In this roundup, we begin by spending an afternoon trawling the streets of Tokyo with a watch legend, Mr. Ryusuke Moriai, the man who heads watch design at Casio and is responsible for some of Casio’s most important pieces over the past three decades.
Next, we take a closer look at the new Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s watch and the new Lang & Heyne Georg watch. The former is one of my favorite dive watches from the show, while the latter is one of my favorite dress watches. Find out what got me so excited about these watches.
Finally, we examine the topic of Tudor’s and Breitling’s collaboration. At Baselworld this year, both brands announced new watches with movements sourced from each other. Is this a good or bad thing?
1. Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s SBGH255 Watch Hands-On
The limited edition 1960 Grand Seiko rereleases are hot, but my favorite new Grand Seiko this year has got to be their new SBGH255 and SBGH 257 Hi-Beat 36000 600m divers. These divers feature beefy titanium cases, 600 meters of water resistance, and accurate hi-beat movements, but most interesting of all is a really nice-looking dial that features an attractive waffle texture that reminds me of Audemars Piguet’s Grande Tapisserie dials. These are my favorite dive watches from Baselworld 2016.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
2. Lang & Heyne Georg Watch Hands-On: Proudly Saxon
I had written about the announcement of Lang & Heyne’s new Georg watch and remarked that it has the most wonderful movement and that I could not wait to see photos of the actual watch. Well, here it is in all its Saxonian glory. And as you would expect from Lang & Heyne, the new Georg watch is impeccably finished. The dial features sharp printing and lustrously polished hands, but it is the movement that steals the show. The beautiful architecture and gorgeous finishing is something to behold and also something that you don’t find on many watches these days. Who says that simple cannot be beautiful?
Source: aBlogtoWatch
3. An Afternoon In Tokyo With The Man Who Designs Casio G-Shock Watches
If you are a Casio or G-Shock fan, this is a story you don’t want to miss. On a recent trip to Tokyo, Japan, Ariel managed to spend time with one Mr. Ryusuke Moriai. Though the name might not ring any bells for many, Mr. Moriai is actually the man who heads watch design at Casio and has been either directly or indirectly responsible for some of Casio’s most iconic pieces over the past 30 years or so. For example, the very first watch that Mr. Moriai designed was the legendary Casio F-91W, which happens to have been my very first watch and I’m guessing many readers’ first watch too. Get a better understanding of how Casio designs its watches in this article.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
4. MB&F LM1 Final Edition Watch In Steel Hands-On
If you have been considering or holding out on MB&F’s Legacy Machine No. 1 watch, now is the time to act because MB&F is closing the chapter on the Legacy Machine No. 1 with the new LM1 Final Edition watch. As its name suggests, this will be the final LM1 watch and they wanted to make it a little special. First of all, there is the unique chocolate brown dial, which looks absolutely scrumptious to me. But most notable of all is the case, which is stainless steel – this being the first and only time the LM1 is offered in stainless steel.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
5. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Watch In Ceramic Hands-On
The Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet is a veritable masterpiece and icon of watchmaking. That distinctive octagonal case, exquisitely finished bracelet, and unique tapisserie dial, makes for a visually arresting watch. However, a common complaint about owning a Royal Oak is that it is hard to avoid scratching the case and bracelet. Fortunately, there is now a Royal Oak for watch lovers who prefer a more pristine-looking scratch-free case. I am referring to the new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in ceramic, which comes with an ultra-hard and scratch-resistant ceramic case and bracelet. It is probably not as lustrous as the steel or gold models, but this all-ceramic version of the Royal Oak is definitely hardier and more resistant to scratches.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
6. Patek Philippe Nautilus 40th Anniversary 5711/1P Platinum Watch Hands-On
The Patek Philippe 5711 in stainless steel is one of the most desirable and difficult to obtain luxury sports watches. The waiting list is said to be years long, and it is easily one of Patek Philippe’s best-selling models. 2016 was the 40th anniversary of this iconic watch and to celebrate the occasion, Patek Philippe released a limited edition Nautilus in platinum. To be accurate, the ref. 5711 Nautilus was already available in platinum, but it was an elusive watch not shown in the catalog and only available to the brand’s most important customers. However, this new ref. 5711 Nautilus in platinum distinguishes itself by a special anniversary engraving on the dial. Only 700 pieces will be made, and you can check it out here.
Source: aBlogtoWatch