Category: WATCH REVIEW

August 11 2023

Patek Philippe 5212A A Different Watch

Ricardo Amaral PATEK PHILIPPE, WATCH REVIEW 0

Introduced in 2019, the Patek Philippe 5212A is an exquisite watch that comes with a distinctive dial with a weekly calendar that operates with the aid of two extra central hands.

The silvery opaline sector dial comes with letters and numerals in a unique font that depicts the handwritten calligraphy of one of the Manufacture’s designers. In the centre of the dial, we can find blackened gold Dauphine hands and the brand’s lettering at noon, followed by four rings, with the first one imprinted with the seven days of the week and which is aided by an extra hand with a red hammer-shape tip, a second, wider ring where the hour markers rest in the same material as the hands and a date window at 3 o’clock, and finally, two peripheral rings with the first one divided with the 53 weeks that make up the year and the second with the 12 months of the year, which like the ring of the days of the week are aided by another extra central hand with the same shape.

The round polished stainless steel case measuring 40mm in diameter and 11.8mm thick comes with a smooth bezel, curved lugs with a stepped profile, a fluted crown embossed with the brand’s logo, sapphire glass front and back, and 30m water resistance.

At the heart of this phenomenal timepiece operates the 304-part Manufacture In-house Caliber 26-330 S C J SE which at the time had to be supplemented with an additional 92-part semi-integrated mechanism to be able to provide the current day and week. Its automatic movement, which comes with a 21k gold central rotor, reaches 28,800 Vph and offers between 35 and 45 hours of power reserve, which can be seen carefully decorated by hand through the sapphire glass of the case back.

The elegant watch is offered attached to a light brown calfskin strap, hand stitched and with a prong buckle.

The watch can be purchased at the brand’s official boutiques and authorized retailers for €39,070.

Reviewing the Longines Heritage Classic Tuxedo

Ricardo Amaral LONGINES, WATCH REVIEW 0

Watches like people are born with different purposes, some to help us in our daily lives, others in our activity, others have the purpose of keeping us alive and then there are others who are born to bring us joy and invite us to go out, the two pieces from the Longines Heritage Classic Tuxedo collection are part of this universe.

This Heritage Classic Tuxedo collection seems to have come out of a classic film, where distinguished men dressed in their elegant tuxedos ended their days in jazz bars, dance halls or private parties, where charm and elegance were distilled and the nights were characterized by marathons of dances, discontinued by smiles and looks lost between drinks and cigarettes.

Longines has this gift, to make us relive the past by recreating some of its most iconic classic models, and honour be done, they know how to do it like few others. It was during the past year that they launched this small collection of two watches, the first being characterized by the simplicity of the three hands and a chronograph as the second model that in addition to giving the time adds the chronograph complication, but we will immediately look more closely at each of these two dazzling watches.

So, let’s start with the Classic Tuxed, it comes with a 38.5mm stainless steel case, with polished finish over the entire length of the case, the lugs are curved and long in shape, in addition to being drilled, to finish at case level a knurled crown at 3 o’clock with the “Longines” name signed.

The dial features a silver opaline, a black outer ring in the Art Deco style, the black outer ring is fixed with a white minute track and Arabic hour markers that are filled with beige Super-LumiNova luminescence (fauxtine style) the same padding receives the two-central baton-shaped hands, the watch also features a small second’s sub-dial at 6 o’clock with a white radial pattern. The dial receives only the signature of the brand at 12 o’clock and a small mention of “Swiss Made” below the 6 o’clock marker, remaining true to the original classic model and in that sense, the mention “Automatic” referring to the movement was kept out.

The Classic Tuxedo comes equipped with the automatic movement ETA Caliber L893 that offers up to 64 hours of power reserve.

We now jump to the Classic Chronograph Tuxedo, it comes with a 40mm diameter stainless steel case and unlike the Classic Tuxedo it has a polished but also brushed finish, the lugs are curved and short, that makes it looks on the wrist similar or even smaller than its brother. The case also features the same type of knurled crown described above, flanked by the two block-shaped pushers in the classic style that is part of the chronograph function.

