The Marinier

From Lip -

Courtesy of Lip

In a world of oversize Submariner look-alikes, here's something a wee bit different.  
The case is of stainless steel and measures 39 mm in diameter.  Water resistance is warranted to 200 meters.  The movement is Miyota's 820A. 

Here are the pertinents -

Case
steel 316 L polished, diameter 39 mm

Back case
exhibition back

Dial
medium green, silvered stick and hand markers, medium green bezel, date and day in French

Crystal
sapphire

Strap
steel 20 mm

Buckle
steel butterfly deployant

Movement
automatic analog MIYOTA 820A
size 11"1/2 - diameter 26 mm 

vibration frequency: 21600 per hour 

21 jewels 

power reserve 42 hours

Water Resistance
200 m

Warranty 2 years

Made in Besançon - France

The Rue Royale Power Reserve Limited Edition

From Pequignet -

Courtesy of Pequignet

A bit of splash while staying fairly somber.  Hours, minutes, large second display at 4 o'clock, and power reserve indicator at 7 o'clock. 

Here are the pertinents -

MOVEMENT

Calibre Royal movement
88-hours power reserve
Small second
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal and case-back

CASE

316L Stainless steel 

DIAL

White dial, Luminova hands
White small second counter with red hand and power reserve counter with blue hand

BRACELET

Red alligator strap with white stitching 
Folding buckle with clasp

Limited edition

The Torr Blue

From AnOrdain -

Courtesy of AnOrdain

As has been mentioned ad nauseam, despite my more aspirational moments where I revel in some of the short-lived triumphs of my wee watch and luxury consulting business, my day-to-day is spent as an educational social worker.  And after a particularly curious and challenging day yesterday, I realized that the reason I stick with it is that it is more than just a paycheck, it is a calling.

Which brings us back to today's topic, the Torr Blue, and the folks who design, make and sell it - AnOrdain. A few years on, and it is clear that AnOrdain is not an attempt to make a buck (or quid) but rather a calling.  Part of the challenge for the potential customer who is a fan of the rapidly evolving micro-brand concept, is to be able to separate the real from the hyperbolic.  

Courtesy of AnOrdain

So essentially, at AnOrdain you are getting a watch that has original design content not to mention dials that are enameled in-house.

Courtesy of AnOrdain

And all assembled in Glasgow, not by an assembler further afield. 

No flashy slogans, no "famous chums" of the brand. A beautifully conceived, wonderfully executed watch that combines the arts and the crafts.

So, if like me you are also seeking the antithesis of hyperbole, here are the pertinents -

• Case diameter: 36mm
• Lug to lug length: 43mm
• Case depth: 11mm
• Case finish: Polished
• Strap width: 18mm
• Dial: vitreous enamel on copper
• Movement: Sellita SW-210-1 + Incabloc shock protection
• Glass: Sapphire with 6 layers of anti-reflective coating
• Hands: Custom-made Superluminova 
• Case back: Solid screw-in
• Waterproof: 5ATM
• Warranty: 5 years

The Noramis Date

From Union Glashütte -

Courtesy of Union Glashütte

This one absolutely speaks to me.  The case is 40 mm in diameter and is of stainless steel.  A wonderfully green dial with hours indicated by numbers at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, alternating with applied markers.  The movement is Union Glashütte's UNG-07.01.

Hours, minutes, seconds and date at 3 o'clock.
Once it's safe to travel again, I might just have to cash in all of the empty soda cans, raid the change jar and head visit a country where I can actually lay hands to this time machine, as they are not available on this side of the Atlantic.

Should you be of a similar mind, here are the pertinents -

NORAMIS DATE

MOVEMENT

Automatic movement UNG-07.01

FUNCTIONS

Hours, minutes, centre second hand, date display in dial window, second stop

CASE

Stainless steel 316L, sapphire crystal case-back

GLASS

Sapphire, anti-reflective on both faces

WATER­RESISTANT

Up to a pressure of 10 bar (100 m)

DIAL

Green with indices and Arabic numerals, rounded, enamelled

HANDS

Nickel-plated

STRAP/BRACELET

Brown leather

WEIGHT

70 g

DIAMETER

40 mm

HEIGHT

9.85 mm

REF.

