I’ve really liked the CW models that we’ve reviewed here on these pages – I’ve found them to be a great mix of styling and movements, and all at very affordable prices.  Today, we’re going on a little different path in the CW catalog.

Different, in that we’re going to be taking a look at a limited edition model, one that has a rather impressive movement at its heart.  The model in question is the C9 Harrison Chronograph (product page) in blue.  And this watch is blue, through and though.  You’ve got a sapphire blue dial, and that color carries forth onto the Louisiana alligator strap as well.  In fact, the only other colors in the watch are white and chrome.

So, being as my favorite color is blue, we were off to a good start.  I”m still uncertain about the strap, perhaps brown or black would be more to my personal tastes on a watch.  Oh, and with that strap?  It’s one of the squeakier ones I’ve had one lately – not something I’d normally associate with a higher-end watch like this.

So, aesthetics aside, what of it’s technical prowess?  In that regard, you really just need to know one thing – the movement is a modified Valjoux 7750.  This is a very capable engine, and it drives the main time keeping functions and the chronograph.

It does feel a little odd to not see an active seconds hand running with the main time.  Of course, that just gives you an excuse to put the watch to your ear to hear that high-beat movement working away, now, doesn’t it?

And, as with the Hamilton models I’ve looked at recently with the same movement, the rotor spun like nothing you’ve seen before, and the watch was dead accurate.

This is all housed in a 43mm stainless steel case with display back, an AR-coated sapphire crystal up front, netting a water resistance rating of 50 meters.  All in all, this makes for a very impeccable dress chronograph.

With the movement and the limited nature of this model (only 250 pieces worldwide), the asking price of $1350 seems reasonable.  Of course, should you not care for the blue (but still like the design and the movement), there are two other LE models in the lineup that come in at $1175; ; you can see those here.

Today, we’ll be looking at a watch from a newer company that’s over in my neck of the woods, Chicago.  The company is question is Ovo Watch Co, and we’ll be taking a look at a model from their chronograph lineup.

The model collection is called the Wicker (seen here), and we were sent over the black iteration for review.  At first glance, this is very much a dress watch, with the polished hands and stick indices, on top of the black sunray dial and PVD case and bracelet.  A closer look, however, and you see that this could be considered a sport watch as well.

This is due to the fact that is is a chronograph, powered by the OS10 quartz movement; this means you end up with the following hands/dial layout:

• Chrono hours at 9 o’clock
• Chrono minutes at 12 o’clock
• Chrono seconds on the main dial
• Running seconds at 6 o’clock

Not surprisingly, these are controlled by the standard pushers that flank the push-in crown.  While you don’t get the satisfying ”thunk” as you would from a mechanical, they still click firmly, and the watch functioned just as you would expect in the limited time we had with it.

This is housed in a stainless steel 42mm case (again, PVD-coated in our example) with a screw-down caseback and a sapphire crystal up front.  The bracelet paired up to the case is a 22/20 (ie, 22mm at the lugs, tapering to 20mm at the butterfly clasp), with six removable links.  Unfortunately, all of the links (which are solid, by the way, not folded) are full-size, so a perfect fit can be a bit tricky.  Perhaps the next iteration would see some half-links included.  That said, it held the 5.1 oz watch in place just fine.

And, in the end, that sizing caveat was the only (addmittedly minor) issue I had with the piece.  It wore just fine, fit well to the wrist, and worked like an OS10-powered watch should.  And now we come to the best part – for this watch (remember, PVD coated chronograph with a sapphire crystal on a solid link bracelet with butterfly clasp), they’re only asking $130 (product page here).  To me, that looks like a great price for someone who wants a chrono that works just as well in the office as it does on the weekend, along with specs you see on more expensive watches.

That said, a discount code would sweeten the deal even more, right?  Should you go to pick one up, be sure to use the code WWReview to get yourself another $10 off of the price of any of their watches, the Wicker included.

