! Do you understand that? Ugh Ugh Ugh I’m sick of this speh. I’m sick of being social engineered. It’s not funny.”
Laughter erupted behind me. Mirna was bent over laughing in the doorway. I was so engrossed in the stream I didn’t hear her open the door. I quickly paused Rux and turned to Mirna as she recovered. She was short, even for a venlil, but had such a pleasant and outgoing manner that she lifted the mood wherever she went.
“That man is a hoot! The speh he says, he has to be one of the greatest improv comedians on Venlil Prime! Oh, my favorite was the parasite one; how ridiculous.”
“It’s true, Earth is covered in parasites!”
“Don’t tell me you believe that garbage? It’s all made up. He’s just trying to scare people so they buy his garb…”
That was when she noticed my bottle of Rux’s endurance pills on the desk. Her ears focused on me and her tail straightened so fast, for a moment, I thought I was looking at my mother about to scold me for telling fibs again. Before she could say another word, Mr. Cass entered the room, looking up from his datapad.
“What garbage are we thinking about buying? If it fixes those loaders or the fabricators, garbage or not I’d like to at least hear the offer.”
My boss took one look at my pad; Rux was still frozen on the screen. I had been caught, stained paw.
He sighed and forced his eyes shut as hard as they would go for a moment, “Niit, I warned you about listening to that fool at work.” He opened his eyes and asked, “Have you found replacement parts for the fabricators?” he didn’t bother to hide the exasperation in his voice.
I flicked my ear no. It figures that the fabricators were damaged after only a few days, but you couldn't expect much from people who weren’t trained to use them properly.
“Have you called the human repairmen yet?”
“We can’t give them access to our technology! If they…”
Mr. Cass held up his paw to silence me.
“The humans we hired…”
“You hired humans?! You can’t trust them. They’re predators!”
“Niit…”
“They’re primitive savages!”
“Niit!”
“They lay eggs that will eat you alive! You should have gone through me…”
“CAN IT YOU SPECIST TWIT! I DON’T NEED YOUR PERMISSION MS. TREKAS! YOU HANDLE LOGISTICS, NOT PERSONNEL.”
Mirna scurried out of the room after Mr. Cass’s outburst. I wished I could as well, but he was blocking the door. He was seething and I thought he might have caught predators’ disease from the humans.
“The humans and the old conveyor belts are the only things keeping us in operation right now! Niit, you more than anyone know how bad things are right now! We need to get those fabricators fixed as soon as possible. This is your last chance. Call the human repairmen, get them out here to diagnose the problem and make the necessary parts. If I hear about any more anti-human Venkahnspeh again… I will have to let you go.”
“They got to you too.”
“Enough!”
Mr. Cass stormed over to my desk and I fell over my chair trying to back away from him. He picked up my holopad and started to leave the room.
“I’ll leave this in your locker. Since you have already taken your break listening to this speh, I expect you to work straight to the end of the claw. Get those machines fixed! Call the humans.”
After he left, it took [several minutes] for my heart to settle down. I needed this job but I couldn’t believe how thorough the invasion was. The humans had sabotaged everything and inserted themselves everywhere. I stared at the computer trying to work up the nerve to call the human repair service. I tried to think of an alternative but I had already contacted everyone I knew and they were all in the same position.
There was no option. I had to choose between my job, becoming a collaborator, and fighting against the invasion. It felt like an eternity before I shamefully resigned myself to the only option I had left. I searched for the repair service number.
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First Previous
I think my descriptions were lacking in the previous chapters so please let me know if this chapter is better or if you have suggestions for how I could improve that part of my writing in particular.
2023.05.14 01:07 Soft-Experience7707 Blue sodalite crystal bracelet doesn't seem to like me
So I'm more of a plant witch. Oils/botanical. But I am interested in crystal healing. I have a lot of chaos in my life right now. I feel pretty drawn to my black obsidian chunk that I found. The blue sodalite crystal bracelet was given to me a long time ago. I feel weirdly averse to wearing it despite the fact it has all the properties I seem to need. In fact a few people have given me blue sodalite type stones and they never seem to like me. They get lost or I just feel odd wearing them. But I could definitely use emotional balance, stability meditation etc. And I don't think they are ugly.
