The Klassik Blue Sunray

From Archimede -

Courtesy of Archimede

This is a new and limited offering from the folks at Archimede. It is available in three different dial versions, but the blue is my favorite, so we're going with that one ; )

Courtesy of Archimede

This particular model differ from their other Klassik collection cousins in that it has a blue sunray finished dial, a coin edged bezel, and a slightly fancier customized rotor.

Courtesy of Archimede

Here are the pertinents -


Movement
ETA 2824 Automatic

Case
The high-quality case is manufactured by ICKLER in Pforzheim.
Stainless steel case, polished and brushed, coined edge bezel, diameter 42mm, thickness 10 mm, lug-to-lug length 51 mm, domed sapphire crystal with antireflective coating, 10 ATM, crown with logo, screw down case back with sapphire crystal, special rotor

Dial 
Blue, sunray, silver hands and indexes, date at 6

Band 
Black leather strap with white stitching and pin buckle with ARCHIMEDE logo (wrist size: 18 - 21,5cm), optional: deployment clasp

Price 

€1,160.00*

Prices incl. VAT plus shipping costs

The Nautic 666 Automatic 39 mm

From Lip -

Courtesy of Lip

This is the last of Lip's 3 new musketeers representing the new R26D. The Nautic 666 is a classic dive watch, with a rich history. But as with everything that Lip is doing today, while it is paying homage, it is not living in the past.

The case is stainless steel, measuring 39 mm in diameter. The case itself is water resistant to 200 meters.

Courtesy of Lip

And under the hood, of course, is the R26D!

Something for the Long, Cold Winter

From Islander -

Courtesy of Islander 

If this is not already on your radar, it absolutely should be! This is the Astoria Automatic, from Islander. Marc (the man behind Islander) has already launched a slew of crazy-popular watches, and this one while taking things in a slightly new direction, is going to be another big hit!

I am a sucker for Tonneau cases, and this one is a wonderful execution. True to the original design codes, but an ample size for today's tastes measuring 34 mm x 37 mm.

The movement is automatic / self-winding from Miyota which also can hand-wind and has hacking seconds.

Courtesy of Islandeer

Best of all? The price -  $329.00!

It is offered in a few different colorways, but the blue is far and away my favorite.

Here are the pertinents -

Movement: Miyota 9039 Hi-Beat Automatic (self-winding, hand wind, hacks)
Case: Stainless steel, 34mm x 37mm, 9.2mm thick, 44.2mm lug to lug
Back: Solid etched caseback held with screws
Crystal: Flat sapphire crystal with inner AR
Band: Leather backed fabric, quick release, 18mm
Water Resistant: 50 meters
Weight: 53 grams
Warranty: 1 year

The Last Thing I Need... But Still Desperately Want

From SWATCH -

Courtesy of Swatch

Having spent the last few weeks doing a deep Vulcain dive, I was taking a break and cruising around the Swatch website this morning, and what did I find?  Why the SISTEM THROUGH AGAIN -

Courtesy of Swatch

I have what could be called a love/hate relationship with the Sistem 51.  The year that it came out I bought a red and a blue.  The red one was great, the blue always ran slow. And in truth? They both always felt sorta' cheap. 

I plumped for another a few years later -

This one was a bit better, and felt better owing to the strap...

But it still wasn't where I wanted it to be feel-wise, and the dial while soothing did not, and still does not turn my crank.

Enter the SISTEM THROUGH AGAIN -

Sort of a SISTEM / Irony love-child!  For me, it ticks all the boxes. Do I need it? Of course not.

Do I understand that like every other Swatch automatic it is essentially a time bomb (you cannot open it to repair the movement) and once it craps out, it will be a paper weight? Yes, I get it. And at $225 it is a potentially expensive paper weight ; )

But with watches, I am often more of a romantic than a realist. And it's hard not to be romantic about the SISTEM THROUGH AGAIN. 

The Circularis Automatic

From Meister Singer -

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

This is the Circularis Automatic.  As mentioned in this space previously, I was (quite possibly) one of, if not the first MeisterSinger owners in the US when I bought a beige dial, manual winding model from Seregin's in San Francisco back in 2003.  If my memory serves, it was a choice between that and a rather unusual Tissot World Time model that had all of the former Portuguese colonies indicated as time zones - Portugal, Brazil, Macau... well, you get the idea.  At that time (at least as far as I know) you could have a manual wound MeisterSinger in 2 or 3 colors.  That was it.  

Things have obviously progressed in the last 17 years, and there are a plethora of colors and even movement options.  So let's get back to the topic at hand.

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

The movement is noted in the MeisterSinger description as the MSA01.  My understanding (and this is not stated as absolute fact) is that this is based on either (depending upon who is supplying at a given time) the ETA 2824-2 or the Sellita equivalent, the SW200-1.  There are some nice details, and the finishing with the cut-out of the MeisterSinger logo on the rotor is a nice touch.