If you’ve been perusing forums and review sites look for a deal on an affordable automatic watch, you’ve no doubt run across Orient, either in terms of folks talking about the brand, or from an ad you’ve seen.  Today, we’ll take a look at the first of two models that were sent over for review from them.

Before we hit the review, just one note on the company.  They’re definitely not a fly-by-night, having been in business for over 60 years now – so they’ve got some staying power.  If you want, you can read up on them some more in their About and News pages.  Now, on to the watch.

The Mako is, to the best of my knowledge, one of their most popular lines, and it’s easy to see why.  Combine classic (and clean) styling with an automatic movement and a very affordable price, and you have one very attractive combination.  First, let’s take a look at the styling.

First off, you’re hit with the 41mm diver-style case that is popular across many makes, and for good reason – it’s simple, gets the job done, and looks sharp.  Combined with the uni-directional bezel, you’ve got a watch that is definitely sporty in nature, but can easily be dressed up, especially the sample we were sent with the black dial and solid-link bracelet.

The dial itself is very legible, and the raised (and lumed) numerals and indices add a nice bit of dimension to the dial, which is otherwise rather flat in terms of finish and texture (if that’s a deal breaker for you, stay tuned for tomorrow’s review).  In terms of layout, everything is definitely where it needs to be.

The one bit on the styling I wasn’t as much of a fan of (and I realize this is personal preference more than anything) was the pusher at 2 o’clock.  This is a screw-down protected pusher that’s used to set the day of the week.  While I realize this is likely to simply the movement to some degree, I just prefer symmetry in my watches.  It’s not that this is “wrong” in any sense of the word, just something you’ll want to make a decision for yourself with.

Next up, let’s have a look at the “hard” specs for the watch, which include:

• Automatic mechanical movement: Orient Caliber 46943 with 40-hour power reserve and day/date complications
• Mineral crystal
• Screw-down crown and solid caseback
• 13mm height
• 22mm lugs
• 200m water resistance rating
• Weight:  5.6 oz (with two links removed)

As you can see, a rather respectable listing there from the datasheet.  I can’t state what exactly they’re using for lume (hence not listing it in the bullet points), but it’s been some of the brightest I’ve seen as of late.

So, how much would you pay for this watch?  Orient is only asking $215 for the watch, which seems like a bargain to me for what you’re getting.  Add on to that that you can generally find discount codes (currently it seems like the code fall2012 gets you 30% off), you’re in for even more of a deal.  Should you opt for the resin strap, pricing drops to $180.

Aside from my issue with the offset crown, this is a great watch especially at the price.  I think this is a good “first” mechanical watch for someone, or a collector who’s just looking to scratch the “need a new watch itch” without breaking the bank.

Yesterday, we saw our initial foray (at least for this blog) into the Orient catalog, taking a look at the popular Mako.  Today, we’ll have a look at another very visually similar model, and see how it differentiates itself.

Today’s model is the Ray; to look at it side-by-side with the Mako, you see some very similar DNA between the two models.  First, you have practically identical 41mm cases with the same crown/pusher layout, indicating that the movement (Orient Caliber 46943) is also shared between the two watches.  So, mechanically and functionally, these are very similar watches.

It’s when you start to take a closer look at the design elements that the Ray stands apart from the Mako.  First off, take a look at the dial.  Most obviously, the Ray sees a changeover to indices, dropping the numerals used on the the Mako; also we see circles in use here.  Second, we have a slightly different handset, with the Ray seeing larger hands.

Next, you’ll notice that the numbers on the unidrectional bezel are larger on the Ray; the 12 o’clock position marker on the bezel is also slightly different.  And last, but certainly not least, we have a very nice metallic finish on the dial.  It’s not quite to a sunray pattern, but it does catch the light nicely, and adds some dimension to the dial that the Mako doesn’t have.

Aside from the dial, the other major difference in design comes with the 22mm stainless steel bracelet.  While it’s still solid link (and, as an aside, one of the easiest ones I’ve had to pop the pins out to resize) with a brushed finish, you have some polished touches added in to the finish on either side of the center row.  As to which one is better, I can’t say – that’s just really a matter of personal preference.

