Rehoisting the Northflag

With Tudor -

Courtesy of Tudor

Yes, gentle reader, I was there when the first Northflag hit the Tudor stand at BaselWorld in 2015 (if memory serves). The great and the good of Watch Town's Fourth and Fifth Estate had been treated to some sort of overnight camping trip "experience" by Tudor the night before the start of the fair proper. I guess the working logic was that you couldn't really write about a watch unless you sat around a campfire making s'mores and drinking beer...

But I digress... the Northflag represented, in many ways, a failure to launch. It was, in the words of that other great commentator on watches, Sean Connery describing Antonio Cabrini's missed penalty against West Germany in the 1982 World Cup final: "a damp squib".

I think more than anything else, nobody really knew what to make of it. But like Ikepod back in the 90s, the original Northflag was misunderstood at first, but now is living its best life. Which brings us to Tudor's latest curiosity - a relaunch of that original failure to launch.

Like the original, Northflag 2.0 has opted to go with a display case back -

Courtesy of Tudor

Keeping time under the hood is Calibre MT5652-U which is COSC certified. But wait, there's more! It's METAS certified as well...

But in fairness to Tudor, the read out on some key indicators is impressive.

Per Tudor:

• Anti-magnetism

  Smooth functioning when exposed to a magnetic field of 15,000 gauss and precision following exposure

When compared to IWC's Ingenieur which weighs in at more than double the price, it is an impressive achievement - even with the display back ; )

Finally Tudor has the perfect celebrity partner with Electro - because if he wasn't "born to dare" who the hell was?

The bracelet is integrated and micro adjustable.

Power reserve is rated to 65 hours.

I am still a bit more a fan of version 1.0, but for all you New Jacks out there, this might be the scratch to your itch. But at $5,525 I am not feeling it. In this instance, at least pour moi:
"le jeu n'en vaut pas la chandelle". Or as we say in the lower 48, the juice isn't worth the squeeze.

The Pandial Power Reserve Black Titanium LE Chronometer

From Brellum -

Courtesy of Brellum

Limited to 23 pieces. 

The case is of titanium, and measures 43 mm in diameter. The movement is listed as  Caliber BRELLUM BR-750RM Automatic Chronometer (Valjoux based) Officially Chronometer Certified by the COSC (delivered with certificate).

The price is CHF 3'232.19

In Case You Missed It - The Heritage Small Second 1938 COSC

From Tissot -

Courtesy of Tissot

Back at the turn of the century, I was, well, a younger man living and working in San Francisco. Although obsessed by watches, financially speaking I was not exactly in the Rolex demographic. Yes, I had walking around money, but let's just say I was only going a few blocks ; ) 

Over a three year period I acquired three different Tissot Heritage pieces that bore names connected to Portugal, where Wendy and I had lived for one year back in the 90s. The Lisboa, the Porto, and the (de) Janeiro. And they were quite nice. Situations evolved, desires changed, fortunes won and lost, you get the idea. 

But I keep coming back to the Tissot Heritage pieces as many of them offer a wonderful watch with a COSC certificate at a price that won't wipe out your "pin" money.

Courtesy of Tissot

And the Heritage Small Second 1938 COSC truly ticks all of the boxes. It is Goldilocks sized (just right) at 39 mm. The dial is clear and legible, and for once the date window wasn't squibbed by trying to have it, and the number 3 occupy the same space.

And the price is approachable at $1,095 (at least here in the lower 48).

Here are the pertinents, straight from the folks in Le Locle -

Technical specificities

• The Tissot Heritage 1938 pays tribute to Tissot's history. The 39 mm stainless steel case adds elegance and finesse. The vintage-inspired dial reinforces the watch's timeless aesthetic.

