Month: January 2020

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Watches

Panerai Luminor Marina Carbotech PAM 1661 First Look

Rumor had it that 2020 was going to be the year of the Luminor for Panerai, and this new Luminor Marina Carbotech ref. PAM1661 could be an early indicator confirming that notion. Most of what we saw from Panerai in 2019 seemed to center around the re-shuffling of the brand’s portfolio, particularly with a focus on tidying up existing lines while introducing new Due dress and Submersible tool/sport models. It seems only natural that Panerai turn to its signature breadwinner for the same treatment — and leading things off is a super-technical twist on an otherwise classic.

You wouldn’t be mistaken for wondering if there weren’t already a Luminor Marina rendered in ultralight Carbotech — in fact, there is: It’s PAM661, which is also a black 44mm Luminor case fitted with the same P.9010 movement. But what makes this old reference interesting isn’t its “dirty dial” (a nickname given to Panerai dials that use beige Super-LumiNova), but its somewhat rare dial configuration, which mixes appl..

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Watches

BEST FROM: aBlogtoWatch & Friends 31 January, 2020

A very happy new year to you! It’s a brand new year, and I’m afraid we are going to have to start with some not-so-good news. Rolex has just increased the prices of some of its most popular models. Watches such as the Submariner 114060 and GMT-Master II 126710BLNR will now cost around 5% more. Next, we offer some predictions on what the new year will hold for the watch industry.
From around the Web, we first take a look at the workshop of Akrivia. Founded by Rexhep Rexhepi, who is just 33 years old this year, Akrivia is one of the hottest brands in independent watchmaking. Speaking of independent watchmaking, we also visit the workshop of a young watchmaker in Singapore who is making enamel dials. Finally, we take a close look at a replica Rolex Submariner that has a cloned 3135 movement.
1. ROLEX INCREASES PRICES 3-6% FOR TOP WATCH MODELS IN 2020
It’s no secret that Rolex is trying to move upmarket and create a more premium image. It’s trying to carve a niche for..

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Watches

Hello, Yellow Gold Watches

While several luxury watch brands like to dabble in unusual case materials or unique gold alloys, there’s something to be said about the classics. And when it comes to timepieces, it doesn’t get more classic than 18k yellow gold. Although yellow gold has been somewhat overshadowed by its rosier sibling pink gold in recent years, it’s time to welcome the archetypical precious metal for luxury watches back into the conversation. Say hello to yellow (again) with this fantastic selection of yellow gold watches.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph
In 2017, Audemars Piguet released a refreshed Royal Oak Chronograph collection on the occasion of the model’s 20th anniversary. And this fabulous 18k yellow gold version with a blue dial joined a year later. The watch features a 41mm yellow gold eight-sided case, complete with the iconic octagonal bezel and solid gold integrated bracelet. The familiar “Grande Tapisserie” hobnail patterned dial is rendered in a rich blue hue and houses a trio ..

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Watches

Pre-Owned Picks — Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and Omega Dive Watches

HomePreowned PicksPre-Owned Picks — Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and Omega Dive Watches Preowned PicksPre-Owned Picks — Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and Omega Dive Watches Our preferred pre-owned picks for week 5 by Robert-Jan BroerJanuary 31, 2020 MIN READPre-Owned Picks — Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and Omega Dive WatchesI thought it would be fun to pick only one style of watch for this week’s Pre-Owned Picks. And so I went for divers’ watches. Besides chronographs, diving timepieces are perhaps the most popular type of sports watch.
I have my share of divers’ watches and I am not a good swimmer, at all. It’s also not really about being able to dive with them, and certainly not to 300 meters or more. It is far more about the build quality of these watches. A divers’ watch is a perfect everyday watch because it is water-resistant, can take a beating, and, by their nature, are highly legible. The downsides are that they’re often bulky and less often suited to more formal occasions. Although..

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Watches

Pre-Owned Picks — Diver Watches From Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and Omega

HomePreowned PicksPre-Owned Picks — Diver Watches From Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and Omega Preowned PicksPre-Owned Picks — Diver Watches From Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and Omega Our preferred pre-owned picks for week 5 by Robert-Jan BroerJanuary 31, 2020 MIN READPre-Owned Picks — Diver Watches From Tudor, Grand Seiko, Rolex, and OmegaI thought it would be fun to pick only one style of watch for this week’s Pre-Owned Picks. And so I went for divers’ watches. Besides chronographs, diving timepieces are perhaps the most popular type of sports watch.
I have my share of divers’ watches and I am not a good swimmer, at all. It’s also not really about being able to dive with them, and certainly not to 300 meters or more. It is far more about the build quality of these watches. A divers’ watch is a perfect everyday watch because it is water-resistant, can take a beating, and, by their nature, are highly legible. The downsides are that they’re often bulky and less often suited to more formal o..

