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The Watches

Grand Seiko Expands U.S. Special Edition Sōkō Collection

Grand Seiko introduces two new U.S.-exclusive Special Edition timepieces to its Heritage Collection. The new models are extensions within the watchmaker’s Special Edition Sōkō collection introduced last year to celebrate the end of autumn and the sight of the first winter frost.

Grand Seiko says its designers were inspired by the clear blue skies over the Sea of Japan during the early winter months for the dial of this Hi-Beat 36000 model (SBGH295).

And as you might expect, both of the new models feature light blue dials.

The first new watch, the Spring Drive SBGA471, features a light blue vertically textured dial designed to mimic the frozen trunks of bamboo trees of the Arashiyama bamboo forest, according to the watchmaker.

This model, Grand Seiko SBGA471, features an icy blue vertically textured dial inspires by frozen trunks of trees in the Arashiyama bamboo forest.

With its distinctive power reserve indicator, this watch’s dial is framed by Grand Seiko’s 44GS 40mm case (here in titanium), first seen fifty-five years ago and characterized by the watchmaker’s expertly rendered flat and mirror polished surfaces.

The second is the SBGH295, a 40mm steel-cased Hi-Beat 36000 Grand Seiko watch with an escapement that vibrates at 36,000 beats per hour. This watch’s blue dial is framed with a mirrored, multi-sided case inspired by Grand Seiko’s first automatic watch, the 62GS, from 1967. Grand Seiko’s superb Zaratsu polishing and a bezel-free, fairly wide dial opening characterize the case.

Collectors may recognize the blue dial from the Grand Seiko “ice blue” dials introduced on the first U.S. Limited Edition collection in 2018.

Grand Seiko Automatic Spring Drive Caliber 9R65.

The movements

Grand Seiko powers each of the new Sōkō Frost limited editions with specialties of the Grand Seiko house. In the Spring Drive model you’ll find caliber the 9R65, which combines the high torque of a mechanical watch with Spring Drive’s unique integrated circuit control system.

Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Caliber 9S85.

As noted, Grand Seiko places its 9S85 Hi-Beat caliber inside SBGH295. The movement oscillates at a rate of ten beats per second (36,000 vph) and yet still maintains an impressive power reserve of 55 hours.

Both watches are water resistant to 100 meters, and each is equipped with a matching metal bracelet and a crocodile leather strap with three-fold clasp push button release.

Prices: $6,000 (SBGA471 Spring Drive) and $6,900 (SBGH295 Hi-Beat).

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The Watches

TAG Heuer Celebrates Chinese New Year with Special Edition Carrera

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, TAG Heuer this week launches a limited edition Carrera Year of the Tiger Edition sporting blue tiger stripes on its dial.

The new TAG Heuer Limited Edition Carrera Year of the Tiger.

The Carrera’s gold-plated hands, markers and date box gleam amid the three-dimensional stripes that cut across the dial. TAG Heuer dial makers have created the eye-catching dial using horizontally brushed metal coated with blue PVD treatment (light blue stripes) and painted textured metal (darker stripes).

The same blue hue appears on the watch’s blue calfskin strap that TAG Heuer has accented with a stitched double gold color border.

TAG Heuer has even pictured a blue tiger in attack mode on the clear sapphire crystal back. Beneath that tiger you’ll see the automatic watch’s rotor and the description “ONE OF 300”.

This 41mm steel-cased special edition TAG Heuer Carrera Three Hands is the latest model within the Carrera collection update initially seen this past October. As with that model, TAG Heuer’s Caliber 5 automatic movement powers the Year of the Tiger Edition.

TAG Heuer is selling the limited edition in a blue lacquered box that features the same blue tiger-stripe design as the seen on the dial. Price: $3,750.

Specifications: TAG Heuer Carrera Year of the Tiger Limited Edition
(Ref. WBN2050.FC6506)

Movement: TAG Heuer Caliber 5 automatic (ETA or Sellita base).