The dial features the same silver opaline as its brother, but it has three distinct areas, first, a white outer ring where the tachymeter scale with blue accents is attached, second, a black ring where are a minute track and Arabic hour markers in white, and third, an inner area that is presented in white and where is fixed a silver swords hands, a second’s sub-dial at 3 o’clock and a 30-minute totalizer at 9 o’clock, both with a white radial pattern. Finally, and with regard to the dial, the blue accents of the central second hand and also the hands of the two sub-dials should be highlighted, as well as the absence of other inscriptions beside the signature of the brand and the usual and almost unnoticed “Swiss Made” text.

At the movement level, it is equipped with the automatic movement ETA L895 that offers a power reserve of up to 54 hours.

Both watches come equipped with sapphire glass with several layers of coating that give them anti-reflective characteristics and are supplied with a black leather strap.

Final considerations, are two elegant and very beautiful watches, which unfortunately deserved more prominence, the choice between one and the other is up to each one, I like simplicity and that is why I would come more easily with the Classic Tuxedo on my wrist, however, there is one small detail that would change, which is the long lugs that make it look bigger on the wrist and also accentuates the empty space between the case and the strap, but apart from this detail, everything else would say that it is perfect.

General Specifications:

Brand: Longines

Model: Heritage Classic Tuxedo, Heritage Classic Chronograph Tuxedo

Reference: L2.330.4.93.0, L2.830.4.93.0 (Chronograph)

Dial: Black and Silver

Lume: Super-LumiNova

Case Material: Stainless steel

Case Dimensions: 38.50 mm Diameter, 11.65 mm thickness (L2.330.4.93.0), 40 mm Diameter, 13.60 mm thickness (L2.830.4.93.0)

Crystal: Sapphire

Case Back: Stainless steel

Water Resistance: 30 Meters

Strap: Black leather strap

Caliber: L893 (L2.330.4.93.0), L895 (L2.830.4.93.0)

Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds (L2.330.4.93.0), hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph (L2.830.4.93.0)

Winding: Automatic

Frequency: 25,200 vph (L2.330.4.93.0), 28,800 vph (L2.830.4.93.0)

Jewels: 27 (L2.330.4.93.0), 37 (L2.830.4.93.0)

Power Reserve: 64 Hours (L2.330.4.93.0), 54 Hours (L2.830.4.93.0)

Price: € 1,970 (L2.330.4.93.0), € 2,950 (L2.830.4.93.0)

January 12 2021

Reviewing the Baltic Aquascaphe GMT

Ricardo Amaral WATCH REVIEW BALTIC 0

Baltic is a relatively recent watch microbrand, born in 2017 in France, whose founder developed his passion for watches from an early age due to his father being an avid collector and passionate about watches, hence the creation of Baltic was a natural step, which aims to create watches inspired by vintage watches from his father’s collection.

Today we are going to review Aquascaphe GMT, launched on the market in December, it is our first article about Baltic and although we have not yet had the opportunity to have one in our hands, we cannot fail to say that from what we have seen and read so far, we are truly enthusiastic, but the best thing is to go through the review to be able to understand better.

At first glance, we have a watch with a vintage look but at the same time modern, with a very interesting size of only 39mm in diameter, 12mm thick and 47mm lug-to-lug, with a non-flat sapphire glass which pleased us and that reinforces the vintage aspect but that, like the size issue, we think it will not please everyone. The watch features three variants that vary the colour of the bezel and GMT hand, one with the bezel half blue and half orange and with the GMT hand orange, the other with the bezel half blue and half green and with the GMT hand in green and finally we have one with the bezel half blue and half grey with GMT hand blue. The watch case has a brushed effect and as far as the bracelet is concerned, you can choose between a tropical rubber strap or beads of rice steel bracelet, which reinforces the vintage aspect which seems to fit the watch perfectly.

