Sinn 936: An Elegant Tool Watch

Watches, designed as serious tools and instruments, can also be elegant, and Sinn is here to prove it. Its new chronograph, the 936 is no exception of that rule. It is highly functional while sporting a cool bicompax arrangement of the counters.
The chronograph 936 is a reliable time measurement instrument equipped with Tegiment-Technology and Magnetic Field Protection, because that’s how Sinn doe it. The dial is designed to increase clarity and readability.

The in-house chronograph movement SZ05 focuses on the stopwatch minute display with 60-second scale at 3 o’clock and running seconds at 9 o’clock. The advantage of this is that it does away with the necessity of adding stopwatch minutes, as is required with conventional 30-second stopwatch minute displays. Optimum readability is also ensured in the dark, as the indices, hour and minute hands are coated in luminous white.
This Sinn chronograph boasts clear design aesthetics expressed through elegant details such as the skeletonised hour and minute hands – both of which are rhodium coated and matt brushed. The counter rings for the stopwatch minutes and seconds have an iridescent effect, caused by a fine cental groove. The dial is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.

The Sinn 936 sports a stainless steel case which is partly polished, partly satinised. It measures 43 mm in diameter. The case back is screwed and the crown is also screwable which results in a water-resistance of 10 bar and a resistance to low pressure as well.

The 936 is powered, like mentioned before, by the in-house SZ05, a chronograph automatic movement. It works with 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour, is shock resistant and anti-magnetic.
The watch can be purchased with a leather or silicone strap as well as with a stainless steel bracelet. Prices vary from 2.890 bis 3165€.

JS Watch co. Reykjavik Celebrates the World Cup

So, today it begins, the World Cup championship in Russia. A lot of watch manufacturers have presented special editions for this event (or interchangeable bracelets in team colours. We will introduce the Limited Edition by JS Watch Co. Reykjavik, the COLLECTION WOЯLD CUP MMXVIII. Because it’s awesome and dedicated to everyone’s favourite underdog from the last UEFA Euro Cup: Icelands men’s national football team.
With a population of around 330,000, Iceland is by far the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup championship – and it’s the first time, the team managed to do so. If that’s not a reason to celebrate with a special edition, we don’t know what is.

In this edition, JS Watch Co. Reykjavik has incorporated the colours of the Icelandic flag to honor the team. You’ll also find a lot of small details in the watch which reflect the spirit that has built up around the National team.
In the dial design you will find small details like „Fyrir Ísland“ (which translates into „For Iceland“). The numbers 1 – 11 are in silver for the players on the pitch, the number 12 is in red and represents the fans, who are called „Tólfan“ („The Twelve“); due to their undying support the fans are considered to be the twelfth player in the team. The minutes in blue from 0 to 45 representing the Game Time and the 45 to 60 minutes in red saying Half Time. This idea originally came from a game time clock that was located on the National stadium „Laugardalsvöllur“. Since for battle a weapon is needed, JS Watch Co. Reykjavik designed the blue seconds hand in the shape of a viking spear.
The COLLECTION WOЯLD CUP MMXVIII logo sports a reversed R as a special memorandum for Russia, the nation hosting this years FIFA World Cup – and also to honor its special alphabet.

The back of the watch is engraved with JS Watch Co. Reykjavik,  COLLECTION WOЯLD CUP MMXVIII and VAR ÞAÐ EKKI – the celebration chant the team whispers in the locker room after victories. A small engraved soccer ball on the crown filled with ceramic blue colour completes the design.

The watch comes in a 43.3 mm steel case with a curved anti-reflective sapphire crystal and see-through sapphire crystal back. The case is water-resistant up to 5 atm. Inside works a Swiss made automatic movement which assures a 38-hour power reserve when fully wound.
The watches are completed by a leather strap – calf, ostrich or alligator.

JS Watch Co. Reykjavik has limited the COLLECTION WOЯLD CUP MMXVIII to 300 pieces and the first 30 numbers are reserved for the National team members.

Anniversary Watch: Meister Chronoscope Terrassenbau

Junghans introduced an anniversary watch last month to mark the centenary of an architectural masterpiece by Philipp Jakob Manz. The terrace building in Schramberg is one of the most spectacular industrial buildings worldwide to be built on a sloping site. At the beginning of the 20th century there was an increasing requirement for workplaces in the already cramped valley in Schramberg. The nine-stepped terrace building was built directly on the slope, in less than two years. As a result, each watchmaker could benefit from direct daylight at the workplace. For decades, the building was the centerpiece of the Junghans factory.
2018 sees the monument to industrial architecture celebrates its 100th birthday, with 100 years of architectural history commemorated with a special timepiece – the limited edition Meister Chronoscope Terrassenbau.