Dial: Blue ‘tiger stripes,’
blue flange with 60-second/minute scale, 
rose-gold-plated applied indexes and polished hands and logo.

Case: 41mm steel with polished case and fixed bezel, polished solid rose gold standard crown. Special engraving “LIMITED EDITION” and “ONE OF 300” Blue and black tiger decal. 
Water resistance to 100 meters.

Bracelet: Blue calfskin leather, 
rose gold matte effect stitching, steel folding clasp with double safety push buttons.

Price: $3,750.

 

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The Watches

Isotope Appeals With Originality

By Steve Huyton

Through Facebook groups like ‘Premium Mechanical Microbrands’ I have discovered several independent watchmakers. Designers with a massive passion for horology own many of these watch brands.

In the past, it was very challenging for small companies to get editorial exposure. Certainly, most of the magazines in Australia (where I am based) only support well-known labels. Ultimately, this is because they rely on advertising revenue.

Fortunately, brands like Isotope raised their profile via social media. They also offer buyers very attractive watches at competitive prices. A great example can be found in Isotope’s latest release called the GMT 0º.

The Isotope GMT 0º.

Isotope was established in 2016 in England by José and Joana Miranda. The brand’s catchy name is inspired by science. An isotope is a different form of a single element. But in horological terms, this equates to individuality and originality.

Certainly, I’ve been impressed by the company’s progress and reviewed the Isotope Goutte d’Eau Compressor Diver on my own website recently. This incredible piece was nominated for a 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève award. For a Swiss mechanical automatic retailing for $670 I feel this timepiece is an absolute bargain. Ultimately, the watch community agreed and this special edition sold out very quickly.

Following up on the success of the Goutte d’Eau Compressor Diver Isotope has just released another fantastic watch called the GMT 0º. For several months I have been anticipating the release of this timepiece. Therefore, imagine my delight when it arrived and exceeded my expectations.

Within the range, there are several colors to choose from including a special bright yellow version (above) made in collaboration with New York-based publisher Cool Hunting. With the exception of this philanthropic version (10% of the proceeds go to Miles4Migrants), my favourite is the Beluga Grey, which is limited to forty-nine pieces and priced around $1,000.

What makes the GMT 0º so special is a multi-layered dial that displays GMT in a disc format rather than the conventional hand. This gives the piece an Avant-Garde aesthetic normally found in much more expensive watches.

At first glance, the GMT 0º is reminiscent of timepieces from Ochs und Junior. However, there are subtle differences like the teardrop-shaped cut out (12 o’clock), which has now become synonymous with the Isotope brand. Beneath the 41.5mm x 39.5mm 316L stainless steel case is a customized self-winding movement from Swisstech. Another cool feature is the exhibition case back engraved with the time zones of the world’s major cities.

As a perfect finale, the GMT 0º is presented with a Grey leather strap and an additional metal bracelet.

 

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The Watches

Chopard Gilds and Straps its Alpine Eagle XL Chrono

Chopard adds a 44mm two-tone chronograph to its high-flying Alpine Eagle collection and, in a collection premiere, attaches the watch to a leather strap.

Previously available in Chopard’s own Lucent Steel alloy and/or cased in ethical rose gold, the sporty Alpine Eagle XL Chrono range now includes this model newly and luxuriously cased in ethical rose gold and a ceramic/ titanium alloy.

Chopard’s Alpine Eagle XL Chrono range now includes this model luxuriously cased in ethical rose gold and a ceramic/ titanium alloy.

Like all of the Alpine Eagle models, the dial here retains a radiant pattern meant to evoke the iris of an eagle. But the darker version visible on this new edition is a reference to the “intense black of mountain nights when wildlife reclaims its rights,” according to Chopard’s Co-President and creator of the collection, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele.

The new chronograph maintains the collection’s fairly sleek profile, which here means the chronograph pushers are integrated on either side of a protective bumper adjacent to the crown.

