In the past two weeks, aBlogtoWatch reviewed two affordable dive watches that changed my mind about boutique dive watch brands. And the other end of the price spectrum, there’s Patek Philippe’s lovely new Gondolo 8 day watch; and we examine the differences between buying watches online as opposed to a brick and mortar retail shop. Speaking of buying watches, after-sales service is very important for luxury watch brands and I recently found out how Audemars Piguet takes care of its customers in Singapore.
1. Bell & Ross BR01-94 Pro Titanium Carbon Fiber Watch Review
To have a instantly recognizable design is one of the highest praisees a watch designer can have, and one cannot deny that Bell & Ross watches have a look that is distinctly theirs. The brand recently updated its BR01 Pro lineup to include this watch – the BR01-94 Pro Titanium Carbon Fiber – which combines two hardy materials, titanium and carbon fiber, to create a super sporty and durable sports chronograph.
Clearly, I have a soft spot for contemporary watches that try to recreate the imperial artistic density of antique timepiece creations that I fawn within museum settings. Brands like Jaquet Droz have a rich history to pull from, but in fact, the whole watch industry has a few hundred decades of incredible designs and artistic strategies to inspire them. Modern tastes and industrial clinics avoid most of the historic hand-done artwork to be used on the modern watches, but it is nice to know that at least a few watches such as the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Tourbillon Paillonnée attempt to combine contemporary aesthetic concerns with artistic methods that lots of folks are able to continue to appreciate. I think Jaquet Droz combines the old and the new together quite well in watches in this way, but they’re quite limited in their creation by nature. My love of aventurine motivated me to write about this particular limited edition version of the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Tourbillon – which is referred to as the Grande Seconde Tourbillon Aventurine ref. J013014270 (as you’ll see in a moment, a name that is a bit ironic). Limited to only 28 pieces, this can be an interestingly decorative variant of one of the most simple and elegant tourbillon watches available.aBlogtoWatch first coated the Jaquet Droz Grande Second Tourbillon here back in 2012. Rather than a 43mm wide case, the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Tourbillon Aventurine is smaller, at 39mm wide. That makes it sort of “uni-sex,” although this size and style is popular in Asia, a region where Jaquet Droz is rather successful. So while the diamonds and mother-of-pearl are a bit feminine for some Western male preferences, I wouldn’t go ahead and assume that this is a lady’s watch. It’s in fact marketed as a men’s design, I believe.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
2. What I Learned Building A Watch With aBlogtoWatch At Frederique Constant
As a watch lover, I cannot think of anything more exciting than building my own watch. Unfortunately, learning how to build a watch is not quite the same as looking up YouTube and learning how to tie a tie. That said, one lucky reader recently got to build his own watch and with Frederique Constant no less! In this article, he recounts his adventure at Frederique Constant’s manufacture in Geneva, sharing just how difficult and intricate the craft of watchmaking is. I can only imagine his joy when he finally received the Slimline Moonphase Manufacture watch (only just released at Baselworld) he had built.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
3. Guide To Buying Watches Online Versus In Retail Stores
When it comes to buying watches, I have one cardinal rule: always see the watch in the flesh and try it on if possible. And that is why I almost always buy from a brick and mortar store. But that’s just me, I know of others who prefer buying online because it is often less expensive. If you are sitting on the fence, this article nicely summarizes the pros and cons of buying from a retail store and online.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
4. Patek Philippe 5200 Gondolo 8 Day Watch Hands-On
One of Patek Philippe’s new watches for 2013 is the Ref. 5200 Gondolo 8 Day. The Gondolo is actually one of the storied brand’s more recent collections, and this year, the Gondolo lineup received a huge update in the form of the new watch we see here. The Ref. 5200 Gondolo 8 Days brings with it a new in-house 8-day rectangular movement that has a day/date complication around the subsidiary seconds dial.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
5. Hexa K500 Watch Review
I cannot say I’m fond of boutique watchmakers. Yes, they are undeniably affordable, but many of them simply rebrand cases and dials from OEM makers in China or some other part of Asia and pass it off as something of their own. Hexa, however, is quite different. For starters, the Hexa K500 has a case unlike any other I have seen, and on top of that, the luminescent material used on their watches are sourced from lume specialists, Lüm-tec. Check out our detailed review of their new K500 dive watch.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
6. Benarus Moray 42 Dive Watch Review
Benarus is renowned for its no-fuss design and imposing watches, and the 47mm Megalodon is arguably its most well-known offering. Apart from the Megalodon, Benarus also has the Moray and they recently released a 42mm version of it for people who desire for something a little more discreet and modest. Find out in our review if the Moray has lost any of its appeal in the midst of downsizing.
Source: aBlogtoWatch