Junghans offers two different versions of this watch and both incorporate the distinctive elements of the industrial monument in Schramberg into their design: the minute track of the dial reflects the meandering design of the wall decorations in the terrace building, whilst the dark green of the wall tiles in the stairways can be found in the alligator leather strap. The case back delivers a direct view of the architectural work: an engraved image of the terrace building.
Hours, minutes and the chronograph second are shown by central hands. The running second lies at 9 o’clock, the 30-minute-counter at 12 o’clock and the 12-hour-counter at 6 o’clock. The hands are coated with Lume and the dial is protected by a convex hard plexiglass with coating for enhanced scratch resistance.

Inside the Meister Chronoscope Terrassenbau watches works an automatic movement, the J880.1. It offers a power reserve of up to 48 hours. The cases feature a diameter of 40.7 mm and are water resistant up to 3 atm.

With a limited edition of 100 examples, the Meister Chronoscope Terrassenbau features a gold case. Inspiration for the champagne-coloured dial with the three matt silver subdials was the stairway of the terrace building, which are in beige and white. The stainless steel version is limited to 1,000 watches and has a silver-plated dial.

Baselworld 2018: The New Rolex GMT Master II Pepsi 126710 BLRO

Rolex has introduced a few new watches at the Baselworld 2018 – a new Rainbow Daytona amongst others – but the new GMT Master II Pepsi 126710 BLRO has caused the most stir. Why? Well, it comes with a new movement and a new bracelet, but, most of all, it’s steel. Steel? This is what the fuss is all about? Yes, yes it is.

Rolex already offers other versions of the GMT Master II in steel, but the „Pepsi“ was only available in white gold till now. And this is the first time Rolex has introduced a new version in steel and not in gold. Of course, there is a hefty difference in price and many fans and collectors don’t consider a massive gold Rolex quite the everyday piece. That’s different now and with the new GMT Master II Pepsi in Steel Rolex heard the call of the customer, implementing what many wished for.

Rolex has redesigned the Oyster case a bit, also the lugs are a bit slimmer than in the previous models. it is combined with an emblematic bezel featuring a Cerachrom insert in red and blue ceramic.
Of course, the GMT Master II features two different time zones, making it the perfect wristwatch for the frequent traveller. In addition to conventional hour, minute and seconds hands, which display the local time (the time in the wearer’s current location), the GMT Master II features an arrow-tipped hand which circles the dial once every 24 hours, which is completed in its function by the 24-hour graduated bidirectional bezel.
The adjustment of the local time can be made independently of the minute and seconds hands, and without affecting the 24-hour hand. The time in an alternative time zone can be displayed by turning the rotatable bezel.

The new GMT Master II is powered by a brand new movement, the calibre 3285. This self-winding mechanical movement offers a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. It works at a frequency of 4 Hz and carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, which ensures excellent performance.
The calibre lies in the classic Oyster case which guarantees a water resistance of 10 bar.

The Jubilee bracelet which completes the new GMT Master II is also new, comes with a sporty look and combines matte with polished surfaces.
This watch comes at 8.400€. That’s a price-performance ratio we can live with.

Always Trending: Chronographs

Since the first chronographs were introduced, they became hugely popular and with good reason. Some feature a tachymeter scale with which lap times can be calculated, some show chronograph hours and minutes, some only minutes. All of them feature subdials and a small second. Apart from these functions, chronographs are also popular because of there sporty looks – but many of them can also be worn to the office without difficulty – they are just gloriously versatile.
We are introducing five of them today.

Two chronographs of Chrono Diamond made the cut. The first one is the Argos, named after the hero of the same name and fellow of Jason from the argonaut myth of Apollonios of Rhodos. And the watch ought to accompany its owner just as reliably. Its design is reduced and simply elegant. It shows hours, minutes, the running seconds at 9 o’clock, the chronograph minutes at 3 and the chronograph hours at 6 o’clock. The Argos shows day and month in two windows at 12 o’clock; the date is shown by a fourth central hand with a small crescent moon tip.
The Argos is powered by a quartz movement and you’ll have the choice between twelve different models: in stainless steel, with gold and pink gold PVD-coating and different coloured dials. All variations come with a leather bracelet.