The dial is easy to read. Its black counters for the 30-minute, small seconds and 12-hour indications are nicely proportioned. For those measuring average speed times, the tachymeter is clearly graduated and the chronograph seconds hand is tipped with red.

Beneath the dial of the new Alpine Eagle XL Chrono model Chopard fits its excellent 03.05-C flyback chronograph movement with column-wheel and vertical clutch, an in-house design featuring COSC-chronometer-certified operation and three patents. (See specifications below for details regarding the patents).

Chopard’s 03.05-C flyback chronograph movement with column wheel and vertical clutch.

As noted earlier, this new Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is the collection’s first series-produced timepiece with a black calf leather strap. Previously, only the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono created for the recent Only Watch charity auction included a leather strap. Here, the strap features hints red bridle stitching to echo the dial’s red accents.

Price: $34,500.

Specifications: Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono

Case: 44mm x 13.15mm ethical rose gold and ceramized titanium. Pushers in vertical satin-brushed rose gold with polished chamfers, crown guards in bead blasted ceramized titanium, case band in ethical rose gold, bezel in ethical rose gold with eight screws set at a tangent. Water resistant to 100 meters.

Movement: Chopard 03.05-C column-wheel chronometer-certified (COSC) chronograph with integrated construction. Annular balance with balance-spring featuring a flat terminal curve, patented chronograph zero-resetting system with pivoting hammers and elastic arm, patented seconds hand zero-resetting system, patented vertical coupling clutch. Open-worked ethical 22-karat rose gold central rotor.

Dial: Brass dial stamped with a sunburst pitch-black motif achieved by galvanic treatment and inspired by an eagle’s iris. Black counters with white transfers (and gilded surrounds for chronograph counters), applied gilded numerals and hour-markers enhanced with Grade X1 SuperLumiNova, black inner bezel ring and chronograph counters, gilded baton-type hours and minutes hands enhanced with Grade X1 SuperLumiNova. Gilded, red-tipped arrow-type seconds hand with eagle feather counterweight, gilded, red-tipped chronograph counter hands.

Strap: Black calfskin with red bridle stitching and gilded titanium inlay, pin buckle in engraved bead-blasted ceramized titanium.

 

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The Watches

Bell & Ross Brightens BR 05

Bell & Ross expands its popular, brightly accented Horolum series with a new model based on the watchmaker’s BR 05 collection. The latest model, the BR 05 Horolum, features extra-bright C5 Superluminova coating on its hands and indexes, echoing the extra luminescence added to all models in the Horolum series.

The new Bell & Ross BR 05 Horolum features the collection’s extra-bright C5 Superluminova coating on its hands and indexes.

This newest Horolum model recalls the very first Horolum from 2017 that placed extra luminous coating on the markers of a matte-dialed BR 03-92 design. For the new model, Bell & Ross not only includes the extra lume, but also continues to emphasize the series’ matte metallic dial and steel bracelet.

As a 40mm BR 05 design, the new watch inherently includes a steel bracelet, which for this collection is integrated directly into the steel case. Bell & Ross adds a contemporary bead-blasted finish throughout. Of course, Bell & Ross also offers an optional black leather bracelet for its steel BR 05 Horolum. 

Bell & Ross explains that its Horolum series features matte finishing to adopt “more urban and more mineral references. Its lines and finish draw on contemporary architecture.”

Whatever your take on the design, it’s clear from the images of the new watch that its photo-luminescent indexes result in perfect clarity in darkness when reading the time.

The watch’s sapphire crystal back allows a view into the automatic Sellita-based CAL.321 with a metal 360-degree rotor designed to echo the look of wheel rims on sports cars.

The Bell & Ross BR 05 Horolum is a limited boutique edition of 250 pieces and is available online or in the fifteen Bell & Ross boutiques around the world. Price: $5,400.

 

 

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