This is, don't forget, a one-handed watch and it can take a wee bit of time to get used to.  And even then, admittedly, it is not everyone's cup of coffee.  But this one speaks to me.  The juxtaposition of a black dial with what MeisterSinger refers to, as "Old Radium" makes for a much more visible time reading experience.  And the red tip on the hour hand and the three 1/4 indices (12, 3, 6 and 9) gives it that extra bit of pop.

Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -

Movement

MSA01
MeisterSinger-movement
Automatic
29 jewels
28800 Semioscillations per h – 4 Hz
Power reserve 120 h

Case

Stainless steel case with 4-screwed exhibition back
Diameter 43 mm
Height 13.5 mm

Domed Sapphire Crystal

Water resistant to 5 bar 

The Tourer GMT/Triple Calendar/Three Hand

From Straton -

Courtesy of Straton

These are the latest releases and as always, Straton has strived to offer variety and options to its dedicated customers.

Owing to that, the Tourer is available in three different versions:
GMT
Triple Calendar
Three Hand

And is also available in different sizes and colors.  But they go a bit further.  They are offering different movement types as well.

The current pricing is pre-order, and is currently at its lowest level.  The price will adjust upwards as the number of available watches decreases.  As Straton puts it:

Proud to launch the Straton Tourer GMT, Triple Calendar and three hand watches. By pre-ordering early you are saving up to 30% on retail prices. The prices will increase by $50 every month until it’s retail price is reached so ordering as soon as possible guarantees not only the lowest price but also delivery, price includes delivery. Each version of the Tourer is limited to a first production of 300 pieces per variation (example GMT Automatic limited to total of 300, GMT Quartz limited to 300, etc.

Courtesy of Straton

The Tourer GMT is available in a 43 mm version (Strap only) for $499.  $519 will get you the bracelet, and $539 will get you both the strap and the bracelet.  

It is also available in a quartz version either in a slightly smaller 40 mm version, or in a 43 mm version.  This one is $299 on a strap, $319 on a bracelet, and $339 with both strap and bracelet.

Courtesy of Straton

The Triple C Automatic is 43 mm and is priced at $499 on a strap, $469 on bracelet and $489 with both.

The Three Hand Automatic is available in 2 sizes - 40 and 43 mm. It is currently $399 on the strap, $419 on the bracelet, and $439 with both strap and bracelet.

As is often the case with Straton, you also have some choice in terms of color ways -

five to be precise!  Black, Blue, Gold, Green and Rust/Brown.

We will update with news and developments as Straton gets closer to delivery date.

Stay Tuned!

A New Da VInci

From IWC -

Courtesy of IWC

Yes, I was finally invited to SIHH.  Yes, I opted out as I had another travel engagement the week after SIHH and as I am a teacher, I cannot simply drop my students for two weeks at a time ; )

But the advantage to this is a bit like watching Paris Roubaix on the television of a cozy bar in Flanders.  You get to see all of the action, and you don't have to jockey for position to check things out.

IWC has revamped the Da Vinci collection this year, and while there were several new offerings, there was one that spoke to me and it is this one.  A nice simple name for a nice simple watch - the Automatic.  And once again, let us not confuse simple with dumb.  Because this is a beautiful watch, and the beauty is in its simplicity.

The case is of stainless steel and measures 40 mm in diameter and 10 mm in height.

The movement is the calibre 35111, beating at a frequency of 28,800 A/h.  25 jewels, 42 hours of power reserve.

It is beautiful.

The Speedmaster Automatic

From Omega-

Courtesy of Omega

This is another of Omega's BaselWorld previews.

The case is of stainless steel and measures 44.25 mm in diameter, and Omega's Calibre 9900 beats beneath the dial.

We'll have more information as it becomes available.

Affordable Elegance

From Auguste Reymond

Courtesy of Auguste Reymond

Rumor has it that Auguste Reymond may be ready to make a comeback here on these shores, and in an effort to encourage that effort, here's another wonderfully affordable piece from the folks in Tramelan, this being the Elegance Automatic 40 -

Technical Characteristics

Case material	Stainless steel
Case finishing	Rose PVD
Crystal	Scratch-resistant sapphire
Case back	transparent with 6 screws
Water resistance	5 bar (50m/165ft)
Case dimension (mm)	40,5
Case thickness (mm)	9,4
Strap width (mm)	20/18
Movement type	ETA 2824-2 / Sellita SW200
Rewinding	Automatic mechanical
Autonomy	39 hours
Strap	Leather crocodile imitation
Movement functions	Hour, minute, second, date

Corum's Ti-Bridge Automatic Dual Winder

This is "hot off the press" from Corum -

The latest addition to the Bridges collection by Corum, the Ti-Bridge Automatic Dual Winder, heralds a new chapter in watchmaking history. Perfectly in tune with the collection’s linear architecture, the new Dual Winder system of the automatic CO 207 caliber – designed, developed and patented by Corum – derives its energy from two interconnected inline oscillating weights. A world first for this avant-garde timepiece.