Any ideas why blue sodalite seems not to like my energy? Or is the uncomfortable feeling because I need it?
Curious about what the crystal community thinks and if you guys have ever had this odd experience with a crystal that just doesn't seem to vibe with you
submitted by Soft-Experience7707 to witchcraft [link] [comments]
Any ideas why blue sodalite seems not to like my energy? Or is the uncomfortable feeling because I need it?
Curious about what the crystal community thinks and if you guys have ever had this odd experience with a crystal that just doesn't seem to vibe with you
2023.05.12 14:01 dreftzg [Daily News] Another Super-Packed Edition: Bremont Moves Stunning Prototype Into Production, The Citizen Diver Gets Fugu Makeover, Seiko And Rowing Blazers Collaborate Again, Unimatic Releases Great Summer Watch and Swatch Features Basquiat
It's Friday and get ready for a whole bunch of news. Yesterday was a dry news day, but today the It’s About Time Newsroom (actually, a corner of my apartment) is standing in knee high news floodwaters. We have some cool releases, so let’s get on with it:
Bremont Turns Prototype Into Reality With The MB Viper Limited Edition And Introduces New Vulcan Monopusher
British watchmakers Bremont have been working with the leading producer of fighter jet ejection seats Martin-Baker for over 15 years. Martin-Baker approached Bremont to create a definitive pilot’s watch, and the MBI was born, followed by the MBII and MBIII. However, MBI remans unavailable to the public - the only way to get one is to have ejected from a fighter jet using a Martin-Baker seat.
As part of this partnership, Martin-Baker has been helping Bremont test out their first in-house assembled movement, the Calibre ENG300 by strapping it to their testing rigs and launch the movement over and over. From this process, a new watch is born - the MB Viper, named after Martin-baker and the General Dynamics F-16 jet unofficial nicknamed the Viper.
As a watch, the MB Viper is an unusual-looking pilot’s piece. This 43.5mm three-hander features an orange and black case, a red seconds hand, a yellow and black striped minute hand - inspired by the pull handle pattern on ejection seats, according to Bremont - and a white and black striped hour hand. It is also quite light at 58 grams.
The unique watch case shape comes from a special mount engineered by the brand, designed to fix the watch movement in place while being subjected to Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) they used for the movements and later on for the MB Viper itself. This comprises several rigorous tests completed by Martin-Baker in a lab. First, the watches are exposed to up to 15G forces. Then there’s the 24-hour temperature exposure test at +49°C and a four-hour test at -46°C. The seals and gaskets are tested by freezing the watch completely for 21 hours while submerged at -5°C. Finally, the watch is placed in Altitude Test Chamber to simulate taking it up to 100,000 feet for 60 minutes before rapidly bringing it down again over 15 minutes.
The movement has to endure all of this. And inside the watch is the new automatic ENG352 caliber. According to Bremont, it boasts a 65-hour power reserve, a silicon escape wheel, a free-sprung hairspring, inertia weights for precise adjustment, and KIF shock protection.
It’s a funky looking watch, but I don’t doubt it will sell out pretty fast as only 300 will be made. If you get yours, you will get two canvas straps - one orange and one black - but you will have to hand over £5,495 to Bremont.
But the MB Viper is not the only watch Bremont unveiled yesterday. They also showed the Vulcan, a more traditional pilot’s watch that’s more in line with the other stuff Bremont is known for. Named after the mighty and strange Avro Vulcan B-1 jet powered bomber that the UK used from the 50s to the 80s, this is a monopusher chronograph
It has a 42mm × 51.5mm × 14.9mm case in hardened stainless steel with a 100m water resistance rating. The matte black chronograph dial features a running seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock with a camouflage design. You’ll also notice a nuclear symbol in the minute counter at 3 o’clock, indicating the arsenal carried aboard these bombers during the Cold War. The blue chronograph seconds hand, Bremont says, takes inspiration from the clocks found in the old bombers.
Inside is a Sellita SW510-based BE-51AE caliber with its 28,800vph frequency and 56-hour power reserve. It is decorated with an engraving of the Avro Vulcan B-1 bomber and the heraldic badge of the Royal Air Force. The Bremont Vulcan also comes with two 20mm-wide sailcloth straps — one in “RAF Blue” and another in Avro Vulcan-inspired camo. This is also a limited edition, only 250 will be made.
