To say that 2020 has been terrible would be an understatement, but we are almost at the midway mark. Hopefully, the rest of the year will be better. It’s summer and, in this round-up, we have a gaggle of dive watches from Seiko, Sinn, and Christopher Ward. We will also be taking a closer look at a controversial watch from Patek Philippe, the Red. 5520 Alarm Travel Time watch.
Speaking of Patek Philippe, we will also have in-depth guides of vintage Patek Philippe chronographs and also skeletonized Patek Philippe watches. And if that isn’t enough for you, Jeff Stein from OnTheDash has just penned an epic guide to collecting vintage Heuer grails. To close things, Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, will talk about his company’s plans for the rest of 2020 and what they do to cope in these challenging times.
1. HANDS-ON WITH SEIKO’S NEW PROSPEX 62MAS DIVER INTERPRETATIONS
Seiko is fully embracing the idea of reissuing its classic dive watches. Give the customer what he or she wants, right? The SPB147, SBP143, SBP145, and SBP149 are four new watches that are said to be modern re-imaginations of Seiko’s very first dive watch, the legendary 62MAS. But perhaps more importantly, they are also more affordable alternatives to the very popular SLA017, which is a much more faithful but also much pricier reissue of the 62MAS. Join us as we take a closer look at these watches in the link below.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
2. SINN UNVEILS NEW U50 DIVE WATCH SERIES
One of the hottest new releases this summer has got to be Sinn’s new U50 series dive watches. It takes a lot of what we love about the U1 and puts it in a more approachable 41mm case that’s just 11.2mm-thick. Yet, despite the svelter dimensions, it’s still a 500-meter dive watch. And it can be had with a tegimented case — that’s Sinn’s case hardening technology. Inside beats a Sellita SW300 and prices start at $2,180. From the looks of it, it has all the ingredients to be a great and affordable entry-level Swiss dive watch for a lot of people.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
3. HANDS-ON WITH PATEK PHILIPPE REF. 5520P-001 ALARM TRAVEL TIME WATCH
The Ref. 5520P Alarm Travel Time watch is one of the most divisive watches to ever leave the fabled manufacture of Patek Philippe. Not only does it look unlike any other watch the brand makes, the overall aesthetic isn’t something that is usually associated with the brand. However, there can be no denying that the movement is quite special. Exquisite finishing aside, it combines an alarm complication with a very handy second timezone complication. This isn’t some buzzing alarm, either; it uses a hammer and gong setup just like minute repeaters. But the questions remains, “Must it look this ugly?”
Source: aBlogtoWatch
4. CHRISTOPHER WARD DEBUTS NEW C60 SAPPHIRE DIVE WATCH
The practice of using sapphire discs as watch dials is not new, but it’s one that’s usually reserved for the higher echelons of watchmaking. Now, Christopher Ward is bringing this aesthetic to the masses with its new C60 Sapphire dive watch. As its name suggests, the dial is a clear blue sapphire disc that gives owners a peek at the Sellita SW200 movement beneath. The end result is a watch that has a very interesting look and construction — one that is not very common in this price range.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
5. HANDS-ON DEBUT: SEIKO PRESAGE ENAMEL & PORCELAIN DIAL WATCHES FOR 2020
There’s something transcendent about enamel dials. Maybe it’s the unique sheen and the richness of color that they possess. Or maybe it’s because they lose none of their luster to the trials of time. Whatever it is, they are one of the most sought-after materials for watch dials. Watches with enamel dials are often very expensive, but credit has to be given to Seiko for making such watches more accessible. And for 2020, the brand is introducing two new models and one limited-edition model featuring enamel dials. Hit the link below to check them out.
Source: aBlogtoWatch