• SKU

  T1424281108200

  Collection

  Classic Traditional

  Weight (g)

  109.00

  Warranty

  3 Years of Warranty

  Country of manufacture

  Switzerland
• Length

  39.00

  Width

  39.00

  Thickness

  9.82

  Lugs

  20.00

  Water resistance

  Water-resistant up to a pressure of 5 bar (50 m / 165 ft)

  Case shape

  Round

  Case Material

  316L stainless steel case

  Case options

  See-through caseback

  Crystal

  Domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
• Energy

  Automatic

  Movement

  Swiss automatic

  Power reserve

  Power reserve of 42 hours

  Caliber

  11 1/2'''

  Diameter (mm)

  25,6

  COSC

  Yes
• Dial color

  Grey

  Indexes

  Arabic
• Strap/Chain reference

  T605049903

  Strap details

  Stainless steel

  Strap color

  Grey

  Buckle

  Jewellery clasp with safety, Standard buckle, Interchangeable quick release bracelet

  Buckle options

  Interchangeable quick release bracelet

The MARINE TYPE 3

From Laventure -

Courtesy of Laventure

This is the latest drop, offering two different versions. A white dial (above), and a black dial (below) -

Courtesy of Laventure

Limited to 100 pieces each, here are the pertinents -

Technical specifications

CASE

• Titanium Grade 23
• Diameter : 38,00 mm
• Thickness (without crystal) : 8.90 mm
• Length lugs to lugs : 46.20 mm
• Finishing : « tribofinition » / « stonewashed »

BEZEL

• Titanium Grade 23
• Fixed
• 60 graduations filled with black lacquer

CROWN

• Titanium Grade 23
• Diameter : 8,00 mm « Big Crown »
• Screwed

DIAL

• « Amagnetic » Sandwich Construction
• Galvanic black top plate, Super-LumiNova white pad printing
• Soft-iron bottom plate (Faraday cage)

HANDS

• Hours, Minutes and Seconds, matt white + Super-LumiNova white

WATERPROOF

• Laboratory-tested depth 300 m / 1000 ft to ISO 6425

ANTI-MAGNETIC

• Faraday cage
• Laboratory-tested resistance to magnetic fields to ISO 764 standard

STRAPS

• Main strap PFKM rubber and Titanium Grade 23 buckle
• Textile / Elastic secondary strap

The movement

Calibre 4 produced by Sellita on a “SW300-1 b” base for LAVENTURE®.

- Swiss Self-winding mechanical movement

- Frequency 4Hz, 28'800 Alt/h

- 25 jewels

- 56 hours power reserve

- Gilded 3N circular-grained pearl pattern plate

- Bridges "Côtes de Genève", diamond spiral, LAVENTURE engravings, gilded 3N

- Openworked oscillating weight, satin-finish, paper spiral, curved « soleillage », LAVENTURE engravings, gilded 3N

- Officially “CHRONOMÈTRE” certified

The Duobox 39 Chronometer in Pink

From Brellum -

Courtesy of Brellum

This is the latest take on Brellum's Duobox. A three register chronograph (based on Lajoux-Perret) in pink.

As with all of Brellum's offerings, priced very competitively at CHF 3'190.00

Here are the pertinents -

Limited to 17 units worldwide

MOVEMENT:

Caliber BRELLUM BR-110 Automatic Chronometer with Column Wheel, (Lajoux-Perret base)
Officially Chronometer Certified by the COSC (delivered with certificate)
26 jewels, 28'800 A/h, 60 hours power reserve
Fully decorated movement, with Perlage, Geneva Stripes, blue screws, numbered Brellum 5N rotor (from 01/17 to 17/17).
Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date, 12 Hours Chronograph, stop second, Pulsometer scale

CASE:

Stainless steel case 316L (1.4435), WR 100 meters, tested 100%
Diameter 39.50mm, Thickness 15.30mm with domed sapphire crystals (11.05mm without crystals)

Lug to lug length : 48mm

CRYSTAL:

Box sapphire crystal on top and back with anti-reflection coating (ARdur® + ARunic®, Anti-UV coating on dial side)

DIAL:

Pink Mother Of Pearl multi-level dial, diamond cut indexes with SuperLumiNova
Diamond cut hands with SuperLumiNova

BRACELET/STRAP:

Delivered with Stainless Steel bracelet + pink leather strap + white leather strap (with Brellum pin/buckle)

The Wyvern GMT Chronometer

 From Brellum -

Courtesy of Brellum

Available in blue (above), silver, and black (both below) -

Courtesy of Brellum

Courtesy of Brellum

Available on a rubber strap for CHF 1,995.