D012.407.16.097.00

The Transit NightBlue

From Defakto -

Courtesy of Defakto

Available with a PVD case (above), and a stainless steel version (below) -

Courtesy of Defakto

The case measures 40 mm in diameter and is of stainless steel.  The movement is ETA's 2824-2.  The price is nice and sane at: 
945,00 EUR (incl. VAT)
794,12 EUR (excl. VAT)

Here are the pertinents -

Three-piece 40 mm stainless steel watchcase (316L):

brushed
or
sandblasted, Pvd-coated

Height including sphered saphire crystal dome 9.8mm

40 mm x 44 mm x 9,8 mm, 58 g

Automatic movement ETA 2824-2, made in Switzerland

Engraved see-through case back, stainless steel (316L), brushed, Saphire crystal

Matt nightblue dial, convex, fluorescent

Matt black rounded hands, manually shaped

Hour/Minute hand fluorescent Superluminova BGW9

Second hand fluorescent Superluminova light red

Flowing, sweeping second hand

Ergonomic clasp with engraved Defakto logo

German-made cowhide strap

Water resistant to 5 atm

Made in Pforzheim, Germany

When Sturgis Comes To Watch Town

So, despite an abundance of science, informed advice, and a growing rate of COVID-19 infections in Europe, the big swinging dicks organizing Geneva Watch Days still think it's a swell idea to get a bunch of people all together. I mean, if the press releases are anything to go by, this will be a show so cool, it might just go viral!

Now while I don't suspect that the watch cognoscenti will be loitering around strip bars wearing leather chaps, Harley Davidson T-shirts and sporting tattoos proclaiming such heart-felt sentiments as:

Born To Lose 
or
Mama Didn't Love Me

the organizers of this event are well on the way to promoting a microcosm of Sturgis in Watch Town. 

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide infoweb

Gentle reader, this or any show or gathering at this moment in time is a profoundly BAD IDEA.  

A friend of mine who tends to lean Libertarian in his political views feels that this is a case of personal freedoms and personal choices.  And that might well be true. But when the health and well-being of so many people can be impacted, I sincerely wish these titans of Watch Town would have exercised a bit more restraint and taken a pass for the year. Now it does not help that some of the chuckleheads who run shadow event and promotion services out of their "media" shops are financially invested in playing pandemic roulette with the organizers.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - if a brand owner/manager wants to book a trip to Crazy Town?  That's his or her choice.  They shouldn't force their staff, press and customers to go along for the ride.

The Urban Day Date

From MeisterSinger -

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

This one sorta' speaks to me.  I am a MeisterSinger fan from "back in the day" (that's the early oughts), and while I do feel that at the moment there are a few too many SKUs trying to offer too much, this one is one strikes just that right note.  It is still true to the original idea of a one-handed timekeeper, but it subtly adds two nice (and subtly balanced) features - a day and date indicator.

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

The case is of stainless steel and measures 40 mm in diameter. The movement is Miyota's 8285 with a boasted power reserve of 42 hours.

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

But this one, gentle reader?  This one smacks me in the face in a very positive, happy way.  As silly as this seems coming from a 52 year-old man who used to make his living writing watch advertising copy targeted at 35-55 year old men fantasizing about punching out a Nazi on Omaha Beach...
this one makes me smile.

What is it?  It's not any one thing, but several.  A nice large dial, big bold numbers, and a slightly unusual color play with a blue/grey dial, white numbers and indices alternating every so often with red ones, and red and white day and date indicators that honestly look as if they are smiling at you.