The Chrono Diamond Nestor stands out with a dial that accentuates the functions of the subdials extravagantly. At 2.30 o’clock you’ll find the running seconds, at 6 o’clock the chronograph hours and at 10.30 the chronograph minutes. At 4 o’clock a small date window is placed. The dial is textured and of course, it bears the for Chrono Diamond characteristic diamonds.
Chrono Diamond offers nine different versions of the Nestor; with dark and fair dials, in stainless steel and with gold PVD-coating, with a metal bracelet or leather strap. All of them are powered by a reliable quartz movement. All-Chrono Diamond watches are Swiss Made.

The Festina Chrono Bike-Line has a longstanding tradition and is a hommage to bicycle racing. So it is no surprise that the watch manufacturer could win Richard Virenque as ambassador. The french road racing cyclist was a climber, winning the King of the Mountains competition of the Tour de France a record of seven times. During his active time he was part of the Festina Team and the partnership between them remains to this day.
The Chrono Bike chronographs come in a variety of designs. The latest model features a stainless steel 44-mm-case, the dial is protected by mineral glass. The subdials for the running seconds, chronograph minutes and chronograph hours contrast sharply with the rest of the dial.

The Longines Conquest V.H.P. comes in many different colours and designs; some in stainless steel and some in black PVD-coating. The sober case is complemented by an articulate dial. Except for the big Arabic 12, Longines opted for plain indices which are equipped with the same greenish lume as the minute and hour hands. Red accents highlight the chronograph functions – the central seconds hand, the hands of the chronograph minutes at 3 o’clock and the chronograph hours at 9 o’clock. The subdial at 6 o’clock shows the running seconds.
The Conquest V.H.P. is powered by an reliable, high-quality ETA quartz movement.

The last chronograph we’re introducing in this feature is the rugged Mathieu Legrand Avant-Garde. This model is for fans of larger, more masculine watches. The indices, the big Arabic 12, as well as the hour and minute hands are generously coated with lume, so perfect readability is given at all times, even in the dark. The chronograph seconds and the subdials are highlighted with colour. At 4.30 you’ll find a big date window.
The Avant-Garde is powerd by a Swiss made quartz movement and comes in four different versions – three with a black, one with a fair dial; in stainless steel, with a PVD-coating in gold or in a bi-colour design.

Oris and the Mechanical Alarm in a Wristwatch

Oris revived one of its most hirstorc complications, the mechanical alarm. The new Big Crown ProPilot Alarm Limited Edition breathes new life into a complication that Oris first introduced in the 1940s. Fans of the manufacturer will be pleased that Oris has based the new Alarm on the Big Crown ProPilot, the company’s iconic pilot’s watch.
After all, the story of Oris is closely linked to that of the aviation. The company was founded in 1904, at the dawn of aviation, and made its first pilot’s pocket watch in the early 1910s. That was followed by the company’s first pilot’s wristwatch in 1917. The Oris Big Crown debuted in 1938 with its oversized crown that allowed gloved airmen to make adjustments quickly and easily. Today, Oris’s pilot’s watch collection is full of watches that delights pilots and watch enthusiasts equally.

The Big Crown ProPilot Alarm Limited Edition is the latest expression of Oris’s pilot’s watch tradition. The watch has two distinctive features. The first is its alarm, indicated by a central pointer hand with a bright yellow tip. The alarm can be set to the nearest 10 minutes against a scale that runs around the outside of an aperture in the middle of the dial. That aperture houses the watch’s second key feature, a circular date display. Underneath it is a rotating disc with a yellow date marker that makes a full tour of the dial once every 31 days.
As mentioned before, the Big Crown ProPilot Alarm Limited Edition is aesthetically based on the familiar design of the Big Crown ProPilot. In this case, the watch has two stainless steel oversized crowns, one to set the time between 2 and 3 o’clock, and a second to set the alarm between 3 and 4 o’clock. Both crowns are made of stainless steel and screw to ensure the watch’s water resistance to 10 bar.
Otherwise, the watch retains the recognisable ProPilot look. Its signature bezel motif is inspired by jet engine turbine blades; the classic round stainless steel case and tapered lugs give the watch its stylish gait; and the fundamental dial design elements, such as the straight-edged hour and minute hands and large, luminescent Arabic numerals, remain clear and functional.

The case houses the Swiss Made automatic movement Oris Kal.910.

The Big Crown ProPilot Alarm Limited Edition comes on a dark brown croco leather strap with a stainless steel folding clasp.
Oris will only be making 250 pieces of this watch.

