Bulova partners with watch collector group Complecto to create the Complecto Jet Star, a limited edition ode to a 1973 Bulova watch.
The new Bulova Complecto Jet Star.
While the original’s turtle-shaped steel case is now modernized with a more angular eight-sided profile, the new release echoes existing updates to Jet Star and offers a distinctive retro flavor with a terrific dégradé effect grey dial, vintage markers anddomed (sapphire) crystal.
Bulova pairs the vintage design with its own very contemporary Manufacture Precisionist High Precision Quartz movement, which boasts a 262kHz frequency, eight-times faster than traditional quartz calibers (32,768 Hz). The high frequency means the movement provides accuracy to within +/- 5 seconds per month.
Complecto is a new platform “dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in the watch industry and collector community,” and the new watch is emblematic of both Complecto’s mission as well as the Bulova’s own broad-based work work celebrating underrepresented voices (exemplified by ongoing partnerships with the Latin GRAMMYs and the Apollo Theater).
The Bulova Complecto Jet Star also offers luminous hands, cabochon hour markers with luminous dots, a date window at 3 o’clock and fifty-meters of water resistance. Bulova attaches the new watch to an interchangeable stainless steel bracelet with easy release latched spring bars.
The watch is limited to 100 pieces and comes as a set with two additional custom straps: a Bulova black leather strap with orange contrast stitching and a bespoke Delugs charcoal Alcantara strap with light grey contrast stitch and orange rubber lining, both embossed with the Complecto logo.
Ten years ago, business partners RT Custer and Tyler Wolfe created something new out of something old and brought the Vortic watch brand to life. Housing refurbished vintage American pocket watch movements into wristwatch cases crafted in the United States was a novel idea that brought renewed interest in an America’s watchmaking heritage, while simultaneously creating watches that could legitimately be called Made In the USA.
Successfully launched on Kickstarter, the Colorado Watch Company is following the founding duo’s desire to build watches in the USA – in this case with a modern movement and the ability to scale from hundreds of watches per year to thousands.
Colorado Watch Company Field Watch Prototype, pictured in four options.
“For us, Colorado Watch Company represents our desire to continue to do big, exciting things,” says RT Custer. “We know how to make hundreds of watches in America, and have been doing it with Vortic for nearly a decade. But what about thousands? What if we could create dozens of jobs, not just a handful? Colorado Watch Company represents our American Dream, and we like to dream big!”
As part of this expansion, the partners have relocated to a new facility in Fort Collins Colorado, and invested substantially in a series of machines and equipment critical to making cases and components for watches right in their own facility. Swiss lathes, five-axis CNC milling machines, automated pad printers and more have allowed the partners to take the next steps in American watchmaking.
Field Watch and GCT case machining process.
Initially, two case variations are offered; one is Tyler’s design (the 40mm Field Watch), and the other by RT (the 42mm GCT). Four variants of each are offered in total, each with two dial and two case options.
The Field Watch
At 40mm with 20mm between the lugs, the 316L stainless-steel Field Watch will comfortably fit on almost anyone’s wrist. It’s also slimmer than you might expect for an automatic watch at just 10.5mm due to the fact that the threaded case-back is recessed within the back and shaves off a couple of millimeters in height – a clever engineering solution for sure.
In the steel-case version, Colorado Watch decided to leave the subtle machining marks as a unique hallmark that adds an industrial effect while emphasizing that these cases were in fact made on-site.
The Field watch dial is machined and printed in Colorado.
Of course, these marks could be polished out and the makers could (and probably will) add different finishes in the future, but this clever bit of wabi-sabi adds an air of authenticity. DLC versions in black will not have the same effect and are polished before coating.
Field watch and GCT back view, showing FTS automatic movement.
Inside the case beats an Americhron 7020 automatic-winding movement built by FTS USA in Arizona. Shock resistant, accurate, and beating at a frequency of 28,880 bph, the 7A20 movements have a power reserve of around 40 hours and were designed by a team of watchmakers, including FTS’ own Chief Technical Officer.
FTS automatic movement, showing balance assembly.
Above the movement, the stepped dials are available in a smooth white finish or machined steel. They are also crafted in-house at Fort Collins with integrated (not welded) dial feet adding strength and security to a notorious weak spot in almost any wristwatch. BGW9 lume graces the hands and pip at 12 o’clock, while a domestically sourced sapphire crystal sits atop the case.
Even the screws and crown/stem combinations are made on site. Water resistance has been confirmed to 5atm with the non-screw-down crown, but expect a 10atm rating by the time they are delivered. Retail price is $995.
The Colorado Watch Company GCT Watch.
The GCT
Designed by RT, the GCT is slightly larger than the Field Watch at 42mm, but much more wearable than its 49mm inspiration – the original Military pocket-watch conversion that became a favorite among Vortic collectors.
In this modern homage to the original, the screw-down crown is relocated to the 12 o’clock position, while the stepped dial features Super-Luminova that recalls the colors of the aged radium look of the military original.
Like the Field watch, the GCT case is available in the raw steel version or the black DLC. Similarly, the stepped dials are available in a flat black or machined variation. The same Americhron 7A20 movement beats inside and is visible through the exhibition back in all versions.
Water resistant to 10atm when the crown is screwed down, the GCT also retains some water resistance even when the crown is in the unscrewed position thanks to a gasket system that acts as a backup for the absent-minded watch enthusiast. Retail price is $1,395.
Growing from Vortic to adding Colorado Watch Company while installing the machinery and expertise is no easy task. Neither is it easy to build an American watch manufacturer that can scale up to produce thousands of watches per year.