Regarding specifications, the watch features a 39mm steel case, as we have already mentioned, a signed crown at 3 o’clock and with a sandblasted effect, drilled lugs (we never tire of saying we are fans), sapphire glass, steel case back engraved with the world seen from above and around it the main cities in the world and what seems to us to be the time difference between the different cities (we tried to discover the pattern but we confess that we have not yet discovered) and water resistance 100 meters. Regarding the bezel, it is bidirectional, it comes with 24 clicks (one for each hour), the font used is different from that shown on the dial although it retains the retro inspiration.

Moving on to the dial, it is presented in a matt black colour, with white hour markers with luminescence, presenting the 12 hours with Arabic numerals and just below the brand name “Baltic”, on the other end the introduction for the first time of the date complication through a small window with the background in the same colour as the dial and above it in small the word “Aquascaphe” followed by “GMT” in the same colour of the GMT hand. The dial comes with luminous lipsticks hands and a lollipop second hand, the GMT hand is a combination of the chosen colour of the bezel and ends with a large arrow with luminescence.

Just three more interesting details, first, the watch features C1 Luminova luminescence both on the dial and on the bezel that allows easy reading at darkened heights, another interesting point is to observe the watch in profile which due to its shape allows you to observe four different layers on the corrugated sapphire glass, the bezel, the case and the case back, finally, the first 600 units are numbered on the case back which makes these unique.

In terms of movement, it is presented with an automatic movement Soprod C125, it is a Swiss movement not as well-known as the usual ETA or Sellita movements, but very similar from the point of view of performance, it offers 42 hours of power reserve, bidirectional winding and hacking seconds feature.

Veridito, the watch is very interesting with dimensions similar to the famous Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight, the construction seems to be very good with a credible movement and a very appealing design as Baltic has always accustomed us, in terms of price it is quite competitive, with the price set at around € 1,105 for the rubber strap option and € 1,200 for the steel bracelet option, however, the competition is vast and we could right now suggest equally credible alternatives at similar prices, however also we know that the main market for microbrands is not exactly the same as that of the most well-known traditional brands and therefore our verdict can only be very positive, once again we would like to experience it by our hands, hopefully soon.

General Specifications:

Brand: Baltic

Model: Aquascaphe GMT

Reference: Aquascaphe GMT – Green, Aquascaphe GMT – Grey, Aquascaphe GMT – Orange

Dial: Black

Lume: C1 Luminova

Case Material: Stainless steel 316L

Case Dimensions: 39 mm Diameter, 12 mm thickness, 47 mm lug-to-lug

Crystal: Double domed sapphire

Case Back: Stainless steel

Water Resistance: 100 Meters

Strap: Tropic rubber black strap, tropic rubber blue strap, beads of rice steel bracelet

Caliber: Soprod C125

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT

Winding: Automatic

Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)

Jewels: 25

Power Reserve: 42 Hours

Price: € 1,105 (Tropic rubber strap), € 1,200 (beads of rice steel bracelet)

January 2 2021

Reviewing the Tudor Pelagos

Ricardo Amaral TOP STORIES, TUDOR, WATCH REVIEW 2

Since a while, I’ve been thinking about buying a Black Bay Fifty Eight and two weeks ago, when I was in the store trying out the two BB58 variants on my wrist, figuring out which would be the best for me, I looked at the window next door and saw Pelagos, of course, I couldn’t resist experimenting the LHD variant, which is the one that attracts me the most and that immediately put a big smile on my face and made me realize that we hadn’t yet had the opportunity to talk about this incredible watch here, so I thought “Damn it, let’s do it!”

Pelagos despite being a relatively recent watch that first appeared in 2012, has its ancestors in the historic model of Tudor Submariner that was launched in the first half of the 1950s, but among the various models, what resembles today the Tudor Pelagos is the Tudor Submariner ref. 7021 that emerged in the 1960s and here we note several similarities at the aesthetic level, namely the squares marks on the dial, the snowflake hands, a date window and the crown-guards. Although the Tudor Submariner 7021 is countless times associated with the Black Bay line because of the snowflake hands, the truth is that it has much more similarities with Pelagos. And regarding the LHD variant, I recall that isn’t exactly a novelty, since the crown on the left was introduced in Tudor Submariner watches in 1981 with the Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner Left-Hand ref. 9401 as required by the Marine Nationale officers.