Astronomical Single-Hand Watch: MeisterSinger Lunascope

German watch manufacturer MeisterSingers crafts mechanical watches for people who aren’t interested in counting seconds, but see the bigger picture and want so stay on track. MeisterSinger builds single-hand watches – and follows a longstanding tradition in doing so. Although the movement of the long, single hour hand is hardly noticeable to the human eye, it is as relentless as the passing of time on ancient sundials.
Our division and representation of time always followed the movement of the stars. Even back in the Middle Ages, tower clocks emulated astronomical models, preferring to recreate the mechanics of the heavens on Earth rather than wanting to show single minutes or even seconds. Now, the renowned watch designer is presenting its first astronomical watch – the Lunascope.

The slender 40-millimeter-stainless steel case of the Pangaea family forms the ideal backdrop for the dial with its unusually large moon-phase display. The upper half of the dial features a dynamic cut in which the moon moves across a dark blue, starry background. The generous diameter of this timepiece allows a realistic depiction of even fine details of the moon’s surface – just like when you’re looking up at the full moon on a clear night.

The natural impression of the Earth’s satellite corresponds to the astronomical precision with which the Lunascope presents the moon’s various phases. The moon takes 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.9 seconds to circumnavigate the Earth. A lot of watches round this figure down to 29.5 days, which means their movements deviate by eight hours per year and need to be corrected by one complete day every three years. The movement specially designed for the MeisterSinger Lunascope is far more exact. Its moon-phase indicator only needs a slight adjustment after 128 years – a short period of time in astronomical terms, but a very long time in the world of watchmaking.
Since the Lunascope comes with a glass back, the Swiss automatic movement ETA 2836 can be viewed. And it provides a power reserve of 38 hours.

MeisterSinger offers the Lunascope in two versions: with a sunburst dial in the dark blue of the moon’s background or with a silvery opaline dial, on which the circular date window at 6 o’clock forms an optical contrast to the astronomical display. Both watches are completed by a calfskin strap.

25th Anniversary: Seiko Grand Seiko 9F quartz caliber

In 1988, the Grand Seiko team made a new quartz caliber that was worthy of the high standards the brand was – and still is – known for. At that time, rapid advances in quartz technology were being made but most were focused on the addition of new functions. The Grand Seiko team though, decided that they could, and should, go further by focusing on the simple essentials of precision and durability. They decided that to be the „ideal“ quartz watch, a new caliber was needed that would be even more precise, more durable and more in keeping with the aesthetics of Grand Seiko. Five years later, in 1993, the first 9F caliber, the 9F83, was completed.

The new caliber delivered advances in every aspects. Its hands were as long as those on every other Grand Seiko watch, the calendar change was instantaneous and the durability and reliability was enhanced. Caliber 9F incorporated key innovations such as a backlash auto-adjust mechanism to eliminate any shuddering of the second hand, a twin pulse control system to deliver increased torque and a unique protective shield to minimize the risk of dust coming into contact with the gear train or stepping motor. Still today, the caliber 9F can lay a strong claim to being the highest performance quartz watch in the world.

The new limited edition pays proud homage to the 1993 design. Its case and bracelet retain the soft contours of the original. There are, however, stylistic enhancements. In line with contemporary taste, the case is slightly larger, the Grand Seiko name is now at the 12 o’clock position and the dial carries a special pattern based on the traditional quartz symbol with, above the six o’clock marker, the 5-pointed star which, symbolises the extraordinary precision rate of +5 to -5 seconds a year.
This commemorative watch is offered in a limited series of 1,500 and will be available from April.

A second limited edition also commemorates the 25th anniversary of the caliber 9F. The case design is a contemporary re-interpretation of the celebrated 44GS from 1967 and showcases the beauty of the finishing on the 9F movement through an exhibition case back. The robust construction is clear to see and the striped pattern of the engraving bears witness to the care taken on the finishing on ever 9F movement, which, albeit hidden behind the case back in every other model, is assembled and finished by hand to the same high standard.
The dial, with its special markings and star symbol, is the same as on the first commemorative edition. The bezel is in gold. It is a limited edition of 600 pieces and will be available in May.

The case of both watches is made from stainless steel with a diameter of 39.1 mm and a water resistance of 10 bar.
Both watches are completed by a stainless steel bracelet.