The price for this model will be £4,295.
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The Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic Gets a “Fugu” Makeover
If you need a reliable and affordable diver, can you go wrong with a Citizen? Of course you can’t. You might, however, want to forgo a plain black one and go for one of the new additions to the Promaster Dive Automatic collection - the Fugu, with its new dial texture, caseback emblem and a couple of case updates.
Fugu means pufferfish in Japanese, and the recognizable fish is all over these watches. The three new Citizen divers are now fitted with a sapphire crystal and a 120-click unidirectional bezel. With the insert still made out of aluminum, Citizen has changed the bezel system to offer higher timing precision during diving scenarios such as tracking bottom time and decompression stops. That being said, the case remains the same at 44mm.
The bezel is also inspired by the Fugu, with its alternating combination of curved and sharp edges, just like a pufferfish that puffs up with its spikes. The new dial texture also draws inspiration from the small but mighty (and romantic) fish - to attract females, the male pufferfish creates elaborate works of art in the sand. This is reflected in the dial of the watch with a relief pattern.
The three new Promaster Dive Automatic models; NY0137-09A, NY0130-08E and NY0136-52L are differentiated by dial color, accents and attending straps. The NY0137-09A has a fully lumed dial with gray markers, a midnight blue bezel and a black case. The NY0130-08E gets the traditional plain steel case and gets a hit of yellow accents on the minute hand as well as the chapter ring. The NY0136-52L is the most conservative of the bunch with its matching navy blue dial and bezel, steel case and steel bracelet. All three models are rated up to 200M and ISO compliant.
The trio of Promaster Dive Automatics are currently available online through Citizen and range from $550 to $650.
3/
Seiko And Rowing Blazers Launch Third Collection of Seiko 5 Summer Watches
The Seiko and Rowing Blazers collaboration is quickly becoming one of the best in the watch world. And the two brands are back again with their third edition of Seiko 5 Sports watches that have been given completely new dials for the summer.
From a design and functionality standpoint, this new third series of Rowing Blazers x Seiko 5 Sports watches is largely identical to the models from the previous capsule collection, and they feature stainless steel cases that measure 40mm in diameter by 12mm thick with drilled 20mm lugs and and and overall lug-to-lug profile of 44.5mm.
While the overall case is more-or-less the same as what can be found on the standard-production models, it is the dial design of these collaboration watches that are inspired by Rowing Blazers owner Jack Carlson’s personal Seiko 6106-7107 Sport Diver. The black contrasting chapter ring and retro-styled hour markers are virtually identical to what can be found on the vintage 1970 model that serves as the inspiration for these watches.
Just like the previous limited-edition series that was launched last year in 2022, this new third capsule collection of Rowing Blazers x Seiko 5 Sports watches consists of four different models, and each one comes fitted with a different color dial and paired with a different secondary NATO-style strap. Dial colors include pink, purple, yellow, and white, with the white dial variant featuring hour markers in the colors of the brand’s signature “croquet stripe” design. Additionally, while all four of the models are fitted with the Seiko 5 collection’s standard three-link stainless steel bracelet, each watch also comes with an additional nylon NATO strap that compliments its specific dial color. The pink dial model is paired with a blue and white striped strap; the purple version receives a similar striped strap in green and yellow; the yellow dial variant comes with a three-stripe strap in red, yellow, and green; and the white dial watch receives a solid pink strap in order to keep the visual emphasis on its multicolored hour markers.
Unlike the recent Tudor x Rowing Blazers Black Bay Fifty-Eight, which was exclusively produced for friends and family of the brand and not made available to members of the general public, this new collection of can be purchased by anyone who wants one for an official retail price of $495 USD. That said, all four of these new models will be produced as limited editions of 888 numbered pieces. At the time of writing this, only the purple and the yellow editions are available for purchase - the other two sold out - so you might want to hurry if you want one.