But Pelagos is much more than just a watch from the Tudor collection and from Rolex World, it is the first watch produced in titanium and also the first watch with a ceramic bezel with lume injection. The Pelagos LHD variant adds another unique feature, it is the first numbered Tudor watch, as happened in the past with the Rolex Submariner given to soldiers who served in the Vietnam war.

Regarding the Pelagos model, we can find a 42mm satin titanium case, with helium escape valve positioned at 9 o’clock or at 3 o’clock in the LHD version, crown signed at 3 o’clock or at 9 o’clock in the LHD version with crown guards, a ceramic bezel in matte blue or in matte black with luminescence, sapphire glass and numbered stainless-steel case back. A water-resistance of 500 meters that makes it a true tool watch. The bezel has a unidirectional movement, 60 clicks with a “lock” at 12 o’clock in which it is necessary to apply a little extra pressure to turn again, it presents an inverted triangle at 12 o’clock with a circle in the middle that allows it to differentiate itself from the other 12 o’clock inverted triangle on the dial.

On the dial, we can find a raised chapter ring, a blue or black matte dial, square hour markers, a date window at 3 o’clock, snowflake hands, 5 lines of text at 6 o’clock and the inscription “Tudor” followed by the inscription “Geneve” at 12 o’clock.

The watch is powered by the In-house movement Caliber MT5612, with a silicon balance spring held by a traversing bridge that provides anti-magnetism and protection against shock and vibration, offers 70 hours of power reserve and has a chronometer certification by COSC.

The watch comes with a three-link titanium bracelet, with a spring-loaded clasp that allows it to extend and retract, adjusting to the wrist, and is probably the most innovative, functional and comfortable clasp ever produced by Tudor and Rolex. Pelagos also comes with an extra rubber strap in the same colour of the dial.

What the LHD version brings different and captivated me, first the vintage aspect of the watch reinforced by the beige tone of the dial markers and hands accompanied by the same tone of the bezel markers, the tone used is not as pronounced as those that we find in the gilt dials of Black Bay line and to me, it seems to be much more suitable and refined. On the dial I found two more details that delighted me, the first and most evident is the inscription of Pelagos in red, which in the midst of so much monochromatic seems to fit like a glove and helps to break those 5 lines of text that in the eyes of many is exaggerated. On the other hand, it resembles the old Rolex Red Submariner 1680 or the Rolex Double Red Sea-Dweller 1665 with red inscriptions on the dial. Another unique and interesting detail is the roulette date window, which alternates between even days in red and odd days in black, is not new in the Rolex world and can be found in some old models, namely Datejust, but it is undoubtedly one more precious detail.

At the level of the case, there are three other details that captivated me, the first concerns the height of the case, which despite not being low thanks to the brushed effect makes it look much lower when compared, for example, with the Black Bay 41mm whose case is the same height but which instead of a brushed finish has a polished finish that makes them look much taller, the second detail concerns crown guards that have round shape guards that are not very common to see, but that gives them a touch of refinement. Finally, the fact that it is a numbered edition that I mentioned above, engraved on the case back, makes each unit of the watch a unique piece and even though it is not a limited edition, it is a numbered edition and therefore it is a limited production in time, which makes this model become a desirable item for collectors over time.

In conclusion, the Tudor Pelagos is a true tool watch, which is far from having the versatility of the Black Bay line and whose price is significantly higher (almost over € 1,000 in some models), however, it is a watch with a contemporary design and sporty, which is the best approach in terms of correspondence with his older brother, Rolex Submariner. The Pelagos LHD edition introduced in 2017 came to fill the gap of those who would like to have a Pelagos with a more conservative aspect similar to what happens with the Black Bay line and the result would say that it is very interesting, although many dispute the fact that the crown is positioned at 9 o’clock instead of the traditional 3 o’clock position, giving it the connotation of a watch for lefties, for me, it is not a problem, as I often wear my watches on both wrists and see in this particularity another unique detail. Final note, although it is not a cheap watch, for what it offers and considering that it is a titanium case and bracelet, I do not believe that there are many alternatives on the market that offer a better price-value ratio.