German Watches for the Austrian Air Force

The german-based watchmaker Hanhart from the southern Black Forest can look back on a long history in the production of aviator chronographs. So it should come to no surprise, that when a structural change within the Army and the re-establishment of the Command of the Austrian Air Forces in 2017 the Command inspired to design a limited edition of aviator watches, Hanhart was chosen as partner in this project.
The Primus Austrian Air Force Pilot Limited Edition combines the virtues of the Austrian Air Force such as precision, endurance and resilience with the principles of Hanhart: reliability, perfect legibility, ease of use and robustness. This chronograph combines the characteristic features of both sides, which are required for a perfect pilot’s chronograph.

The dial is, like in all Hanhart Primus watches, wonderfully distinctive. The bright luminescent numerals and indexes together with the red Hanhart details create a clear contrast to the black basic design of the chronograph and thereby contribute to a superb legibility. The unique fluted bezel with inlaid red marking, the typical „bicompax“ dial arrangement and the anodized aluminium red button reflect the typical features of the watch manufacturer. The chronograph provides central hours and minutes, a small seconds at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a date display at 6 o’clock. The chronograph seconds are  counted by the central seconds hand.

The new timepiece from Hanhart is available in three different versions of case and bracelet. The chronograph can be ordered in a normal, a matt sandblasted or a black DLC coated stainless steel case. Despite the size of 44 mm in diameter and 15 mm in height, the flexible lugs provide a comfortable fit on the wrist. The case of the Primus Austrian Air Force Pilot Limited Edition is water resistant up to 10 bar.
Inside works the automatic chronograph movement HAN3809. It works at a frequency of 4 Hz and provides a power reserve of up to 42 hours when fully wound.

The bracelets are available in calfskin, vulcanized rubber and canvas; each comes with a folding clasp made from stainless steel and matching the case.
This chronograph is a limited edition of 100 pieces. Prices start at 2.590€ for the regular stainless steel one and go up to 3.090€ for the DLC coated one.

Girard-Perregaux launches the Laureato Chronograph

Two years after its return to the Girard-Perregaux collections, the Laureato is writing a new chapter in its history, with the introduction of an enriched range of chronographs. In this extension of an eminently sporting chic collection, the Laureato once again demonstrates the strength and relevance of the design of this iconic watch, born in 1975.
This timepiece is designed for daily use. Entirely clad in steel or pink gold, available with two different case sizes and interpreted in three dial colours, the Laureato Chronograph is a versatile watch. Equally at ease in smart or informal attire, it is capable of adapting to every daily circumstance encountered by an elegant man.

The dial, adorned as ever with the „Clou de Paris“ hobnail pattern, comes in a choice of silver-toned, black or deep-blue versions. The two counters and small seconds subdial all feature a snailed finish that ensures they stand clearly against the background. They bear simple and slender hands facilitating reading without overloading the dial.
At 6 o’clock you’ll find the small seconds, opposite, at 9 o’clock the 30-minute-counter and at 6 o’clock the 12-hour-counter. At 4.30 you’ll find a date window.

Girard-Perregaux has fitted the emblematic case with a chronograph movement. The Laureato Chronograph is endowed with the powerful identity of all Laureato models. This personality all its own is based on a genetic code that has been driving evolutions in its aesthetic details for the past 43 years, while never distorting its essence. The Laureato is defined by a polished octagonal bezel fitted on an integrated case, meaning with no lugs or loops; as well as by its metal bracelet forming a natural extension of the case and representing an original design element in its own right. The exterior of the Laureato case has evolved to incorporate a crown guard, a curve naturally imposed by the pushers themselves. The latter are octagon-shaped like the bezel, creating protuberances that the Laureato Chronograph incorporates with natural ease.
The stainless steel case is water resistant up to 10 bar, the one made of gold up to 5 bar.

The new Laureato Chronographs are powered by the calibre GP03300-0122/0137/0138 (42 mm) respectively the GP03300-0134/0136/0137 (38 mm). the self-winding mechanical movement drives two counters, small seconds as well as a date display. As well as guaranteeing impeccably accurate timekeeping, the calibre provides a comfortable power reserve of 46 hours and works at a frequency at 4 Hz. Its horological qualities are complemented by exemplary finishing including Gôtes de Genève, chamfering and straight graining. 

The metal bracelet is distinguished by wide satin-brushed H-shaped links as well as domed and polished interlink elements. The interplay of polished and satin-brushed surfaces creates heightened visual interest and enlivens the watch. The Laureato Chronograph can also be bought with a leather bracelet, in this case, Girard-Perregaux also delivers an additional rubber strap.