4/
Swatch Unveils Three Basquiat Themed Watches For Final 2023 Art Journey Collaboration
Swatch has messed up big in the past year and drew the ire of watch lovers everywhere with their botched release of the MoonShwatch and refusal to release it for sale online. However, the majority of Swatch sales do not come from watch enthusiasts, but rather casual watch shoppers that love well designed watches at an affordable price. And this is what they do best.
One of their more popular watch collections in the past year has been the Art Journey collection that has already seen releases this year with watches based on pieces by Roy Lichtenstein, René Magritte, and others. Now Swatch is launching a new box set in this collection, the last one for this year - set of watches inspired by the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Their paring with Basquiat couldn’t be better. Swatch became what amounts to a pop-cultural institution throughout the 80s thanks to their accessible, affordably priced, and colorful watches, and Basquiat rose to considerable fame and acclaim during roughly the same time.
The three watches in this small collection are all built on the Swatch’s basic 41mm case size and feature quartz movements. The artworks represented are all pulled from Basquiat’s early 80s output. “Hollywood Africans” has a predominantly yellow colorway and is inspired by a Basquiat piece that deals explicitly with the perceptions of Afrcan Americans in the entertainment industry (the three figures represented on the dial include Basquiat himself as well as rap musician Rammellzee and visual artist and painter Toxic). “Ishtar” is based on a 1983 painting depicting the Mesopotamian goddess of fertility and war, and features dial text rendered in a style that is unmistakably Basquiat. The final piece is “(Untitled)” and features Basquiat’s signature three-pointed crown, an image he would sometimes use as an actual signature in his work.
Interestingly, the three watches within the Swatch x Jean-Michel Basquait collection can be purchased individually, or as a triptych set. The watches, if purchased as a set, rather than individually, feature subtle differences from the main capsule collection. Not only is the triptych set presented in special packaging, but the watches also feature distinctly shaded central seconds hands and two belt-loops bearing both the artist’s name and signature crown rather than one.
The price is low, as you would expect on a swatch - $105 per watch.
5/
Unimatic Collaborates With Huckberry To Release The Colorful Earthform Collection
Another week, another Unimatic release. Not really, but almost. It’s been two weeks since Unimatic’s last release, but I’m not mad since I enjoy their watches and appreciate a good collaboration. Now Unimatic has teamed up with Huckberry to create the Earthform Collection, a trio of their Modello Quatro models in fantastic summer colors. In fact, I’ll go a step further and say that this is a better summer option than the controversial pastel Panerai I mentioned a week ago and still get blasted for on social media.
The second model is the Lichen Modello Quattro ref. U4S-HG, inspired by the soft teal lichen that grows all over Yosemite. It features a lichen grené dial with Super-LumiNova C5 and a dark gray open seconds track and dial text. It comes fitted on a pale blue TPU two-piece strap and extra gray nylon NATO strap. Rounding off the Earthform Collection is the third model, the Redwood Modello Quattro ref. U4S-HM that draws inspiration from the sun-drenched leaves of the towering redwoods that line the West Coast of the USA. That one comes with a green dial, light green Super-LumiNova markers, and a cool gray open seconds track and dial text. The watch comes fitted with a meadow-green TPU two-piece strap and an extra gray nylon NATO strap, just like the other two models.
All three watches feature a 40mm stainless steel case that is 12.4mm thick and 49mm from tip to tip with a 22mm lug spacing. The Modello Quattro case is characterized by its thick, flat, fixed bezel that gives the watch its distinct presence. The texture of the sandblasted cases works nicely with the grainy dial texture and is nicely contrasted by the rubber straps. In terms of aesthetics, the three watches offer colorful variations of the design style that we know from Unimatic and the Modello Quattro specifically.
You get 300m water resistance and inside is a Sellita SW200-1. This will be a very limited model of just 75 pieces of each of the different colors and will set you back €850 excluding taxes. At the time of writing, all three are available on the Huckberry website.
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Someone recently asked me for an affordable option to a crazy skeletonized $72,000 Roger Dubois. Well, here’s one - the Zenith Skyline Skeleton
2/
Here’s another affordable watch: the Boldr Safari Ranger Kopje
3/
Hands On with the New Atmoss SR-01 Pilot Watch
4/
How about a review of the new blue Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905R
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The brand's first watch, the MEC 1, features a custom in-house designed manually-wound movement with instantaneous jump hour with a 45-hour power reserve and running at 21,600vph, and with a regulation that they say is outperforming COSC-certification. One of the key things Ramirez says he wanted to contribute by jumping into the industry (pardon the pun), was a new take on the classic jump hour display. But another pillar of the brand's ethos is a focus on design, with an Art Deco reinterpretation in a modern package, inspired by the co-founders' current home cities of New York and Miami.