Let me know what you think about Pelagos and what your choice is between it and the Tudor Black Bay line.

General Specifications:

Brand: Tudor

Model: Pelagos LHD, Pelagos

Reference: M25610TNL-0001 (Pelagos LHD), M25600TB-0001 (Pelagos blue dial), M25600TN-0001 (Pelagos black dial)

Dial: Matte Black (Pelagos LHD and Pelagos), Matt Blue (Pelagos)

Lume: Yes

Case Material: Titanium

Case Dimensions: 42mm Diameter

Crystal: Sapphire Glass

Case Back: Stainless steel

Water Resistance: 500 Meters

Strap: Titanium bracelet with a spring-loaded clasp

Caliber: MT5612

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, dive bezel

Winding: Automatic

Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)

Jewels: 26

Power Reserve: 70 Hours

Chronometer Certified: COSC certified

Price: € 4,390

Numbered Edition: Yes (Pelagos LHD), no (Pelagos)

August 26 2020

Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 6007A Limited-Edition

Ricardo Amaral PATEK PHILIPPE, WATCH REVIEW 0

In June, Patek Philippe announced a new Calatrava as a limited edition of 1,000 pieces to celebrate the opening of its new facility. This new space was highly expected, the brand has long sought a larger space where it could bring all departments together in one place, increasing efficiency and looking to the future. Despite the significant budgetary slippage, unlike the so-called Swiss rigor, the result is at least imposing, a large building with 6 floors and 4 more in the basement.

This new Calatrava is not just a Limited Edition but is bringing something different from the previous models, to start a stainless-steel case, since a long time that Patek got used to us with more refined materials, ignoring that many brand enthusiasts sometimes identify with less ostentatious pieces and this watch may be the turning point.

Our first impressions about this launch are that it is a watch aimed at a younger and more relaxed audience, which does not mean a less refined consumer because who chooses a Patek, and let artists and other public figures aside for the obvious reasons, is looking for perfection. In this Calatrava we can find a navy blue dial, with two distinct sections, in the center a pattern of carbon texture, which is not something new in Patek’s and I can remember at least two other Patek’s with the same pattern in the past, a little too much for me, around it, a minute trail, with hours marked by triangles and followed by a second section with hours marked with large Arabic numbers followed by another minute scale with small Arabic numbers every 5 minutes and ‘finally’ a well-sized date window at 3 o’clock. Both the hands and the Arabic numerals of the hours come with generous luminescence, which is another novelty in the Calatrava collection, the dimensions also break with the past, 40mm wide and 9.07mm thick, inside we can find an automatic movement Caliber 324 S C and as a strap a blue embossed calfskin matching the dial.

My final thoughts on this release, it is interesting to see some efforts by Patek to captivate a new audience, it is also interesting this watch as a whole, even though to me the dial looks very crowded. The downside is undoubtedly the price, above € 25,000 for a stainless-steel watch and with so many other options on the market with the same level of quality and refinement, a (non) problem that Patek will be aware of.

General Specifications:

Brand: Patek Philippe

Model: Calatrava Ref. 6007A-001

Dial: Gray-Blue and embossed

Lume: Luminescent coating

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Dimensions: 40 mm Diameter, 9.07mm Thickness

Crystal: Sapphire Glass

Case Back: Sapphire Glass printed with logo

Caliber: 324 S C

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date

Winding: Automatic

Frequency: 28,800 vph (4Hz )

Power Reserve: 35 – 45 Hours

Water Resistance: 30 Meters

Strap: Calfskin strap in gray-blue

Limited Edition: 1,000 pieces

Price: € 25,720

Availability: Now

September 28 2019

The Seiko SKX

Ricardo Amaral SEIKO, WATCH REVIEW 0

If you wish to find a nice watch for summer days, outdoor activities and perfect for weekends without breaking your bank account, we can’t remember a better option than the Seiko SKX.

