The AQUASPHERE Matte Black

From Hanhart -

Courtesy of Hanhart

The case is of stainless steel and measures 42 mm in diameter and is rated to 300 meters (30 bars) of water resistance.

The movement is Sellita's SW 200-1.

Priced at $2.588

The Nautic W x The Watch Observer

From Lip -

Courtesy of Lip

Per Lip -

Made in France – Besançon

The Nautic W: an exclusive limited edition

Limited to 300 numbered pieces and water-resistant to 200 m, this dive watch is the result of a collaboration between Lip and The Watch Observer, a website and YouTube channel dedicated to lovers of fine timepieces.

Directly derived from the Nautic 3 released in 2023, this new model comes in a more accessible yet highly appealing form. The Nautic W features a 39 mm stainless-steel case with a design inspired by the 1970s, paired with contemporary high-end finishing that alternates brushed surfaces with polished mirror chamfers.

It establishes itself as a brand-new reference within the Lip catalogue thanks to its original, ultra-legible and streamlined dial, with minutes read on the unidirectional rotating bezel.
Protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, the matte black dial is fitted with large hour markers and hands coated with Super-LumiNova, ensuring optimal readability even at depth.
Its quartz movement, the Time Module VH31 calibre, delivers excellent accuracy (-/+ 0.5 seconds per day) and frees the wearer from the constraints of manual winding.
As befits a limited edition, the Nautic W is delivered with two easily interchangeable Tropic-style straps (one black and one orange) made of vulcanized rubber, to suit any mood.

Courtesy of Lip

Here are the pertinents from Besançon -

Case: round metal polish & brush

Size: 39 mm

Lug width: 20 mm

Functions:3 Hands - hours/minutes/seconds.
Central sweep seconds
Stop second.

Water Resistance : 20 atm

Weight: 82 grammes

Crystal: domed sapphire glass

Hands: white

Dial: Matte black

Indexes: index & arabic figures 3.6.9.12 white

Movement : quartz + battery

Reference movement : Time Module VH31

Accuracy: +/-15 seconds/month.

Back case : steel a vis

Strap : vulcanized rubber black

About Nautic 3

A French History

The Nautic W – A limited edition of 300 numbered pieces

Impressed by the modernized 2023 reissue of the Lip Nautic 3 with an automatic movement, Thomas and Pierre from The Watch Observer met with Pierre‑Alain Bérard, CEO of Lip. During a discussion about the fascinating history of the brand, Thomas suggested revisiting the Nautic 3 to create a more accessible version, which led to the idea of a limited series of 300 numbered pieces capturing the spirit of Lip’s dive watches from the 1960s and 70s. After several drafts and enthusiastic exchanges, the duo created the Nautic W—pronounced like “TWO” in English—a name that subtly references the initials of the website founded over 15 years ago by Pierre and Thomas Gisclard.

The BR-03 Diver Black Bronze

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is the latest member of the BR-03 family - the Diver Black Bronze.

The case is true to the BR-03 DNA. It is of bronze and measures 42 mm wide and is 12.3 mm thick.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

The movement is noted as Calibre BR-CAL.302-1. Self-winding, automatic.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Water resistant to 300 meters, and a lume to light up the night.

Limited to 999 pieces, and priced at $5,500.

Here are the pertinents -

Technical Specifications

Movement : Calibre BR-CAL.302-1. Automatic mechanical movement. 54-hour power reserve.

Functions : Hours, minutes, seconds and date.

Case : 42 mm wide. 12.3 mm thick. Satin-finished and polished CuSn8 bronze. Unidirectional rotating bezel with 60-minute scale in bronze, with white SuperLumiNova® X1 marking (green glow) and polished black ceramic ring. Screw-down crown with crown guard. Steel case-back.

Dial : Black, coated with glossy lacquer. “Baignoire-style” applique indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova® (green glow). Skeletonised hour and minute hands filled with white Super-LumiNova® (green glow).

Crystal : Anti-reflective sapphire.

Water resistance : 300 metres.

Strap : Black rubber and ultra-resilient black synthetic fabric.

Buckle : Pin. Satin-finished and polished bronze.

