100 years - 100 days - 100 watches

Laco is celebrating their centenary in style! A special edition watch that cannot be bought for any amount of money - but can be won!

Courtesy of Laco

Laco has created 100 pieces of what they have dubbed the "Frieda". Why Frieda, you ask?  

Per Laco -

Some watches carry more than a name – they carry a story. Our limited edition FRIEDA honors Frieda Lacher, co-founder of our manufacture and one of the defining figures in Laco’s history. Unlike most of our models, which are traditionally named after cities, this piece is a personal dedication. It embodies the spirit that still defines us today: courage, conviction, and true craftsmanship.

Courtesy of Laco

Red dial, pure design

The textured dial shows a delicate red tone – a subtle nod to Laco’s signature brand color. Large numerals and indices filled with Superluminova C1 guarantee optimal legibility, even in the dark. Black-framed hands with luminous fill round off the authentic pilot’s watch look.
 

A flat sapphire crystal protects the dial and brings out the striking red in full intensity, eye-catching yet unmistakably Laco.
 

Inside, the automatic Laco 2S movement (based on Miyota 82S0) keeps time reliably. With stop-seconds functionality, it offers precision for daily wear – and mechanical joy with every glance.

Courtesy of Laco

So just how do I (meaning you, gentle reader) win one of these wonderful time machines? You have to follow the Laco calendar, which will announce the various ways to win. To kick things off

Laco Online Shop

From July 19 to 26, 2025, we’re giving away the first three pieces of our strictly limited FRIEDA anniversary watch (100 units in total) among all orders placed in our online shop (laco.de and laco-watches.com). Participation is optional and, if desired, happens automatically during the checkout process – no extra steps required.Fingers crossed! 

There are terms and conditions that are disclosed on the site. 

Here is a link to the giveaway calendar. Be sure to check back each day to make sure you don't miss your chance(s)!

https://www.laco.de/en/laco-100

The team here at Henki Time wishes you all the best of luck, and here's hoping you are winners ; )

The Ocean Star Worldtimer

From Mido -

Courtesy of Mido

Okay, just to be clear right out the gate - this one is nice on many levels, but a wee bit disappointing. Disappointing because by adding an actual GMT functioning movement it would have been so much more.

                                                                        Courtesy of Mido


I love the aesthetics - in particular the original Mido logo which yes, they should revert to for all of their watch dials!

Courtesy of Mido

I realize that I might be in the minority, as it is a "tribute" watch and that yes, you can get the second timezone (after a fashion), but it is work, and in truth? The reason why the advancements were made to incorporate second time zone indicating functions into movements was because honestly? It's a pain to do the constant calculations. I realize that watches are more than mere function - I bang on about it constantly, but I also sometimes think selfishly about what I would want, and what I would want would be a fairly effortless glance down to capture the time at home, or my next destination. But then maybe that's just little me ; )

Mido didn't share all of the pertinents that they do with their "preferred" media partners, but from checking up on the big dogs that got the early drop, it appears that the asking price is 850 CHF (sans tax).

Anyway, here are the pertinents -

This One's Different! We'll Make It A Dive Watch...In Orange!

Courtesy of DOXA

How many times can you recreate (essentially) the same watch? That is clearly a question that the brain trust in Biel/Bienne is asking as DOXA offers up (yet) another tribute to Clive Cussler / Dirk Pitt. 

Priced at $2,990.

Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -

Technical data

MOVEMENT

Swiss mechanical automatic, self-winding
Power reserve 56 hours
Frequency 28,800 vph (4.0 Hz)
Decorated by DOXA

CASE

Stainless steel case
Diameter 45.00 mm x 47.00 mm
Height 11.95 mm
Screw-down crown
Water resistance 75 ATM / 750 meters / 2,460 feet
Stainless steel, screw down case back

INDICATIONS

Hours, minutes, seconds
Date

FEATURES

Sapphire crystal
Unidirectional rotating bezel (in feet)
Limited to 94 timepieces

BRACELET / STRAP

Stainless steel bracelet "Beads of Rice", folding clasp with ratcheting wetsuit extension
Lug width 21.00 mm
Additional NATO strap included in the box

DIAL

National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) logo stamped on the dial

The 24-hour Edition

 From MeisterSinger -

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

This is the latest from the brand that continues to encourage us to look at time differently - the 24-hour Edition, from MeisterSinger.

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

Limited to 100 pieces, the 24-hour Edition's case measures 40 mm in diameter and is of stainless steel. The movement is Sellita's SW 330. The suggested retail price is 3,190€ which includes tax / VAT.

