Something Interesting Is Coming...

From Chicago -

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

This one might be just under the radar, but I suspect that is about to change in the new year.

May I introduce you to the 1870 CE, from the Cornell Watch Company.

The Cornell Watch Company does not have a ton of information on its website, but just enough to whet the appetite for what is meant to be coming in 2024! And while there is more to the (hi)story of the brand, we're going to save that for another time. This new offering is plenty to keep us occupied for the time being.

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

The dial is enamel (Grand Feu), and the hands are blued.

The case measures 39 mm, and is of stainless steel -

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

The movement hails from La Chaux-de-Fonds (or nearby, anyway) produced by Schwarz Etienne.

The strap is from the Twin City atelier of Velle Alexander.

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

Now although based in Chicago, the Cornell Watch Company has turned to perhaps the most important man in US watch making - Roland Murphy of RGM in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

I will be reaching out to the folks at Cornell to see if they can share more details with us.

Stay tuned!

Falling In Love All Over Again

With RGM -

Courtesy of RGM

As we start to take our collective second lap on the COVID track that is our new (hopefully temporary) reality, it was a wonderful pleasure to rediscover two RGM GMT pieces.  Today I am focusing on the Model-500 GMT -

Courtesy of RGM

The 500 GMT hits some real sweet spots for me. It is not quite a diver, and not quite a dress watch but a true field watch that truly could be the "One Watch To Rule Them All".

It is available in Gray, Black and my personal favorite - 

Courtesy of RGM

A truly lovely green.

The case is of stainless steel, and measures a very reasonable 41 mm in diameter.

The bezel is bi-directional, which is a first for RGM.  The movement is based on ETA's 2893-2.

While not a giveaway, it is very fairly priced at $4,450.

A Personal Favorite

This is the Model 250 Vintage from RGM. It has long been a personal favorite of mine. 

Courtesy of RGM

RGM is in many ways the flag bearer for watch making in the US since the turn of the century, and justly so. And ever since I started following watches, I have longed to own one. 

Courtesy of RGM

I hope to sometime in the not-too-distant future to finally visit Lancaster and pick up one myself.  But for now I will admire it from afar ; )

Here are the pertinents, straight from RGM -

The 250 is a good size watch in diameter and in thickness, well suited for a larger wrist. The large Valgranges movement fills up the back of the watch and puts the calendar window in the ideal location for a watch of this size.

Movement Caliber: RGM/Valgranges - Swiss made automatic, 25 jewels, 28,800 vph. Rhodium, finished in - Cote de Geneve, perlage

Functions: Hour / Minute / Second / Date

Case: Brushed & Polished Stainless Steel. 42.0mm X 15.0mm. Sapphire crystal front and back, 22 mm lug width and water-resistant to 5-ATM.

Weight: 3.3 oz. in stainless steel

Collaboration One "C1"

From EOT Watches -

Courtesy of EOT

This was the first of the EOT Forum collaboration watches.  And if you missed out the first time, now is your chance to pick one up.

It is available with a copper dial (above), and a silver dial (below) -

Courtesy of EOT

Here are the pertinent, straight from the source -


The EOT “C1” is a inspired by vintage wristwatches from the 1950’s.

Specifications -

Dial: Copper or Silver with superluminova markers for low light visibility.

Movement Caliber: ETA 2824-2 Swiss made automatic, 25 jewels, 28,800 vph. Rhodium finish.

Functions: Hour / Minute / Second

Case: 316L Stainless Steel, 36 mm x 12 mm. 20mm lug width, water-resistant to 5-ATM, curved crystal and a display back.

$1,395 US

The 151 Left Handed Model

From RGM -

Courtesy of RGM

RGM tends to have the ability to make something you didn't know you wanted, and slip it into the lineup so that it jumps out at you one morning, confirming that once again they have given you an itch that now must be scratched ; )

This is the 151 Left Handed Model from the folks in Lancaster.  The case is of stainless steel, measuring 38.5.  It can also be had in titanium.  The movement is ETA's 2892-A2 self-winding.

A pilot's watch without being too "piloty", this is a neat one!

 

The 350-TZBD “Timezone Big Date”

From RGM -

Courtesy of RGM

The case is stainless steel, and measures 38.7 mm in diameter.  Hours, minutes, seconds, big date, and second time zone indication.

Here are the pertinents -

Technical Data – 350-TZBD 

Movement:

RGM/ETA 2892-A2 automatic 
Timezone and big date module 
21 jewels
28,800 vph
Rhodium Plated 
Côtes de Genève 
Perlage 

Features 

Case:

316L stainless steel
Curved sapphire crystal front 
Sapphire crystal back

Dimensions

Diameter: 38.7mm
Height: 12mm
Width between lugs: 20mm 

Dial: 

Black with Super-Luminova markers 
Arabic numerals
Centered big date
Second time zone
Rhodium hands with Super-Luminova 
Sweep second hand

Crown:

Traditional stainless steel


Strap:

Brown leather with contrast stitching Strap 

Price: 
US$3,700

A Winter Repeat - Winding up the Filip Cleveland Westside Gold

A few years on, still one of my favorite watches to review, so once again -  15 Days with the Filip & Co Cleveland Westside Gold.