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Watches

Bell & Ross Celebrates Its Top Three Watches Of 2019

Sponsored Post written for aBlogtoWatch by advertiser
Bell & Ross, the brand that made cockpit instrumentation the coolest thing in watch wear, had a great year in 2019. In September, it launched the wildly successful BR 05 series, an evolution of its iconic BR03 model but with a more urban interpretation of the instrumentation aesthetic. This was followed in October with a stunning blue-dialed version of the popular bronze BR 03 Diver, which was introduced exclusively to the Americas.

The BR 05 is one of the dressiest models in the Bell & Ross oeuvre. The idea behind the design was to move from the professional world of the extreme to the urban landscape — transitioning from the off-road to the in-road. The new design retains an element of the dashboard aesthetic, with a case in round and square forms, the basic geometric shapes of the Bell & Ross identity. On the BR 05, however, the dial is inset more flush with the case rather than raised slightly, in the cockpit style, resulting..

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Watches

Grand Seiko SBGH281 High-Beat Model Marks The Brand’s 60th Anniversary

HomeNewsGrand Seiko SBGH281 High-Beat Model Marks The Brand’s 60th Anniversary NewsGrand SeikoGrand Seiko SBGH281 High-Beat Model Marks The Brand’s 60th Anniversary Happy birthday GS! by Rob NuddsJanuary 31, 2020 MIN READGrand Seiko SBGH281 High-Beat Model Marks The Brand’s 60th AnniversaryGrand Seiko’s journey began in the 1950s. The best and brightest watchmakers working for the brand banded together with a lofty goal: They set out to create the company’s finest watch yet. In December 1960 the inaugural Grand Seiko hit the market. It was the first installment of a story that has now reached its sixtieth year. Leading the celebrations is the Grand Seiko SBGH281.
To celebrate this milestone, Grand Seiko is releasing four new models. We’re going to take a look at the three watches released for men in this article, and follow-up with the ladies’ piece next week (so check back for that update also). These watches don’t just mark this significant birthday, but also look towards the brand’s..

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Watches

Axia Kronos Watch Review

Before being offered this piece to review, I had never heard of Axia Time. I think this is one of the significant challenges for independent watch brands that want to operate in the sub-$1k market: it is crowded. As a consumer, this isn’t a bad thing. It provides us with a plethora of options and brands that want to compete tooth and nail for your hard-earned dollars. As a brand, however, this must be incredibly challenging (and frustrating, I’d imagine).
Axia attempts valiantly to provide a good option when it comes to a pilots/travelers GMT with their Kronos collection. I do believe that this attempt falls a little short of Axia’s competition, but we’ll discuss that in detail as the review goes on.
For now, the Kronos is a 40mm steel GMT. Axia states that the Kronos will be available in an edition of 500 pieces per dial color, but at this time, it appears that only a white-dialed version is available. I’m not sure if that’s due to other versions being sold out or just that they hav..

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Watches

URWERK UR-100 GunMetal Is An Alien From Deep Space

HomeHot TakeURWERK UR-100 GunMetal Is An Alien From Deep Space Hot TakeUrwerkURWERK UR-100 GunMetal Is An Alien From Deep Space The latest addition to the URWERK family takes us on a journey of discovery by Rob NuddsJanuary 31, 2020 MIN READURWERK UR-100 GunMetal Is An Alien From Deep SpaceHonestly, how surprised would you be if, while wiling away the hours in the privacy of your home, an URWERK UR-100 GunMetal buzzed through an open window and landed on your dining room table, before two tiny (but very well-dressed) aliens hopped out and proclaimed Planet Earth as their own? Me? Not that surprised at all…
Earlier this week, I wrote a quick article about the Konstantin Chaykin Mouse King watch and how releases of that nature bring me much joy. Today, and rounding out a rather cool week of releases, in my opinion, we have the URWERK UR-100 GunMetal for you. And it’s a treat. In the same way that I have an emotional reaction to the Mouse King so too do I find myself going gooey over this..

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Watches

Grand Seiko Celebrates 60th Anniversary With Four New Limited Edition Models

Beyond just expanding Seiko’s offerings into the realm of luxury watchmaking, since 1960 Grand Seiko has pushed the bounds of horology with innovative new technologies and design techniques. To celebrate 60 years of the brand, Grand Seiko has created four new limited-edition timepieces that each highlight a different aspect of the brand’s ethos — these will be released from February to April of this year. They include the SBGH281 Heritage Collection Hi-Beat 36000 Limited Edition, the STGK015 Elegance Collection Women’s Automatic Limited Edition, the SBGP007 Heritage Collection Quartz Limited Edition, and the SBGP015 Sport Collection Quartz Limited Edition. While each of these new models takes a very different approach to commemorating the anniversary, all four share a striking new blue dial color exclusive to these models.

The first of these, the SBGH281 Heritage Collection Hi-Beat 36000 Limited Edition, takes the most traditional approach. The 40mm stainless steel case takes the bro..