Here are the pertinents -

Model	Edition 24H (ED-PM99-24H)
Movement	Sellita SW 330, Automatic, 56 hour power reserve
Case	Stainless steel, 6 screw case back, water-resistent to 5 bar, sapphire crystal
Diameter	40 mm
Dial	Sunburst steel blue with gold accents
Strap	Calf leather with crocodile embossing, cognac with white stitching
Specialty	Limited to 100 pieces
Origin	German watch brand, Swiss Made

(Re)Introducing Statera

It would seem that once again I have been asleep at the switch! So in fairness, this is not "new" news, but it is for me ; )

Ladies and Gentlemen, Children of All Ages - 

                            Statera!

Courtesy of Statera

One of their taglines is: 

            "Traditional watchmaking
                with a tropical twist"

And that seems a fitting motto! Statera is based in Maringá. And no, that is not a small community in Neuchatel! You would be forgiven for making assumptions based on the high level of finishing that is on display through the "ready to wear" collection, but Satera is proudly (rightfully so) Brazilian. And unlike so many brands that have an administrative office in their "home country", but use the Swiss elves in white label assemblers to produce their watches, the team at Statera is actually making actual watches!

Courtesy of Statera

Statera is notable for many reasons, but it is clear that the creation of enamel dials is a focal point. In their ready to wear they have two families:

The Opaque Collection - 

Bright Ivory - Courtesy of Statera

Royal Blue - Courtesy of Statera

Deep Black - Courtesy of Statera

Here are the pertinents for the Opaque Collection:

Case diameter: 37 and 39mm

Lug to lug length: 42,75 and 44,55 mm

Case depth: 9,9mm

Case finish: Polished + Satin (Finished by hand)

Strap width: 20 and 22mm

Strap: Handmade leather

Dial: Enamel Grand Feu

Movement: La joux perret G-100

Glass: Sapphire crystal with 5 layers of anti-reflective coating

Hands: Thermally treated by hand in house

Waterproof: 3ATM

Warranty: 2 years

The second collection is the Transparent Collection -

Forget Me Not - Courtesy of Statera

Caeruleum - Courtesy of Statera

And the pertinents -

Case diameter: 37 and 39mm

Lug to lug length: 42,75 and 44,55 mm

Case depth: 9,9mm

Case finish: Polished + Satin (Finished by hand)

Strap width: 20 and 22mm

Strap: Handmade leather

Dial: Enamel Grand Feu

Movement: La joux perret G-100

Glass: Sapphire crystal with 5 layers of anti-reflective coating

Hands: Thermally treated by hand in house

Waterproof: 3ATM

Warranty: 2 years

And as if making their own enamel dials and assembling in their atelier was not enough...

Their watch cases are also produced in Brazil! Per Statera -

The ST02 WatchCase

With over two decades of expertise in the art of habillage, Angelique Chappuis is the mind behind the conception of our watchcases and buckles. Working closely with the Statera team, Angelique transforms technical constraints into sculptural forms, guided by an obsessive attention to proportion, ergonomics, and the subtle harmony between sharp lines and soft transitions.

The cases, offered in 37 and 39mm, are machined and hand-finished in Brazil, where her design vision takes shape through our local craftsmanship. Each buckle follows the same ethos, serving as a natural extension of the case’s architecture.

The result is more than functional, it becomes a tactile bridge between the poetry of the dial and the rhythm of the movement, a frame where mechanics and emotion coexist.

So there you have it! But keep in mind, that is the "ready to wear"! Statera also offers a bespoke experience for the customer who wants to really let their creativity flow!

I Love LA! The Camp Malaga Red

"Santa Ana winds blowing hot from the north, and we were born to ride!"

Randy Newman, I Love LA

Courtesy of Camp Watches

Having spent many years Los Angeles adjacent in Santa Barbara, I was excited to learn (belatedly) about Camp Watches and their Field Timer. 

But back to the matter at hand -

I love LA, but those who know me also know I love an enamel dial, and this little wrist rocket ticks all of the Henki boxes:

Hand winding, enambel dial, unique typeface, and for me just as important - a small (likely to grow) brand with small production - to quote the Dynamic Duo at the Wrist Check Podcast - "When you know, you know."

Camp Watches is the baby of Justin Jakobson. He mentions that his first watch was a Swatch Yamaha Racer. As one of mine was the Swatch Calypso Diver (bought at May Company in the  Midway Mall in Elyria, Ohio back in August 1985) I already feel a bond!

So per the website, it appears that all conception, design, sales, and marketing rest with him and Camp Watches in LA. The watches are assembled by Reglatronic SA in Ligornetto, Switzerland - that's the Ticino region for those of you unfamiliar. On a side note, I highly recommend a trip to the region if you are so inclined, but save Lugano for last. Ticino is beautiful, and an under-appreciated hub of Swiss watchmaking. 