The AQUASPHERE Ocean Fade

From Hanhart -

Courtesy of Hanhart

This is Hanhart's latest foray into divers -
The AQUASPHERE Ocean Fade, 42mm

It is priced at 1.590 € 

The case is stainless steel and measures 42 mm in diameter with an advertised water resistance of 30 ATM.

The movement is the Soprod SOP P024 - TOP Version.

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 -

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 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 BR-03 Diver Lum Outline

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is the latest diver from Bell & Ross. The case is ceramic and measures 42 mm. The movement is listed as Calibre BR-CAL.302-1, which I believe is based on Sellita's SW300-1 per the folks at Caliber Corner.

This is limited to 500 pieces, and is priced at $5,200.

Spending Time With The Mühle Glashütte Sportivo Travel GMT

All good things must come to an end, maybe...

Okay, before we go too far into this, I have to go back to where and when I first encountered the Sportivo Travel GMT. I was wandering through the booths at the Wind-Up show in New York this past October. I had briefly spoken with Damir Armstrong of Duber Time - the US distributor for Mühle Glashütte at the Watch Time event the night before, and as I waded through the masses of the Wind-Up show the next day, I was on a mission. I had to have a second look at something that had caught my eye and beguiled me. 

If you wanted to spend a quality minute or two on Saturday at the WindUp show, you had to commit to pushing through a throng of folks, three to four bodies wide, several wearing backpacks stuffed beyond a fully-prepped paratrooper just before jumping into Normandy. You had to show commitment ; )

Courtesy of Mühle Glashütte

So needless to say, after struggling past (I'm sorry, but in all honesty) some less-than fresh smelling folks, and dodging latte splashes and hurdling baby strollers (what the hell were these parents thinking?) I had Damir walk me through the the GMT Sportivo, and that more than anything else I saw in New York stayed with me.

So fast forward to "nowish" and the Sportivo Travel GMT found its way to the North Shore for me to spend some time with it.

Courtesy of Mühle Glashütte

Mühle Glashütte makes some fancier pieces, not least of which is my ALL-TIME favorite - the Robert Mühle Mondphase Limited Edition. And although what I am about to say may seem contrarian, this versatility is why I far prefer the offerings from Mühle Glashütte. And this is why I find the Sportivo Travel GMT such a perfect counter point to the (let's be honest) very high priced pseudo sport models offered by their neighbors in Glashütte.

So let's dive in, shall we? (see what I did there?)

Let's start with the basics - the case is of stainless steel, and measures 42.5 mm in diameter; with a height of 11.4 mm.

The level of quality in the case finish is of an impressive level - brushed and polished stainless steel. And yes, aesthetics are important. But just as important if not more so? The engineering that often goes unseen, and can be under appreciated or even taken for granted.

The Sportivo Travel GMT is rated to a depth of 30 bars - that's 3 ATM (atmospheres) or more specifically 300 meters.

Under the hood, the Sportivo GMT is driven by a nicely customized Sellita SW 330-2. How customized? Glad you asked!

The specs on the Mühle Glashütte website break it down -

Movement: SW 330-2 Mühle Version, automatic, Mühle version with woodpecker neck regulation, own rotor, characteristic surface finishes, stop-second, fast date correction, 56-hr power reserve.

And now here is where the NOMOS fanboys and fangirls will whinge - "But it's not a manufacture movment..."

Well, allow me to relate a few sad realities about owing a watch with a manufacture movement - service, movement failure, high service cost, long service wait times. This is the reality. So when we are talking about a watch that you actually intend to, I don't know, actually wear... well you might want to consider how you want to spend your money, and time ; )

The timekeeping of the Sportivo Travel GMT has been quite good, very steady, not real variances. And that's as it should be.

The strap is an interesting design choice, and clearly speaks to the actual intended use of the watch.  

It is crafted of canvas and rubber. The rubber portion is textured to ensure that the strap is breathable, not slippy, and most importantly in less wintery-weather? It won't be slimy.

The strap is similar to what I have seen from Hirsch. And as many of you know, Hirsch straps are not exactly inexpensive, and are highly praised for their quality.

Now all of these are important things, but ultimately you could have a perfectly engineered watch, but if it is uncomfortable to wear, it will either sit in your dresser, or be traded or sold for something else.