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People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.
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What's new
1/Bremont Turns Prototype Into Reality With The MB Viper Limited Edition And Introduces New Vulcan Monopusher
British watchmakers Bremont have been working with the leading producer of fighter jet ejection seats Martin-Baker for over 15 years. Martin-Baker approached Bremont to create a definitive pilot’s watch, and the MBI was born, followed by the MBII and MBIII. However, MBI remans unavailable to the public - the only way to get one is to have ejected from a fighter jet using a Martin-Baker seat.
As part of this partnership, Martin-Baker has been helping Bremont test out their first in-house assembled movement, the Calibre ENG300 by strapping it to their testing rigs and launch the movement over and over. From this process, a new watch is born - the MB Viper, named after Martin-baker and the General Dynamics F-16 jet unofficial nicknamed the Viper.
As a watch, the MB Viper is an unusual-looking pilot’s piece. This 43.5mm three-hander features an orange and black case, a red seconds hand, a yellow and black striped minute hand - inspired by the pull handle pattern on ejection seats, according to Bremont - and a white and black striped hour hand. It is also quite light at 58 grams.
The unique watch case shape comes from a special mount engineered by the brand, designed to fix the watch movement in place while being subjected to Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) they used for the movements and later on for the MB Viper itself. This comprises several rigorous tests completed by Martin-Baker in a lab. First, the watches are exposed to up to 15G forces. Then there’s the 24-hour temperature exposure test at +49°C and a four-hour test at -46°C. The seals and gaskets are tested by freezing the watch completely for 21 hours while submerged at -5°C. Finally, the watch is placed in Altitude Test Chamber to simulate taking it up to 100,000 feet for 60 minutes before rapidly bringing it down again over 15 minutes.
The movement has to endure all of this. And inside the watch is the new automatic ENG352 caliber. According to Bremont, it boasts a 65-hour power reserve, a silicon escape wheel, a free-sprung hairspring, inertia weights for precise adjustment, and KIF shock protection.
It’s a funky looking watch, but I don’t doubt it will sell out pretty fast as only 300 will be made. If you get yours, you will get two canvas straps - one orange and one black - but you will have to hand over £5,495 to Bremont.
But the MB Viper is not the only watch Bremont unveiled yesterday. They also showed the Vulcan, a more traditional pilot’s watch that’s more in line with the other stuff Bremont is known for. Named after the mighty and strange Avro Vulcan B-1 jet powered bomber that the UK used from the 50s to the 80s, this is a monopusher chronograph
It has a 42mm × 51.5mm × 14.9mm case in hardened stainless steel with a 100m water resistance rating. The matte black chronograph dial features a running seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock with a camouflage design. You’ll also notice a nuclear symbol in the minute counter at 3 o’clock, indicating the arsenal carried aboard these bombers during the Cold War. The blue chronograph seconds hand, Bremont says, takes inspiration from the clocks found in the old bombers.
Inside is a Sellita SW510-based BE-51AE caliber with its 28,800vph frequency and 56-hour power reserve. It is decorated with an engraving of the Avro Vulcan B-1 bomber and the heraldic badge of the Royal Air Force. The Bremont Vulcan also comes with two 20mm-wide sailcloth straps — one in “RAF Blue” and another in Avro Vulcan-inspired camo. This is also a limited edition, only 250 will be made.
The price for this model will be £4,295.
2/
The Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic Gets a “Fugu” Makeover
If you need a reliable and affordable diver, can you go wrong with a Citizen? Of course you can’t. You might, however, want to forgo a plain black one and go for one of the new additions to the Promaster Dive Automatic collection - the Fugu, with its new dial texture, caseback emblem and a couple of case updates.