The Seiko SKX is a model launched in 1996, and yes, our choice has more than 20 years, for the most distracted this is not a simple Seiko model or one more among so many, this is one of the legendary sports models of this amazing brand, probably as many already have said, the best mechanical watch money can buy.

The journey just started in 1965 when Seiko launched the first diver watch with a 150 meters water resistance, that was the model 6217, over time many others were followed, the 6105 until 1977, the 6309 before the 80’s, and the Seiko 7002 before 1996, probably the most similar aesthetical, before the born of SKX model.

But what this watch has so special and why this watch catches the eyes of so many, well, we can find several adjectives to describe it because the list is long, but no, we don’t need so much, so let’s talk about some interesting facts, this is a watch very well-constructed considering the price you pay for, versatility is probably the best adjective that can describe it, it belongs to a restricted group of watches called dive-watches (own an ISO 6425 certificate), it looks awesome despite all its simplicity, and believe it or not won’t let you look bad even being close to a Rolex or Omega diver, and finally the underrated price.

This watch comes with a steel case that alternates between polished and brushed parts, case size of 42,5mm, lug to lug 46mm, a thickness of 13,25mm, lug width 22mm, hardlex glass, unidirectional bezel, steel solid case back, an automatic caliber 7S26 at 21600 vph, 21 jewels, day-date complication, rubber strap or jubilee-type bracelet, power reserve up to 40 hours, lumibrite lume, price between €340 and €360 (if you search probably, you will find it at a lower price).

The dial is large enough to allow a perfect reading, perfect for diving, with a generous lume plots, in the hands and in the tail dot (positioned on the bezel at 12 o’clock), one more feature that few can do better than Seiko, small white window with day-date in black (blue on Saturdays and red on Sundays) at 3 o’clock, a big crown at 4 o’clock with crown guards. The unidirectional bezel despite not being in ceramic, it is incredibly good, allows a 360-degrees rotation with a total of 120 clicks (one click each half minute). The case back has grave a “Tsunami” draw, and some information about this watch, like the caliber movement, case material and the serial number. The hardlex glass is very resistant to scratches but isn’t a sapphire glass (the budget doesn’t allow). It comes with a rubber strap or for just more €20 you can get it with a jubilee-type bracelet (the jingle-jangle bracelet as known), and believe, it’s incredibly comfortable on the wrist and looks stunning.

If you like to change the look of the watch, you wear every day; this is the perfect watch for you because the alternatives are countless, the versatility of SKX is amazing with different straps, Nato straps, rubber straps, steel bracelets and leather straps If we also consider the different colours available the options are unlimited.

This watch can be found in different variations, the two most known are the SKX007 and the SKX009. The SKX007 has a black dial and also a black bezel, while the SKX009 has a navy blue dial and “Pepsi” colour bezel (1/3 red and 2/3 blue), and that are all the differences between these two models. But if you have a small wrist and 42,5mm of diameter is too much, don’t worry, because Seiko thought about it, and launched the SKX013, the small version of the SKX007 (it is its “big brother”) the main difference is the 37mm dial diameter, some differences also can be found on the hands, and at the eyes of many, the dial may look now more crowded.

The Seiko SKX009 was used by Robert Redford in the movie “All is Lost” in 2013 if you got curious see the movie.

This Seiko SKX may not be the most world´s accurate watch, neither has the centenary swiss lineage of the biggest watchmakers, but this watch is not less than magnificent, I don’t know any other brand in the world that can do a mechanical watch with a such detail care, with an ISO dive certification, trustworthy, and that will probably last the rest of your life. Unfortunately, this model was discontinued, but the good news is it, is still available in some retailers on the market around the world, so if you want one of them you should hurry.

Category: WATCH REVIEW

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