And one other "small" consideration?  I am also a social worker. It is highly unlikely that I am going to be plumping for the latest Czapek or De Bethune in the foreseeable.  It is a much more realistic purchase than what you might be reading about in the other outlets this week ; )

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

So to be clear, I am not trying to make any value judgements about your watch choices. I suspect you tune into this space because you might be looking for a different point of view. And simply put, life is too short not to be happy, and when I look at this particular version of MeisterSinger's Urban Day Date?  I am happy!

Enjoy your watches!

A Contrarian Vortic

THE CLEVELAND RAILROAD 004 -

Courtesy of Vortic

From Vortic.

So this one speaks to me.  A Vortic that swims against the stream and is re-imagined twice! The concept behind Vortic is one that I think anyone can grasp without too much difficulty - under appreciated (not necessarily unloved) pocket watches, dials, movements and hands brought back to life as wrist watches that can be worn more "regularly" as we don't tend to wear vests with pockets.

I am the proud owner of a custom Vortic myself, so I absolutely get and appreciate the concept. But as pretty much anyone who knows me just a little bit will inform you, I am also a contrarian by nature.  My high school's population was crazy about Prince, I preferred Bob Dylan. While most pen fans worship Mont Blanc, I find myself decidedly in the Pelikan camp -

And as a Northern Youth growing up near Cleveland, I found myself more of a fan of Jack Brohamer -

than I was of Buddy Bell -

Needless to say, I am a forever fan of Frank Robinson -

The 1970s are well and truly in the rearview, but for those of us who grew up south of Lake Erie, those wild red jerseys still speak to us ; )

Okay, let's get back to watches. This was (by all appearances) a one-off put out by Vortic that I believe (unless I was misinformed) an exclusive news item for another outlet at its release.

It is based on a Ball pocket watch circa 1948. For those unaware the Ball Watch company started life as a strange convergence of events.  Webb C. Ball was actually a jeweler. And it might have stayed that way.  But following the horrific collision between two trains that never should have been in the same place at the same time in Kipton, Ohio (a little better than 5 miles from where I grew up), Mr. Ball was tasked to fix this problem. As a result, he helped establish standards for time keeping requirements for watch accuracy and performance that were adopted by not only the railways, but the watch brands wishing to make watches for use by engineers.  The Ball Watch company (which grew out of his jewelry business) itself was perhaps more akin to Auguste Reymond in Switzerland, acting as more of an assembler/reseller. Nothing wrong with that, by the way.  

Now as I have said, I am contrarian by nature, and this one not only speaks, it SINGS to me. 

Courtesy of Vortic

This one is really special. And in many ways, it is the "Ballest" Ball watch out there - the original movement refinished, adjusted and refined and put in an even more impressive case.  It is slightly steampunk in look and feel, and while I realize it might not be everyone's baby, I would be thrilled to have this time machine in my pocket.

My understanding is that this one has come and gone, but you never know what the Vortic team might pull out of their sleeves in the future.

Here are the pertinents -

WATCH SPECIFICATIONS

• Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
• Model Year: 2020
• Warranty: Full 2-Year Warranty
• Case Dimensions: 
  • Diameter: 46mm
  • Height: 12mm
  • Lug-to-Lug: 55mm
  • Lugs: 22mm
• Case Finish: Machined Titanium
• Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
• Water Resistance: 1 ATM
• Crystals: Gorilla Glass
• Case Back: Stainless Steel
• Hands: Original
• Strap: Leather

MOVEMENT

• Original Manufacturer: Ball Watch Company
• Original Serial Number: 1b11273
• Manufacture Year: 1948
• Function: Manual Wind, Lever-Set
• Jewels: 21j
• Size: 12s
• Power Reserve: ~36 Hours

The Classic Worldtimer - In Green!

From Frederique Constant -

Courtesy of Frederique Constant

Here are the pertinents -

FC-718GRWM4H6

MOVEMENT

FC-718 Manufacture caliber, automatic with date and Worldtimer function adjustable via the crown. Perlage & Circular Côtes de Genève decoration on the movement. 26 jewels, 42 hours power reserve, 28’800 alt/h.