Fugu means pufferfish in Japanese, and the recognizable fish is all over these watches. The three new Citizen divers are now fitted with a sapphire crystal and a 120-click unidirectional bezel. With the insert still made out of aluminum, Citizen has changed the bezel system to offer higher timing precision during diving scenarios such as tracking bottom time and decompression stops. That being said, the case remains the same at 44mm.
The bezel is also inspired by the Fugu, with its alternating combination of curved and sharp edges, just like a pufferfish that puffs up with its spikes. The new dial texture also draws inspiration from the small but mighty (and romantic) fish - to attract females, the male pufferfish creates elaborate works of art in the sand. This is reflected in the dial of the watch with a relief pattern.
The three new Promaster Dive Automatic models; NY0137-09A, NY0130-08E and NY0136-52L are differentiated by dial color, accents and attending straps. The NY0137-09A has a fully lumed dial with gray markers, a midnight blue bezel and a black case. The NY0130-08E gets the traditional plain steel case and gets a hit of yellow accents on the minute hand as well as the chapter ring. The NY0136-52L is the most conservative of the bunch with its matching navy blue dial and bezel, steel case and steel bracelet. All three models are rated up to 200M and ISO compliant.
The trio of Promaster Dive Automatics are currently available online through Citizen and range from $550 to $650.
3/
Seiko And Rowing Blazers Launch Third Collection of Seiko 5 Summer Watches
The Seiko and Rowing Blazers collaboration is quickly becoming one of the best in the watch world. And the two brands are back again with their third edition of Seiko 5 Sports watches that have been given completely new dials for the summer.
From a design and functionality standpoint, this new third series of Rowing Blazers x Seiko 5 Sports watches is largely identical to the models from the previous capsule collection, and they feature stainless steel cases that measure 40mm in diameter by 12mm thick with drilled 20mm lugs and and and overall lug-to-lug profile of 44.5mm.
While the overall case is more-or-less the same as what can be found on the standard-production models, it is the dial design of these collaboration watches that are inspired by Rowing Blazers owner Jack Carlson’s personal Seiko 6106-7107 Sport Diver. The black contrasting chapter ring and retro-styled hour markers are virtually identical to what can be found on the vintage 1970 model that serves as the inspiration for these watches.
Just like the previous limited-edition series that was launched last year in 2022, this new third capsule collection of Rowing Blazers x Seiko 5 Sports watches consists of four different models, and each one comes fitted with a different color dial and paired with a different secondary NATO-style strap. Dial colors include pink, purple, yellow, and white, with the white dial variant featuring hour markers in the colors of the brand’s signature “croquet stripe” design. Additionally, while all four of the models are fitted with the Seiko 5 collection’s standard three-link stainless steel bracelet, each watch also comes with an additional nylon NATO strap that compliments its specific dial color. The pink dial model is paired with a blue and white striped strap; the purple version receives a similar striped strap in green and yellow; the yellow dial variant comes with a three-stripe strap in red, yellow, and green; and the white dial watch receives a solid pink strap in order to keep the visual emphasis on its multicolored hour markers.
Unlike the recent Tudor x Rowing Blazers Black Bay Fifty-Eight, which was exclusively produced for friends and family of the brand and not made available to members of the general public, this new collection of can be purchased by anyone who wants one for an official retail price of $495 USD. That said, all four of these new models will be produced as limited editions of 888 numbered pieces. At the time of writing this, only the purple and the yellow editions are available for purchase - the other two sold out - so you might want to hurry if you want one.
4/
Swatch Unveils Three Basquiat Themed Watches For Final 2023 Art Journey Collaboration
Swatch has messed up big in the past year and drew the ire of watch lovers everywhere with their botched release of the MoonShwatch and refusal to release it for sale online. However, the majority of Swatch sales do not come from watch enthusiasts, but rather casual watch shoppers that love well designed watches at an affordable price. And this is what they do best.
One of their more popular watch collections in the past year has been the Art Journey collection that has already seen releases this year with watches based on pieces by Roy Lichtenstein, René Magritte, and others. Now Swatch is launching a new box set in this collection, the last one for this year - set of watches inspired by the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Their paring with Basquiat couldn’t be better. Swatch became what amounts to a pop-cultural institution throughout the 80s thanks to their accessible, affordably priced, and colorful watches, and Basquiat rose to considerable fame and acclaim during roughly the same time.