I've gone 15 days and beyond with the Cleveland Westside Gold, and it is time to wrap this up!
Starting with the vital statistics:

• 41 mm highly polished Stainless Steel case with exhibition back
  
  
  
  
• Westside Gold Sunburst Dial with Silver Luminous Index Markers
  
  
  
  
• Silver Luminous Slender hands
  
  
  
  
• Fully decorated ETA 2824-2 mechanical automatic movement 
  
  
  w. Rose Rotor adjusted to five positions
  
  
  
  
• Genuine Alligator Strap with single fold-over deployment clasp

Lately it seems that the trend is coming back towards sanity with case sizes coming back down towards 40 mm or so. At 41 mm the Cleveland Westside Gold strikes just the right balance. It has presence and it sits prominently - but not overwhelmingly.

With a case size of 41 mm, the temptation can be to to get the widest lug width you can manage.  It tends to leave you with a STRAP that just happens to have a watch attached to it.  Not so in this case. The Filip Cleveland line uses a 20 mm alligator strap.  In this instance, a beautiful black one that is padded and stitched.

The strap is secured with a stainless steel deployment clasp that simply pulls up to release. Simplicity itself.

The watch has run very, very well. There were 3 days where the variance hit +15 seconds, but by and large it hovered at around 9 seconds per day.

I went a little more than 2 days for the obligatory "power-reserve" test and went a little beyond 42 hours.

The ETA 2824-2 was nicely finished and actually worth looking at through the display back.

So after more than 3 weeks I have to say that this is a watch that I would spend my money on and wear with pride!  Now in the interest of full disclosure -

YES, I did grow up in Oberlin, Ohio.  YES, Cleveland was the closest "big city" so there is a bit of an emotional link.

BUT, before the watch arrived I really was not sure.  You see things online, you read a bit, and you just don't know.  The Filip Cleveland Westside Gold more than exceeded my expectations.

And I think I would like to close this with a brief commentary on "locational branding".  Let's take three different examples -

RGM - focusing on high end, unique, classically designed pieces.  Based in Lancaster, PA - but relying more on the expertise and skills of the watchmaker rather than trying to position themselves as the "watch making savior" of Eastern Pennsylvania.  And sorry if this hurts anyones' feelings, but RGM is RGM for a reason.  They've been at it longer, they have real watch making skills, and they do not attempt to buy "provenance and authenticity" through multi-million dollar advertising campaigns.

Filip & Co. - one man, designing his cases, dials, etc.  Ordering the components, then assembling them one at a time, piece by piece in his workshop in the Cleveland area.  Named his watch after his adopted hometown.  DOES NOT claim to be something that he is not.

Shinola - 'nuff said.  If you know the difference between sh*t and Shinola, I suspect you will purchase something else.  Massive marketing campaigns do not a watch make - and it is a sad statement about the sophistication of the mainstream media that a press release has the ability to become accepted fact.  Assembled in Detroit - sure.  Made in Detroit?  No more so than me - and for the record I was "made" in Zanesville, OH


So ultimately, don't believe the hype.  Do you homework, and honestly - I am just one guy, sitting here in Santa Barbara giving an opinion.  In my opinion, the Cleveland Westside Gold is worth the money, and is AS ADVERTISED.

The PS-801-EE

From RGM -

Courtesy of RGM

This just in from Lancaster, PA -

Real glass Enamel skeleton dial with hand cut Engine-Turned (Guilloché) Main-plate. Roman numerals and blued steel hands.

Movement Caliber: American made RGM 801, Manual wind, 19 jewels, 18,000 vph. Rhodium or Gold, Hand finished - Cote de Geneve, perlage. Unique 7 tooth winding click. Optional wolf's tooth winding wheels.

Functions: Hour / Minute / Second 

Case: Polished 316L Stainless Steel. 42.0 mm X 10.5 mm. Sapphire crystal front and back, 22mm lug width and water-resistant to 5-ATM.

Weight: 2.5 oz. (with Stainless Steel Bracelet : 2.5 oz)

Kansas City Here I Come!

This is the Raw Stainless from Niall -

Courtesy of Niall

When most people think of Kansas City, images of barbecue probably spring to mind.  But for watch lovers, Kansas City is on the cusp of rivaling the Lancaster (PA) area for bragging rights to "made in America" timekeepers.

The Niall collection features one of the few watches being labeled as made in the USA that by all accounts actually is.  The movement being the exception, as it is Swiss.

The majority of the watch is made in the US - more details are coming in the next few days along with a "few minutes" with Niall founder Mike Wilson.

The "pertinents" for this model are as follows:

TECHNICAL DETAILS 

• Case: 316L Stainless steel
• Bezel: 316L Stainless steel
• Bezel Color: Black DLC
• Case size: 41.4mm
• Dial size: 30mm / laser etched
• Luminescence: Hands
• Movement: Swiss automatic with date
• Glass: Gorilla Glass
• Water Resistance: 100 meters
• Band Type: Genuine Leather
• Buckle Type: Deployant
• Warranty: Two year
• Assembled In: Kansas City

Stay tuned!