CASE

Polished stainless steel 3-parts case, diameter of 42 mm, Convex sapphire crystal, See-through case back, Water-resistant to 5 ATM.

DIAL

Green color dial with worldmap in the center and luminous indexes. Hand-polished silver-colored hands with white luminous treatment. Date counter at 6 o’clock. 24h disc with day-night indication. City disc with 24 cities.

STRAP

Green alligator strap with white stitches.

All Aboard!

Seeing as none of us are traveling right now, I thought I'd do the next best thing and strap on my Mondaine Stop2Go Gottardo2016.  

True story, this was a hard one to get ahold of.  In the end, I was able to get one a year or so after it came out.  

The green bezel insert comes straight out of the driver's cab door from the original Ae6/6  train.

I like visiting Switzerland.  And odd as it might sound, some of my favorite moments are when I hop down to platform 3 and jump on good old #5 steaming for Biel/Bienne. Biel/Bienne is always my first stop, and a visit with my friend Rod Hess. I like the trains in Switzerland, and most stations have a Mondaine Stop2Go clock 

Sadly, none of us are traveling right now, but I think I'll hop on the SBB App and map out my next trip, and start making plans for when things are safe again.

Enjoy your watches.

Relationship Status - It's Complicated...

As normal continues to recede into the rearview mirror, now seems as good a time as any to examine the ever-changing nature of the Brand/Retailer relationship.

Remember the good old days?  Brands would reach out to retail partners, and either through a visit to BaselWorld, or repeated visits to the retail partner's store an agreement would be reached. At first it was COD, then 30/30/30, and then - when the retail partner really felt that the brands should "kiss the ring" it became memo (you give us the watches, and maybe we'll pay you if they sell).

And back when customers might not feel that they were taking some serious risks by visiting a retail store, the store had a lot more muscle to flex.

Oh, what a difference 5 months and a major pandemic can make!  

The relationship between brands and retailers has been symbiotic since the early part of this century. And who had the most juice in that relationship tended to vary a fair bit. Certain retailers who went Deep South at the drop of a hat were not only tolerated, but lauded by certain brand managers.  And these retailers were smart enough to know that while they could go all Earl Scheib on some less than sexy midlevel brands -

Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide infoweb

They couldn't do that with their anchor brands such as Patek or Rolex.  But now, well, let's just say that the winds of change are starting to swirl.

Brands (those that can) have mobilized in an effort to sell directly to their retail partners customers. Retailers that used to blow off their brand reps and avoid paying their invoices are now, suddenly a bit more motivated.  

Or more accurately, they should be.

AFLUENDOR! It's Phygital!

Yea, put your dictionaries away, it's not exactly a word found in everyday parlance.

I have to be honest, I was pretty conflicted by this concept. I like to think that there is room for new ideas, and anyone with the sand to plant their flag in defiance of accepted convention is to be applauded. 

I was forwarded this (below) article by a colleague in the Fourth Estate from Watch Pro, and after reading Ariel Adam's delightfully myopic (and dare I say it) sorta' hypocritical view on watch brands paying influencers for coverage, I then came upon this -

Watch Pro - Afluendor

Now that you've read that report, I thought it might be worthwhile to unpack it.

Let's start with the name - Afluendor.  And what in the Wide World of Sports does that mean?  Per BA111OD:

A phygital concept based on a customer-centric vision, which is no longer "final". We consider our clients as Ambassadors, inFLUENCER and venDOR: AFLUENDOR

Yikes!

Okay, so let's unpack the unpack -
Phygital - I'm not saying I'm the smartest guy in the world, but I am also pretty sure that I am not the dumbest. Having said that, I had to double-check with my good friend in Switzerland who has his finger on the pulse of the start-up world and he confirmed my suspicion - Phygital essentially is combining Physical with Digital - Get it grandpa?

Sooooo -
It sounds as if BA111OD is staying true to its DNA by being disruptive with resolutely modern aplomb!
Editor's Note - yes, that is sarcasm.