The three watches in this small collection are all built on the Swatch’s basic 41mm case size and feature quartz movements. The artworks represented are all pulled from Basquiat’s early 80s output. “Hollywood Africans” has a predominantly yellow colorway and is inspired by a Basquiat piece that deals explicitly with the perceptions of Afrcan Americans in the entertainment industry (the three figures represented on the dial include Basquiat himself as well as rap musician Rammellzee and visual artist and painter Toxic). “Ishtar” is based on a 1983 painting depicting the Mesopotamian goddess of fertility and war, and features dial text rendered in a style that is unmistakably Basquiat. The final piece is “(Untitled)” and features Basquiat’s signature three-pointed crown, an image he would sometimes use as an actual signature in his work.
Interestingly, the three watches within the Swatch x Jean-Michel Basquait collection can be purchased individually, or as a triptych set. The watches, if purchased as a set, rather than individually, feature subtle differences from the main capsule collection. Not only is the triptych set presented in special packaging, but the watches also feature distinctly shaded central seconds hands and two belt-loops bearing both the artist’s name and signature crown rather than one.
The price is low, as you would expect on a swatch - $105 per watch.
5/
Unimatic Collaborates With Huckberry To Release The Colorful Earthform Collection
Another week, another Unimatic release. Not really, but almost. It’s been two weeks since Unimatic’s last release, but I’m not mad since I enjoy their watches and appreciate a good collaboration. Now Unimatic has teamed up with Huckberry to create the Earthform Collection, a trio of their Modello Quatro models in fantastic summer colors. In fact, I’ll go a step further and say that this is a better summer option than the controversial pastel Panerai I mentioned a week ago and still get blasted for on social media.
The second model is the Lichen Modello Quattro ref. U4S-HG, inspired by the soft teal lichen that grows all over Yosemite. It features a lichen grené dial with Super-LumiNova C5 and a dark gray open seconds track and dial text. It comes fitted on a pale blue TPU two-piece strap and extra gray nylon NATO strap. Rounding off the Earthform Collection is the third model, the Redwood Modello Quattro ref. U4S-HM that draws inspiration from the sun-drenched leaves of the towering redwoods that line the West Coast of the USA. That one comes with a green dial, light green Super-LumiNova markers, and a cool gray open seconds track and dial text. The watch comes fitted with a meadow-green TPU two-piece strap and an extra gray nylon NATO strap, just like the other two models.
All three watches feature a 40mm stainless steel case that is 12.4mm thick and 49mm from tip to tip with a 22mm lug spacing. The Modello Quattro case is characterized by its thick, flat, fixed bezel that gives the watch its distinct presence. The texture of the sandblasted cases works nicely with the grainy dial texture and is nicely contrasted by the rubber straps. In terms of aesthetics, the three watches offer colorful variations of the design style that we know from Unimatic and the Modello Quattro specifically.
You get 300m water resistance and inside is a Sellita SW200-1. This will be a very limited model of just 75 pieces of each of the different colors and will set you back €850 excluding taxes. At the time of writing, all three are available on the Huckberry website.
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On hand - a selection of reviews
1/Someone recently asked me for an affordable option to a crazy skeletonized $72,000 Roger Dubois. Well, here’s one - the Zenith Skyline Skeleton
2/
Here’s another affordable watch: the Boldr Safari Ranger Kopje
3/
Hands On with the New Atmoss SR-01 Pilot Watch
4/
How about a review of the new blue Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905R
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
MEC Has Emerged On The Scene With Its Debut: A Skeletonized Jumping-Hour WatchThe brand's first watch, the MEC 1, features a custom in-house designed manually-wound movement with instantaneous jump hour with a 45-hour power reserve and running at 21,600vph, and with a regulation that they say is outperforming COSC-certification. One of the key things Ramirez says he wanted to contribute by jumping into the industry (pardon the pun), was a new take on the classic jump hour display. But another pillar of the brand's ethos is a focus on design, with an Art Deco reinterpretation in a modern package, inspired by the co-founders' current home cities of New York and Miami.
-------------------------------------------------------------
People loved the PRX giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away three Seiko Alpinists in that lovely green. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter the giveaway.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.