It’s been just a few weeks, yet the watch world has already seen another wave of new releases. We took our time, went through all of them carefully and picked the best lookers. Some of them are gold and some have a blue dial which somehow reminds us of a blue sky and sunny days because as we look out of the window right now, it seems that summer is over. Maybe now it’s about the time to think of a time(piece)…
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe in full red gold
If we talk about Blancpain, their most recognisable model line would be Fifty Fathoms. The classic models in this line are purely tool watches for diving, however, with Bathyscaphe, the luxury Swiss watchmaker doesn’t restrict itself that much and instead uses complications or higher-end materials to create sport watches, wearable both on land and underwater. Following the recent introduction in full ceramic, Blancpain brings Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet and Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback to shine bright in full red gold, with a dark blue sunburst finished dial. Both come in a 43mm case diameter and offer water resistance to 300m, the model with moon phase function can beat up to 72 hours while the Chronograph model is up to 50 hours. For more details, check Blackpain’s website.
Panerai Luminor Dieci Giorni GMT Ceramica and Submersible Luna Rossa Carbotech
It seems that after of years being rather quiet, Panerai has caught a new breath lately and come with some interesting pieces. During the Watches & Wonders in Shangai edition, the Italian watchmaker introduced two new models. The Luminor Dieci Giorni GMT Ceramica is a black ceramic edition to the brand’s Complicazioni collection and as you would expect, it comes in the ‘classic’ huge case of 44mm, offering a 10 days power reserve thanks to the movement that’s a testament to Panerai’s long-standing expertise of timepieces with extended power reserve. The second model, the Submersible Luna Rossa Carbotech, pays homage to the deep connection maritime world (the Luna Ross Prada Pirelli team) and is limited to just 37 pieces. This model features a case, bezel and crown-protecting bridge made from Carbotech and comes with 3 days of power reserve and the capability to dive up to 50 bar (500m). We know… you either love or hate Panerai but if it’s the former and you have a big wrist, these would be a good look for you. If interested, head to their website.
Longines Spirit Flyback
To broaden the Longines Spirit Flyback line, the Swiss watchmaker introduced recently two new models: one spotlights a matte shaded green dial with a matching ceramic bezel paired with yellow gold details, and the other one has a shaded brown dial and bezel, paired with rose gold details. The Flyback line is one of the Longines’ most innovative in the Spirit Collection, focusing on the brand’s pioneering role in the development of the flyback technology. Both of these two Chronographs come with a case of 42mm diameter, housing a movement with a power reserve of 68 hours and with a matching coloured-leather strap. While we like these two new colourways a lot, this watch appears too thick and big for us, so we would rather put our hands on the 39mm Spirit Zulu Time. All the details are on Longines website.
Breitling’s new Premier, Navitimer and Super Chronomat to celebrate its 140th anniversary
We don’t feature Breiling here that often, but now it’s time! Breitling has just introduced its first perpetual calendar chronograph movement in three of its most popular models: the Premier, Navitimer, and Chronomat. And it’s an impressive technical step forward for the brand. This perpetual calendar movement comes with a full calendar, and moon phase and offers a 96-hour power reserve. The Premier B19 Datora measures 42mm and comes with a red gold case and black dial. The Navitimer measures 43mm, and the layout of this watch is similar to the Premiere, but comes with a red gold dial instead – and that’s the looker for us! Finally, the Super Chronomat B199 comes in a case of 44mm. Maybe the next step for Breitling would be to introduce these in stainless steel: that would be interesting to see! In the meantime, all the specs are here.
Tudor Black Bay Chrono ‘Blue’ Boutique Edition
You might have noticed that we like the way Tudor is heading lately. After the recent introduction of the Black Bay Chrono with a pink dial, Tudor has taken the opportunity to launch a new boutique edition with a blue dial with the sunray finish and a bezel in the same colour: it’s a shade that Tudor has always been fond of, and from the late 60s to the present, it has found its way onto different models. All of the specs and details remain the same, which means 41mm of a case diameter, a power reserve of 70 hours, water resistance up to 200 meters, and a steel five-link bracelet. Check the rest at Tudor’s website or even better at their boutique.
Becoming a watch nerd?
- Carbotech – is a material known for its lightweight strength and resistance to wear and corrosion.
- Crown-protecting bridge – is there to not only provide enhanced water resistance but to prevent the wearing of the crown tube by daily unscrewing, meaning that the water resistance lasts a lot longer.
- Panerai – quick history – founded in 1860 in Florence, Italy. It initially specialized in producing military watches and optical instruments for the Italian Navy. The brand’s early watches were designed to withstand rigorous conditions while providing high legibility and precision. In the 1990s, Panerai finally set out to make watches for the public. They launched their first collection in 1993.
- GMT – a watch that features an additional 24-hour hand – shows two time zones at once
- Ceramic – refers to any material that is solid, inorganic, and non-metallic. This relatively vague definition provides plenty of room for watchmakers to play with their ceramic formulas and improve their timepieces. Unlike coated metal watches, the colour of ceramic is a property of the material itself, making it more resistant to fading and wear.
- Chronograph – is a traditional timepiece fitted with an extra complication to act as a stopwatch, allowing it to record time. Most chronographs have subdials on the watch face that display seconds, minutes, and hours elapsed. To use the chronograph function, there are typically pushers on the side of the watch case that allow to return of stopwatch hands to zero.
- Moonphase function – displays the sunlit portion of the moon as observed from Earth at any given point during each 29.5-day lunar month.
- Fifty Fathoms (from Blackpain) – introduced in 1953, is a pioneering dive watch that set the standard for modern dive timepieces. Commissioned by the French Navy, it was designed by Blancpain’s CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter, a passionate diver, who incorporated key features like a rotating bezel and water resistance up to 50 fathoms (91.45 meters).
- Sunburst – or sunray – finish on a dial is produced by using a brush, usually with metal filaments, to etch super fine lines that radiate from the dial’s centre. Often layers of enamel are then added to create depth.
- Flyback technology – was invented by Longines and allows the chronometer to be reset to zero with a single press and the indicated course to be followed for the required length of time.
- Chronometer – means that the watch must be able to stay within a 5-second range of variation each day throughout its power reserve
- Perpetual calendar – a watch uses a complex system of gears and levers to automatically adjust and display the correct date, accounting for different month lengths and leap years, making manual date adjustments unnecessary for many years.
- Movement – can be automatic/self-winding, manual winding or quartz and is what keeps the watch going.
- Breitling’s Chronomat – Breitling introduced the Chronomat in 1983, an automatic watch designed for Italy’s Frecce Tricolori aerobatics team.
- Boutique edition – a watch is available only for purchase exclusively at the house’s flagship stores.
- Bezel – the part of the watch case that surrounds the watch glass, serving as a protective guard and as an aesthetic frame. Rotating dive watch bezels help to track a diver’s bottom time – the total time spent underwater – a reminder to prevent divers from exceeding their diving time with limited oxygen.