After several weeks, I can honestly say that it is one of the most comfortable watches I have worn in some time. 

But now I need to get a little personal. Because despite all of the wonderful craftsmanship (both artisanal and technological), the Sportivo Travel GMT hit (and still hits) me with a visceral sucker-punch. 

What do I mean by visceral?

Per Merriam-Webster:

1. : felt in or as if in the internal organs of the body : deep. a visceral conviction. 

2. : not intellectual : instinctive, unreasoning.

Visceral Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

When you work with and around watches, and most of your waking hours are spent trying to describe them, sell them, market them? It can become a bit like, well, work...

Courtesy of Watch Charts.com

The Swatch Calypso Diver is not exactly an horological marvel. It's a plastic cased quartz watch with a plastic strap that I think I bought at the May Company in the Midway Mall in Elyria, Ohio back in 1985. That watch strangely meant quite a bit to me, even more in hindsight. I had moved out of the family home, I was 17 years old and staring down the reality that I would have to work nights and weekends at the now defunct Selenti's Pizza, while going to Oberlin High School, haplessly chasing a soccer scholarship that the OHS coach spent zero effort to help me with. Let's just say that one year probably still resonates more with me than any one before or since.

More than anything else I remember about that time was that I wanted to do more, wanted to see more. I knew that there had to be more out there than Northern Ohio, and the dream of travel, learning a new language, living in a different country with a different culture? This started as an aspirational notion that evolved into an obsession.

When I wear the Sportivo GMT, it hits me on so many levels. Now I realize that the point of a watch review is to be objective, but sometimes things are more personal. And my feeling is that the right watch (which is different for each wearer) does more than tell the time. And for the Mühle Glashütte Sportivo Travel GMT is more - it is a time machine. 

The Mühle Glashütte Sportivo Travel GMT is very well priced at $2,999.00 on the canvas strap, and $3,249.00 on the stainless steel bracelet.

Here are the pertinents, straight from Mühle Glashütte -

Movement: SW 330-2 Mühle Version, automatic, Mühle version with woodpecker neck regulation, own rotor, characteristic surface finishes, stop-second, fast date correction, 56-hr power reserve

Case: Brushed/polished stainless steel, Bidirectional rotating bezel with black ceramic inlay, Double anti-glare sapphire crystal, Transparent case back, Screw-in crown, Water-resistant to 30 bars.

Strap: Waterproof canvas/rubber strap with stainless steel pin buckle or stainless steel strap with butterfly clasp

Dimensions: Diameter – 42.5 mm; Height – 11.4 mm

Dial: Black, Applied indices, Hour markers and hands coated in Super LumiNova

The Vanitas

From Arena Timepieces -

Courtesy of Arena

This is the latest of a (thankfully) growing number of US based watch brands who although sourcing movements, cases, etc. from other locales, are in fact assembling their watches here in the US.

DESIGNED, ENGINEERED, AND ASSEMBLED IN LOS ANGELES

Now before anything else, I have to speak to what I have sensed as the brand's ethos - nothing is permanent, even time. Now in fairness, I can't claim super powers of intuition, but was tipped off by this statement on Arena's landing page:

YOUR TIME WILL END

You can't put it more plainly than that ; )

The case is of stainless steel, and measures 39 mm in diameter, featuring a domed sapphire crystal.

Courtesy of Arena

The Arena comes standard with a stainless steel bracelet (above), and if I have understood correctly, a vulcanized rubber strap (below) -

Courtesy of Arena

Now onto the ever burning question - the price and availability. 

$1,430 is the ask, and for what you are getting it is a very, very fair price. This release is limited to 300 pieces.

For a first release, this is a very, very strong contender. The lines are clean, the dial super clear and legible (YOUR TIME WILL END - and your eye sight will not always be perfect). The bracelet is not like so many others out there, the look is unique. For movements, the choice of a Sellita is a solid one. Oh, and it's Chronometer Grade! 

The Vanitas is assembled in Los Angeles, not a third-party white label company in the Swiss Jura, Ticino, or other locales. Closer to the source, and easier to ensure quality control.

For more information, and to place your order, visit Arena Timepieces -

Arena TImepieces Vanitas