Courtesy of Camp Watches

If I have read correctly, the Camp Malaga comes with three straps, my favorite being the Bonklip bracelet - I'm just funny that way. But it also comes with a leather strap (above), and on in Cordura nylon (below) -

Courtesy of Camp Watches

The movement is Sellita's SW210-1b which is a hand-wound caliber.

Courtesy of Camp Watches

And it is attractively priced at $900 US.

I realize that for many possibly reading this, The Camp Malaga is not a "new" item, but then again I often find myself at the back of the "Conga Line" -

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide infoweb

Here are the pertinents -

Specifications

• CASE: Brushed + polished 316L stainless steel 
• WATERPROOF RATING: 100m/330ft
• DIAL: Berlac stove enamelled lacquer, 15 layers, 1.3mm thick
• DIAL TYPEFACE: 1940 Ford Coupe numerals
  
• FEATURES: Swiss Super LumiNova on hands + numerals
• MOVEMENT: Sellita SW210-1b manual winding, 28’800 A/h (4Hz) with an accuracy of +/-12 sec/day, 18 jewels, adjusted to 2 positions, fully customized train wheel bridge
  
• CRYSTAL: Top hat double dome sapphire with internal AR coating
• CASEBACK: Flat sapphire exhibition window
  
• CASEBACK TYPEFACE: Aeronaves, designed by Mans Greback
• CASE DIAMETER: ø 39mm
• LUG-to-LUG: 47.2mm
• LUG WIDTH: 20mm
• THICKNESS: 10mm including boxed sapphire
• FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, seconds
• POWER RESERVE: 42 hours minimum, 45 hours average
• STRAPS, 3 Included: Full-grain Italian leather, Cordura nylon, Steel Bonklip-style
  
• BUCKLE: MIM 316L stainless steel
  
• WEIGHT: 66g/2.3oz with leather strap
• PRODUCTION: 100 pcs

Now to put you in the mood -

Yes, Randy Newman was the original, but in terms of pure audio quality I prefer OMC's take ; )

The Type20 Flymaster

From Auricoste -

Courtesy of Auricoste

For my fellow watch lovers in the lower 48 - and possibly even further afield...

Allow me to either introduce, or reacquaint you with Auricoste!  Okay, you ask - just who or what is Auricoste? Auricoste started out way back in 1854. Over time, Auricoste developed into one of the most notable providers of purpose built time keeping instruments - including watches ; )

This is the Type20 Flymaster. And yes, there have been plenty of Type 20s released, but this one rings true to me.

Courtesy of Auricoste

This chronograph is available direct from the brand. For those of you wanting to see on in person? You will need to grab your passport and hop on over to France. But considering that you can avail yourself of all of the wonderful things in  France during your shopping trip? Count me in!

Courtesy of Auricoste

Here are the pertinents -

MOVEMENT

Dubois Dépraz
42021 DD automatic movement / 57 Jewels
28600 Vibrations/hour
42-hour power reserve
Geneva striped weight
Circular graining of the bridges and the plate

CASE

Diameter 39.5 mm
Thickness 14
mm Bidirectional 12H bezel DLC-treated steel
Incabloc anti-shock protection system
Smooth steel pusher
Screwed steel back
Water resistance 50 m

GLASS

Hesalite glass (prevents glass breakage)

DIAL

Numerals and hands coated with super Luminova (for optimal readability)
Black dial

Production: numbered in limited edition

Introducing the Lozier

From Cornell Watch Company -

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

This is the sophomore effort from what is proving to be a brand with a very real future!

Following up on the 1870, this is the Lozier. It is a departure in a few ways from it's older sibling, but solidifies the ambitions of this new-ish brand. What exactly do I mean by "new-ish"? Simply put, there was at one time a Cornell watch. Like so many watch brands around the world, it did not survive when some brands got bigger and the competition harder for smaller, seemingly regional brands.

With that being said, I (and many of my colleagues in the Fourth and Fifth Estate) have been very impressed with the hard work and effort put in by the new stewards of the brand - which I believe is the Warren family (I only assume this as the CEO, CFO, and two advisors share the last name of Warren). Regardless - they are doing a great job of building Cornell into something truly special. Not by hurling hundreds of SKUs out there, but rather by offering a (growing) collection that has a clear design grammar, and and focusing on working with partners who are rooted in both the arts and crafts of Watch Town.

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

And I truly, truly love the clean slate on the case back - perfect for engraving and making the Lozier your own. I am a bit old fashioned, but I believe that this is the type of watch you buy for yourself (or someone you care about) to be worn, not but into a rotation of 60 watches and then be sold off or traded for something else. This is, in fact, a Time Machine.

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

The Lozier is priced at $6,200. It is a pre-order item and requires a 50% deposit, with the balance due prior to delivery. Delivery is anticipated to start this autumn continuing through winter 2026.