A patented revolutionary winding system, a new Manufacture movement, a new titanium case and a structure reflecting the collection’s signature linear construction: the Ti-Bridge Automatic Dual Winder by Corum is a truly exceptional timepiece.

Courtesy of Corum

In designing and developing the first automatic watch within the Ti-Bridge line, the Corum master-watchmakers have remained entirely loyal to the fundamental principles that have guided the history of this collection: namely the horizontal linearity of both the case and the movement. To enrich the Ti-Bridge line with its first automatic caliber, the Corum movement constructors chose to develop an inline winding system. The patented Corum Dual Winder system features two inline- mounted circular oscillating weights, interconnected via a transmission arbor that makes them move in parallel, as if performing a perfectly choreographed ballet, whatever the rotation direction. Thanks to three integrated stacked mechanisms at 9 o’clock – a ball bearing device and two unidirectional ball bearings clutches – made in ceramics and thus requiring no lubrication – the winding is efficient in both directions of the oscillating weights’ rotations. Two steel disks top each of the oscillating weights, while two 1.32-gram tungsten semi-cylinders ensure smooth winding. A single barrel placed at 3 o’clock stores up the CO 207 caliber’s 72-hour power reserve. 

Courtesy of Corum

True to the aesthetic of the Ti-Bridge line, the new CO 207 movement is held in the center of the case by four titanium cross-bars. The impression of a suspended mechanism is further accentuated by the line’s intrinsic transparency, framed by an anthracite gray dial.

Featuring the collection’s typical tonneau shape, the generous 42 x 52 mm case is slimmer than its predecessors and has a broad front opening revealing Caliber CO 207, as well as a rectangular rear aperture onto the rotating mechanism and its two unusual inline oscillating weights. Water-resistant to 30 meters and fitted with a domed sapphire crystal, the Ti-Bridge Automatic Dual Winder is available in a 200- piece limited production in grade 5 titanium – the only titanium alloy that can be polished – fitted with a rubber-type leather strap or a grade 5 titanium bracelet. 

The Ti-Bridge Automatic Dual Winder also comes in a 5N 18kt red gold exclusive 25- piece limited series.

With the launch of the first automatic watch in the Ti-Bridge line, powered by a patented movement with two interconnected inline oscillating weights – a world first – Corum reaffirms its capacity for constant technical innovation in nurturing the distinctive collections endowed with a powerful aesthetic that has become the unmistakable brand signature over the past decades. 

MOVEMENT

Movement number:     CO 207
Winding system:          Automatic
Functions:                    Minute • Hour

Power reserve:              72 hours

Frequency:                   4 Hz, 28'800 vph

Dimension:                   17''' x 5.5'''

Rubies:                         30   
Movement finishes:      Bridges and plate in titanium • Two rotors with tungsten mass


CASE

Shape:                          Tonneau-shape
Dimension:                   42 x 52 mm
Thickness:                    15.00 mm
Case material:               Titanium grade 5
Crown material:            Titanium grade 5 • Engraved CORUM key
Crystal:                         Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
Back type:                    Screwed in open back cover in titanium grade 5 with glare proof sapphire crystal
Water-resistance:           30 meters / 3 ATM


 www.corum.ch      

Christopher Ward C90 Beckett's

Cornering Quality The Christopher Ward C90 Beckett’s The news that Silverstone will be staging the British Formula 1 Grand Prix for the next 17 years prompted the petrol-heads at Christopher Ward to think of a way to celebrate.  Chris and the design team in Maidenhead disappeared into their studio for a while and came up with what many believe to be their finest design yet.  For anyone who knows about motor racing, ‘Beckett’s’ was an obvious name for a watch that combines precision, power and extraordinary performance.  The Beckett’s complex at Silverstone is one of the most demanding sets of corners on any Formula 1 track in the world.  It also provides heart-stopping views for spectators as cars flick left, then right, and change down two gears, before making a fast right exit reaching speeds of more than 180mph (290kph). Drivers experience close to 3G of lateral force first one way, then the other. The design of the C90 Beckett’s has a subtle retro feel – more Stirling Moss than Lewis Hamilton.  It features a superbly crafted, multi-layered precision dial, incorporating the 45 hour power reserve meter which is the outward expression of the complex Valgranges ETA A07.161 Automatic movement.  The power reserve movement has been specially customised by ETA for the C90.  The watch will appeal to anyone who lives life in the fast lane and demands total commitment to quality.  Cutting corners has never been an option with Beckett’s…

C90 Beckett’s - Power Reserve C90-SKK £699

www.christopherward.co.uk

What Would Cary Grant Wear - part 2

Another bright, sunny Santa Barbara morning and I woke up with Cary Grant on the brain.  A reader had commented on the first What Would Cary Grant entry about Longines.  And Wendy (my wife) was kind enough to share her self-winding Longines for today's entry.

As I am sure you've surmised by now, photography is not my strong suit!  This is a man's gold-fill model that I found for her in San Francisco.  I have always been taken with the dial of this watch - I am sure that there are others out there like it - but this one is hers.