Ulysses31
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They couldn't find a single American in the whole city to do their voice acting for them so they used a synthesizer? That's initiative for you. I would have been more convinced had it not been programmed by the same illiterate who did the subtitles. Electryonics indeed.
Opening that rear cover is like opening the lid of a treasure chest, gold and silver shafts of light dancing in every direction. Blackbeard would have loved this watch. The finishing is insanely fine. It might be superficially boring to some but there are hidden treasures in this watch that should only be for the exclusive delight of the owner.
It's so easy to love these watches. An elegant clear dial presenting pertinent, useful information.
@rclayton Any more ridiculous than a standard run-of-the-mill $7500 Rolex? One is assembled lovingly by hand in quantities of thousands per year with superior timing specifications and superb finish. The other is made by the millions - quickly - by robots.
Let's take it from the top. The Cartier Tank looks a bit ungainly in the company of these other sleeker watches, and has a cabochon that'll have someone's eye out - do they make pasties for watches?
Chopard LUC - excellent slim design but rather plain. The hour numerals at twelve, three, six, and nine look like they were taken straight from a Photoshop font that is so bad nobody has the guts to use it any more (a la Comic Sans). I'd still wear it but mostly for the technological prowess.
The G.P also suffers slightly from the font thing but otherwise looks quite please aside from those jutting ledges on each lug that make it look like a mantle clock from your grandma's house.
Glad to see a Seiko here especially one as fine as a Grand Seiko. It's a simple but classic design that still retains a modern feel, thankfully lacking the whimsy of many Swiss pieces. That particular model is a limited special edition with even tighter specs than a regular GS, between -2 and +4 seconds per day. Add in Seiko's traditional understatement when publicising their specs and you have a hell of an accurate watch. Having said that, the price is high and I think I would choose a different model from their range - this is certainly far away from the entry point for owning a great high-end Seiko watch if you don't mind the fancy metal and fractionally looser specs.
JLC has made a lovely timepiece here - and cheap! Well, relatively speaking of course. It's on the small side but I suppose dress watches can be forgiven for that, not really intended for extroverts.
Breguet - beautiful elaborate dial, but where's my seconds hand? I admit it would take something away fro the elegance of this style but I like to see the progression of time on a watch.
I don't think i've seen many watches that I have lusted after more than those by AL&S. Even this subdued member of the range stands out via impeccable workmanship and presentation.
I'm not typically bowled over by Patek but i've heard a lot of people mentioning this Calatrava and I can see why. It's a timeless design and the finely crafted bezel looks great.
The Piaget is slick and stylish and you could probably shave with it. It's a watch I think would look just as good on a woman as on a man.
The VC doesn't look good to me. The proportions seem off and I don't like the way the stubby lugs curve out from the relatively huge dial. It just looks a bit bulbous and fat.
The Parmigiani (which always reminds me of the cheese) looks bland. Lumed hands don't look right on this watch, as useful as they are. OK, i'm bored of typiing now, but not as bored as you are for having read this :P
Damn, bitch u stupid fly; lemme pull up to your bumper and smack that monkey.
I find it somewhat laughable that the powers that be quibble over what percentage defines "Swiss made". Adding ten percent doesn't change anything for me. A Swiss watch should be Swiss designed, engineered and manufactured. To me that is the most obvious definition and even though it may not be practical economically it should be something for them to strive for. For a country that has a proud history of engineering and invention I am
surprised that this is allowed to continue and can only assume that
their love of profit overrides their national pride. Until it is resolved in a more sensible way a cloud will continue to hang over the authenticity over the Swiss watch industry and it's one i'd rather see float away.
I was so impressed when I first saw these a few months back that I posted a link right here in the blog. I really like some of the designs and I think they have a lot of potential to make a great business. Let's just hope they get the support they need to become established.
@Fraser Petrick The real question is why would you pay $2400 for a watch with a $100 non-HEQ, non-thermo-compensated movement? For that kind of money you could get a nice looking mechanical (with all the charm of a complex machine on your wrist) or a far more accurate quartz-based watch than the Seamaster, so it's hard to justify such a purchase if you're truly into accuracy. Watch limbo.
That rotor is a playful and unexpected dash of colour in an otherwise understated and stylish watch. Nice piece, though I think I prefer the panda version.
I quite like the orange and blue version but overall this design does nothing for me. The watch looks very thick - too thick/tall for my liking, and the way it is chamfered only enhances that effect. Another timid addition to this bafflingly popular line-up.
A nice looking watch. I had to go to their website to realise that they make a whole bunch of far more attractive timepieces than this one, but for some reason you rarely if ever review the non grenade/trigger style watches. If one went solely by what they saw on ABtW they'd get the impression that all Graham watches were outrageous.
The blue dialled version is lovely. A clever and understated invention.
While I initially disliked it, i'm ashamed to admit it has grown on me. Looks good from various angles and in better photographs. The various finishes and case shape are attractive. I'm still not keen on the brown but this watch has a slightly more modern feel than your usual Rolex that is only suitable for burying someone with. Now excuse me while I take a shower...
I like Mondaine well enough for what they do and the simple, clear design. I'd like them to change it up a little bit though, as I think this level of minimalism isn't all that satisfying anymore. Also, does the seconds hand look orange to anyone else?
@MarkCarson @Ulysses31 @aBlogtoWatch Not as crass as Invicta but it's one of those brands far removed from illustrious origins by decades of changing ownership and favouring mass production over quality while still trying to exploit "British heritage" (and now "Swiss made" too I guess) as a marketing ploy. They make some attractive looking pieces but the more you learn, the less appealing they become. I would rate them not far above Sekonda. It's funny because before I got into watches and coming to this site I would've been quite impressed by such cheap mechanical skeletonised watches.
@aBlogtoWatch @Ulysses31 That's fair enough, I just feel that the Rotary reputation is built on deception of the relatively naive non-WIS customer.
He's a crazy old man and while charismatic, has certain beliefs I don't share. Still, I have to give props to a guy who starts an interview by calling Ariel "Aaron". This guy just doesn't give a shit, and it's awesome.
I was really surprised to see an article about Rotary here. I live in Britain and Rotary has a long history of producing poorly-built cheap and nasty watches with Chinese movements. Much of their range are shameless copies of more respected and reputable true Swiss brands. I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole and the claim that this is still a "Swiss" company is about as valid as the similar claims Invicta makes. For all intents and purposes this company is run and managed in Britain; the bulk of their business is importing movements and stuffing them into crudely made cases with a "classy" style. Their products are frequently discounted (because they're never worth the sticker price). They do deals with well-known "household name" jewellery chain stores but you'll never see their watches in independent retailers for the most part.
This particular watch may well be an honest attempt at trying to produce a quality timepiece (for once) but they have dug themselves into a very deep hole over the years and I would be surprised if they could dig themselves out of it.