The preorder window is open until July 16th, so don't dawdle! 

Here are the pertinents -

American Made Case & Crown

Dimensions

Diameter: 37.4mm
Thickness: 8.5mm (including crystal)
Lug-to-Lug: 46.8mm
Lug Width: 22mm

Material

316L stainless steel
Three-piece construction
Hand-finished

Crown

316L stainless-steel
Laser-engraved Cornell logo
Hand-finished

Crystal

Box sapphire crystal with single-side anti-reflective coating

Water Resistance

50m/165ftAmerican 

Dial & Hands
Dial - German silver with a three-tier design, single-piece construction.

Markers

Custom "Chicago" Roman numerals and chapter ring, pad printed with black ink

Hands

Cornell Leaf hands in German silver
Diamond-cut and hand-finished

Movement
Swiss Sellita Calibre SW-300-1 b (Swiss Made)
Elaboré grade movement, regulated in three positions

Functions:

Hours, Minutes, Center Seconds (stop-seconds for precise setting)

Winding: Automatic

Thickness: 3.6mm

Power Reserve: 56 hour
Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vpn)
Jewels: 25

American Strap
Dark taupe leather strap

Producer - Veblenist
Material: Nubuck leather with tonal stitching

Buckle

Stainless steel Cornell buckle (18mm)

The BR-05 SKELETON PHANTOM CERAMIC

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is the latest addition to the Bell & Ross BR-05 family. The case is of black, micro blasted ceramic and measures 42 mm in diameter. It is rated to 300 meters of water resistance.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

The movement is the Caliber BR-CAL.302-1, which is based on the Sellita SW300-1.

Limited to 500 pieces, and priced at $ 5,400.

Here are the pertinents -

• MOVEMENT

  Caliber BR-CAL.302-1. Automatic mechanical. 54-hour power reserve.

• FUNCTIONS

  Hours, minutes, seconds, and date.

• CASE

  42 mm wide. 11.2 mm thick. Microblasted black ceramic. Unidirectional rotating bezel with 60-minute scale and markings filled with Super-LumiNova® (green glow).

• DIAL

  Black. "Baignoire-style" applique indexes outlined with Super-LumiNova® X2 (green glow). Skeletonized hour and minute hands outlined in Super-LumiNova® X2 (green glow). Arrow-shaped hour hand. Second hand filled with Super-LumiNova® X2 (green glow).

• CRYSTAL

  Sapphire with anti-reflective coating.

• WATER-RESISTANCE

  300 meters.

• STRAP

  Black rubber and ultra-resistant black synthetic fabric.

• BUCKLE

  Pin. Black steel microblasted PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition).

The Hugenius - More than Mere Symbolism!

Named for the inventor of (among other things) the balance spring, the Hugenius celebrates the achievements of Christiaan Huygens.

Courtesy of Kneijnsberg

It was created by Brendan Horneman and is his sophomore effort following up on his Tree of Life from 2018. Back then he sailed under the banner of Kneijnsberg & Van Eijk. The brand name has been adjusted to simply Kneijnsberg.

Courtesy of Kneijnsberg

The Hugenius has some special Easter eggs that I will try to explain here. At its heart, it is three-handed watch that gives hours, minutes, seconds, and date. But a closer look reveals a bit more than first glance.

Courtesy of Kneijnsberg

Circling the dial are seven (7) different symbols. at the center of the dial is (the) Earth.  There symbols for the seven days of the week:  Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and of course Friday. They are highlighted by a small magnifying lens mounted on a fourth hand (the other three hands being hours, minutes, and seconds). The lens mounted hand advances each day in a seven day cycle.

The breakdown of these symbols is as follows:

Saturday = Saturn

Sunday = (the) Sun

Monday = (the) Moon

Tuesday = a spear to symbolize Tyr 

Wednesday = Odin

Thursday = Thor (not to be confused with Chris Hemsworth, but the actual Thor)

Friday = Freya 

So technically it is a day-date watch ; )

So on to the pertinents -

Movement

Certified Swiss made 

Caliber 28.350 (modified ETA 2834-2)

Functions: 

Hours, minutes, central day indication, date at 6, day of week via symbols.

Power Reserve: 

42 hours

Lume: 

Swiss Super-LumiNova on day symbols, Earth motif, and wind rose

Case

Case Material: Grade 5 Titanium

40 mm case diameter, 11 mm case thickness

Lug-to-Lug Distance: 48.25 mm

Crystal: Domed Sapphire with AR-coating

Finishing Options: Full Titanium, Bi-color Titanium with gold-anodized bezel, Full gold-anodized Titanium case.

Strap

Canvas on leather with titanium buckle

Presentation (packaging)

Camera obscura inspired box, referencing Huygens’ optical work

The price in US dollars is: $1,412.27