Here are the pertinents -

Movement:
Caliber BRELLUM BR-893-GMT Automatic Chronometer COSC Certified (base Eta)
Officially Chronometer Certified by the COSC (delivered with certificate)
Fully decorated movement, with Perlage, Geneva stripes, blue screws, Brellum rotor 5N
Hands for Hours, Minutes, Seconds, GMT hand (24H dual time), instantaneous date, stop-second.

Case:
Stainless steel case 316L (DIN 1.4435) WR 100 meters (333 ft), tested 100%
Diam. 42.30mm, axis to axis 45.00mm
Thickness 10.90mm with domed sapphire crystal

Crystal:
Sapphire crystal BOX shape on the top and sapphire on the exhibition caseback, antireflexion coating

Dial:
Multilevel Blue dial, sunray pattern, diamond cut indexes,luminescent material (Superluminova)
Diamond cut hands, luminescent material (Superluminova)

Strap:
Integrated rubber strap (HNBR) with steel pin/buckle with Brellum logo
Suitable for all wrists from 15 to 21cm (5.9 to 8.3 inches)

Weight:
75g (without bracelet)

The Curious Case Of Formex

I have been covering this beat (watches) for a minute or two. And I've seen a lot of hype, a lot of bombast and a lot of hyperbole. And that can sell watches. At least for a little while. Usually, invariably, Goliath wins. There have been a few outliers. Plucky little brands with compelling stories, but when you are fighting it out in the $900 - $2,000 price category more often than not you are the grease that lubricates the wheels of the bigger brands.

But for every rule, there is an exception. And that exception is, in fact, the exceptional Formex -

Courtesy of Formex

And for me, as an impartial observer, the Essence embodies, well, the essence of why Formex has quietly become one of the most sought after watch brands (both micro and macro) in recent memory.

Now I know what you're probably thinking - 

• Celebrity "Chums of the Brand"? 
• "Manufacture" movement?
• Shop at Home with "Value Pay" option?
• Official Watch Partner of an F1 Team?
• Readily available at retail partners near you?

The answer to all of those questions, as far as I can see, is no. The answer is not any one thing, but rather several small things that when taken on balance, 

have made Formex as sought after as it is.  

Think I'm full of it? Visit the Formex web shop and have a look at the availability of the Formex Essence. Out of 9 options, 7 are currently sold out. Think about that for a moment.

Courtesy of Formex

So what's the secret sauce? A great watch at a fair price? I'm sorry, but that is a bit too simplistic. No offense to Formex, but there are several brands that have trotted that idea out, and unfortunately it is not enough to move the needle. So how did Formex crack the code that so many other brands continue to be baffled by?

As mentioned above, a combination of things. Some that are quite familiar to me from my DOXA days.

• Accessible - and by that I don't only mean price point, but also that the people selling you the watch are accessible. From what I've heard from Formex owners, communication is strong between Formex and its customers, and customers to be. That creates a pretty strong bond.
• Quality - again, I've never owned or even handled a Formex, but the feedback out there is fairly unimpeachable.
• Innovation - and I don't mean watch cases made of "unobtainium", but rather watch cases that have an extra bit of intelligent design thrown in -

Courtesy of Formex

The Formex suspension system is just one example.  In their own words -

• absorbs shocks to protect the mechanical movement from heavy impacts
• adds to the comfort on the wrist by adapting to the wearer’s movements

Now this might seem like overkill, but as someone who has had to field the repair/after service woes of customers who might have not understood that a dive watch is not designed to "dive" off of a desk onto a tiled floor. Life happens, and a COSC verified movement will only be accurate if it is protected.

Perhaps the last big piece of the puzzle is being nimble. Formex is a family owned brand with access to everything they need to move not only quickly, but smartly.

So while the now unimpeachable success of Formex is an anomaly in the current reality that is seeing many brands both mighty and small getting "choked out", if the enthusiasm of its customers is anything to go by, they will still be standing tall when we emerge on the other side of this pandemic.