In fairness, it is a nice enough looking watch, and it is certainly competitively priced. For those of you ready to embrace your inner AFLUENDOR,
you can check it out on your own here, and make your own determinations -

BA111OD

Now if it stopped there, i.e. this is our watch, then fair enough. Watch Town is littered with less-than-great copywriting that frequently wilts in translation. But I have to say that things took a turn for me.  Because apart from truly baffling naming conventions, the process for buying a BA111OD encourages you to not merely be a customer, but to be an ambassador!  And hey, while you're at it?  Could you maybe help them sell a few of these?  And the WIIFM (What's in it for me)?  You'll earn tokens!

Courtesy of L.A. Metro

Say what?

Essentially, you buy a watch.  
And then?  
You become part of the exclusive community! 
I'm sorry, but they might have overplayed their usage of the word exclusive. The only thing exclusionary seems to be your willingness to part with 380 Swiss francs to get one of their watches.  

And in the words of that other great commentator on the watch industry Ron Popeil -
"But wait, there's more!"

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide infoweb

By purchasing your watch, you receive 4 tokens and then you, Mr or Ms Ambassador then grant that token to someone that (I assume) you deem worthy of joining this growing exclusive community.  And once you successfully "invite" 4 people to buy a watch, then you get a second one for free.  A second watch, not a token ; )

So let's review that sequence.  You buy a watch, you get 4 tokens that you then pass on to 4 people, so that they can purchase a watch of their own, and get 4 tokens that they can grant to 4 different people that they feel are worthy of joining this continually growing exclusive community, who can then purchase a watch of their own, and get 4 tokens that they can grant to 4 different people that they feel are worthy of ...

I think you get the idea, it's not unlike those ads I remember in the back of comic books extolling the virtues of "not selling" to friends to win valuable prizes -

I appreciate that life is not static, and that it moves forward.  I also respect anyone willing to put themselves out there and launch a new venture, and for the record, if the AFLUENDOR concept proves to be the future, I will sit in a corner wearing a funny hat.  

The Pioneer One Blue

From Hanhart -

Courtesy of Hanhart

This one is a bit special, and a bit of a departure for Hanhart.  Hours, minutes, seconds and date.  Stainless steel case, 42 mm in diameter.  

Courtesy of Hanhart

Simple, yet not ordinary.  And the price is tempting - €867

Here are the pertinents -

MOVEMENT

• Automatic movement Sellita SW 200
• 28.800 A/h, 4 Hz, 26 jewels
• Power reserve of min. 38h

FUNCTIONS

• Three hands
• Date

CASE

• Stainless steel
• Diameter 42 mm, height 12 mm
• Large crown
• fluted bezel with red marking
• Inside anti-reflective sapphire glass
• Screwed-down case back
• Water-resistant to 10 bar/10 ATM

DIAL

• White, black, blue or grey
• Super-LumiNova® coated numerals and hands

STRAP

Calfskin or stainless steel

The Bronze 75

From Vertex -

Courtesy of Vertex

And because brands shouldn't have to pay for coverage with "sponsored" anything, enjoy some Fremium Coverage here at Tempus Fugit!
You're welcome!

Here are the pertinents -

Technical Information: 

•   Case Size 40mm, with 20mm lugs.

•   Movement cal. 10 1/2 ETA 7001, TOP execution, 17 jewels, bronze CuSn8 case body and bezel, stainless steel case back.

•   Water resistant to 10 ATM.

•   Double curved top sapphire crystal with anti-reflecting treatment AR08 + AR06.

•   Black matt dial with SLN 7501C arabic numbers.

•   Vintage brown leather strap with 2 springbars with quick release system, bronze CuSn8 18mm tongue buckle.

•   Peli case with Bronze edition plate.

•   Zulu Alpha ZA Vertex 75 Strap 

•   A.F.0210. strap (replica of strap used in WW2)