Posts made by Graeme

Zenith is offering a platinum bracelet for the GFJ, if you've got more money than the average Doctor Evil meme references.

@mclaincausey it's probably my favourite Alpine Eagle, even without a bracelet, but the open worked model is a close second.

@louisbosco I don't know how much clout Ben Clymer has these days, but that Patek seems to be on a lot of best of lists. Mere mortals like us will probably not get one.

Dante from Pixar's Coco and my dog Disco bear a striking resemblance.

Dante is a Xoloitzcuintli whilst Disco is a Peruvian Hairless or Peruvian Inca Orchid.

I have a thing for the Omega Aqua Terra Ultra Light, and this year Chopard and Ulysee Nardin have replaced conceptually similar pieces.

Chopard has put the Alpine Eagle on a diet, replacing its movement's plates with ceramicised titanium, much like Omega did with the Ultra Light, to create the Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF.

I've been a fan of Chopard's 8HF series, from the original LUC model onwards, and I really like the look of this watch. I wish they had the option of a bracelet, which is an opinion that I share with the Hodinkee journalist who covered it, although that would probably blunt its mission statement.

Ulysee Nardin has skipped the Ozempic and gone straight onto weight loss surgery for the Diver [AIR], which weighs 52 g on its strap. They have removed a large part of the movement's backplate, then built the watch out of titanium and recycled IMOCA offshore racing boats. Again, Hodinkee has more.

@louisbosco said in Watches - another OCD problem:

damn the Calatrava with the salmon dial looks brilliant!!

If you can stomach Ben Clymer's overwrought prose, Hodinkee has just posted a hands-on with the 6196P, which he calls "the best Calatrava in a generation."

@ARNC the GFJ dial looks too fussy, with too many different materials and textures. Zenith could have simplified it, and it would have looked better.

@ARNC my favourite Patek release is the Calatrava 6196P. It's a simple hand wound watch in platinum. I'd get one over the Cubitus, if I had a spare CHF 40K lying around. (The Cubitus is CHF 35K, so slightly cheaper, and far less lovely.)

Zenith announced the GFJ which is similar (a platinum case, hand wound movement), but a slightly larger case. It's actually more expensive, at CHF 49K.

What's really interesting about it is Zenith have resurrected a vintage chronometer movement, the Calibre 135, which they've given a few contemporary twists. It's got a 72-hour power reserve, up from 40 hours, and it's regulated to -2 to +2 sec per day, which is the same as Rolex's Superlative Chronometer rating.

@RobeOfTheMagi I don't think that buyers will be cross shopping the Zenith and the Patek either!

The trouble that I have with the Land-Dweller is the price. It's $16K (US) or $24K (Australian). That's about the same as a Glashütte Original SeaQ Panorama Date in steel and gold, or an entry level Fifty Fathoms.

Like @JDelage, I don't think that it's an ugly watch. It feels a bit derivative. The Tissot PRX looks like a version of the Vacheron Constantin 222, and the Land-Dweller seems to be a copy of these with Rolex garnishes.

I'm curious where the movement will turn up next. A titanium Explorer fitted with it would be lovely.

Meanwhile, Grand Seiko laughs in Rolex's face when it comes to accuracy. The new Spring Drive UFA is accurate to within 20 seconds per year, and it's $6K cheaper at around $10K.

More at Hodinkee.

Rolex has just announced the Land-Dweller, which has been pretty heavily leaked over the last few days.

It's an integrated bracelet watch, which they haven't done for some years, but the big news is the movement. It has a new silicon natural escarpment, which they've dubbed the Dynapulse, it runs at 5 Hz, rather than 4 Hz, and is thinner than the existing movements.

Rolex claims it's more accurate, but it's still certified to their -2/+2 seconds per day Superlative Chronometer standard. I thought that they might have chased Omega's 0/+2 seconds claim for the Spirate system.

Hodinkee and Fratello have write-ups.

@Alex Yuki looks like a lovely pup. I hope that the settling in period goes smoothly.

@Gavin666 I hope that things are going well with your Kelpie. Are there many in the UK?

@EdH my dog's breed was considered sacred by the Incas. He probably considers anything less than being worshipped as a living embodiment of a god to be a massive downgrade.

Though I should point out that his ancestors were sacrificed during lunar eclipses, so he shouldn't complain too much!

@Matt this is a bit of a late reply, as I missed the original post.

Most dogs were originally bred to perform a role. Collies herd, Greyhounds chase prey and race, and Labradors retrieve. A working line is one where that function is the focus.

Every recognised breed will have an associated standard to which it should adhere. This will govern its size and general shape, and it's what dogs are judged against in conformation shows like Crufts or Westminster. Show lines are bred for this.

The problem with show lines is that they can end up exaggerated, and a caricature of the original breed. I generally prefer working lines, and I'm pleased that @Alex went that way.

@Bridger the Portugieser Chronograph looks a lovely piece, but I haven't paid much attention to them. I do like the Year of the Dragon model with the red dial, though.

They swapped the movement out from a Valjoux, ETA, or Selita calibre to an in-house one in 2020. The versions with the newer, in-house movement have a sapphire back, whereas the older models have a solid caseback.

@JDelage the jacket looks great. John's work is always fantastic.

I had an order in for a Good Wear jacket back in 2015. Unfortunately, I got to the head of the queue when he became a full-time carer for his mother, it got lost in the ensuing disruption, and I think that other people were better at pressing him for theirs.

I had wanted a Security Aviation Togs Cossack, although I would have swapped the patch pockets for handwarmers.

I've got a thing about the mad Renault 5 Turbo, and I was tempted by a Clio V6 back in the day, only it didn't have enough leg room for me. Anyway, they've come up with an EV sequel.

It's even got a suitably practical boot. It's got in-wheel motors, so no axle to accommodate.

The only problem is that it's going to cost a lot. I've heard anything from £120K and up.

Watches of Switzerland has opened a dedicated Rolex boutique on Old Bond Street. It's a conveniently short stroll from Rivet and Hide. Hodinkee has published a write-up, which is basically a PR puff piece. (There are a lot of snarky comments asking whether customers can actually buy watches there.)

@mclaincausey I like the SeaQ Panorama Data more than the Fifty Fathoms, and I think that it's better finished. However, the FF is a bit slimmer, which makes it more wearable.

Of course, I'd probably buy an Omega Ploprof instead, which is the same sort of price, and far less practical...

Watches and Wonders is coming in a few weeks, and new watches are being released in the run-up. Blancpain has just announced the Fifty Fathoms Tech - Ocean Commitment IV, which is a 45 mm titanium piece. Jason Heaton drew the short straw and got sent to the Philippines to test it.

The watch looks quite nice, but I'd probably get a Bathyscaphe in titanium in preference.