The GCT’s steel components.
Nevertheless, Custer and Tyler have taken another massive step in bringing watchmaking back to life in the United States and I congratulate them on their success and look forward to following their watchmaking journey wherever it may lead them in the future. Learn more at the Vortic Watches site.
TAG Heuer concludes its year-long celebration of Carrera with a classy ode to a much-coveted gold-cased Carrera Ref. 1158 CHN from 1972.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph with gold case and dial.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph retains the original’s 39mm 18-karat gold case and integrated lugs, adding a modern chronograph movement and pushers, all set under TAG Heuer’s new domed and ultra-curved Glassbox crystal.
Heuer Carrera Ref 1158 (left) from 1972 and the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph.
You may recall that TAG Heuer added the Glassbox crystal design to many models in the 2023 Carrera collection earlier this year.
The new design’s curves, more acute than earlier examples from the 1970s, are amplified with an equally curved flange that enhance’s the dial’s visibility while also simplifying the ability to read the 60-second/minute scale.
TAG Heuer also maintains the original’s luxe appeal with a yellow gold-plated dial and all-new contrasting black sub-dials at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions, recalling the original’s reverse panda configuration.
Inside TAG Heuer fits its excellent in-house chronograph movement TH20-00,boasting bi-directional winding and an impressive 80-hour power reserve.
TAG Heuer attaches the watch to a black perforated calfskin leather strap and yellow gold pin buckle.
Price; $21,500.
Specifications: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph (gold case)
(Ref. CBS2240.FC8319)
Movement:Chronograph caliber TH20-00, automatic with date and 80-hour power reserve.
Dial: 18-karat 3N yellow gold-plated vertical brushed dial and flange, with 60 second / minute scale, 3 counters. 18-karat 3N yellow gold-plated facetted, polished hour and minute hands with white SuperLumiNova. Black lacquered central hand, Black TAG HEUER printed logo, 6 o’clock date.
Case:39mm by 13.9mm 18-karat 3N solid yellow gold fine-brushed, polished case with Glassbox domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment, solid yellow gold standard crown at 3 o’clock, fine brushed, polished solid yellow gold round push button at 2 o’clock. Fine brushed, polished solid yellow gold round push button at 4 o’clock and yellow gold screw-down sapphire caseback. Water resistance: 100 meters.
Bracelet: Perforated black calfskin leather strap, fine brushed, polished yellow gold pin buckle, TAG Heuer shield.
The new Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Moonphase Aventurine.
A limited edition of 300, the new Marine Torpilleur Moonphase Aventurine is a 42mm steel watch powered by the excellent UN-119 manufacture automatic caliber, a movement equipped with an anti-shock silicon balance spring and a DIAMonSIL escapement wheel and anchor.
On this watch, the moon phase display is especially fitting within the celestial pattern of the aventurine dial. The watch is water-resistant to fifty meters and is attached to a blue alligator strap with folding clasp. Price: $13,600.
The Ulysse Nardin Diver Starry Night.
The new Diver Starry Night also displays an aventurine shimmer, but adds several brilliant components. Here Ulysse Nardin’s artisans superimposed two plates, one in iridescent mother-of-pearl and the other in blue aventurine glass, to compose this dial. In addition, note the row of diamonds set around the bezel and to indicate hours on the dial.
Even the hands and the 12 o’clock hour marker glow as each has been generously coated with SuperLuminova.
Inside Ulysse Nardin fits its own Caliber UN-816 that features an anchor and escapement wheel in silicon.
The polished and satin-finished 39mm steel diver’s watch is water-resistant to 300 meters and is attached to a dark blue textured rubber strap or a white alligator strap.
Nomos dresses its Metro 33 in new dial colors, including silver, sage, and muted red, each meant to recall various urban sights such as red brick, glass buildings and city parks.
Originally created by designer Mark Braun ten years ago, the Metro collection added small (33mm) models quite recently, each cased in rose gold.
One of three new Nomos Metro 33 models.
The newest trio expands the dial and case options for Metro in that same petite size, retaining the defining Metro characteristics such as a double-curved sapphire crystal, wire lugs with quick-change spring bars and a custom Metro crown with diamond knurling.
Braun added a few extra features for this trio of debut watches, notably the pink and yellow seconds hands and minute markers on their respective dials.
“These three smaller models are successfully expressing what my original Metro was able to express for me in 2014, Braun explains. “For me, they are what I understand by contemporary elegance: smart, playful, and full of energy.”
Inside each new model Nomos fits its Alpha proprietary manual-wind caliber, visible if desired via the optional clear sapphire caseback.
Nomos finishes each watch with a snappy vegan velour leather strap in light gray.
Prices: $2,030 (with steel back) and $2,330 (with sapphire back).
Even the screws and crown/stem combinations are made on site. Water resistance has been confirmed to 5atm with the non-screw-down crown, but expect a 10atm rating by the time they are delivered. Retail price is $995.
Water resistant to 10atm when the crown is screwed down, the GCT also retains some water resistance even when the crown is in the unscrewed position thanks to a gasket system that acts as a backup for the absent-minded watch enthusiast. Retail price is $1,395.
The new design’s curves, more acute than earlier examples from the 1970s, are amplified with an equally curved flange that enhance’s the dial’s visibility while also simplifying the ability to read the 60-second/minute scale.
The polished and satin-finished 39mm steel diver’s watch is water-resistant to 300 meters and is attached to a dark blue textured rubber strap or a white alligator strap.