And that brings us to our final difference – pricing.  On the stainless bracelet, the Ray has an asking price of $230 (again, you can get 30% off with fall2012); if you go for the PVD case, the price jumps up to $325.  For the base stainless models, the $15 difference is negligible in my book.  While the design changes added up to me preferring the Ray, it’s largely a matter of preference for each buyer.  Either way you go, you’re getting a nicely built watch at a great price.

If you’ve bought one of these, or are considering one of the two models, let us know in the comments which way your decision is going (or went).

Today, we’re going to do something a little different.  Yes, it’s a watch review, but its one that we’ve had sent in from one of our readers.  Matt Himmelstein is going to take us through his impressions of this solid-looking Kickstarter watch.  Matt, take it away!

Anstead is a new watch brand that recently delivered their first product, the Oceanis, through a successful Kickstarter campaign.  The specs on the watch are very solid, a Seiko NH36a automatic movement, sapphire crystal, day/date display, unidirectional bezel, screw down case back and crown, surgical grade stainless steel case, and 300 meter depth rating.

Shipped with the standard leather strap, it is not exactly a diver straight out of the box, but an optional silicone strap lets you take the watch diving without worrying about ruining the strap.  The markings are done with superluminescent paint, providing a very readable watch in the dark.  The creator is a Navy veteran who hopes to use this watch as a springboard to a larger line of watches.

The Kickstarter campaign introduced the watch at the “no brainer” cost of $250 for one or $225 each for two (the price jumped slightly after the first group was sold out).  The goal was to set up the tooling and production line for standard production, and the Kickstarter campaign sold out of the full run (expanded during the campaign) of 185 watches.

I am a value buyer of watches, so this watch (I avidly browse Kickstarter campaigns) really hit the sweet spots for me.  First off, the asking price was very reasonable.  Even with the optional silicone strap, the total price was right around $300.  I am a engineer, and I have a soft spot for automatic watches, to the point it is highly unlikely I would buy another quartz watch (except for a recent purchase of a heart rate monitor watch).  I am also a diver, so the features of the watch are nice.  Though to be honest, watches have stopped being the essential dive tool that they used to be.

The planned retail price of the watch is $399, so even with the campaign over, the watch is set at a low price point.  The watch itself is very legible.  The face is black and with white markings it works well.  It is not flashy, making it wearable for business or casual days.  The innermost ring of markings is for military time, which is nice, but the markings are so small, I can barely tell that they are numbered.

The hour and minute hands are simple but very readable.  The second hand has a dot of lume with a red tip, but does not leap out against the background, especially as it moves over one of the other markings.  I have no idea how much more it would cost to use the logo arrowhead at the tip of the second hand, or if this was ever considered, but something along those lines might have made it stand out a bit more.

Regardless, the simple second hand keeps the face from looking too busy, so you need to decide which end of the spectrum is more important to you.   The branding on the watch is also understated, with the company name and logo in white and the model name in red.  There is a logo on the crown, and the clasp is branded. The case is brushed stainless steel, and the bezel is marked for minutes and numbered at 15, 30  and 45, with lume at 0.  The bezel itself has no play in it and is very tight.  The strap is a light brown leather, with contrasting white stitching;  the optional silicone strap is embossed with the brand name.

The leather strap is a bit stiff out of the box, but I expect it to soften over time.  The watch has a nice heft and size to it (44 x 13.5mm), but is not overly chunky or oversized, at least not by today’s standards.  I did not notice a single flaw with the watch, as one might expect with the first production model from a fledgling watchmaker.  It fits under a dress shirt cuff (at least for me), so that helps with the versatility of the watch.  The packaging is pretty basic, with the watch around a black pillow inside a simple box.  Since I bought this for myself, the presentation of the box is not important, but it might be for others.

For me, I am extremely happy with the complete package.  The price is great, the movement is solid, and the watch itself is well executed.  The aspects I would change are all elements of preference, not errors or omissions on the part of the designer.  As it comes, the design is very legible and the branding subtle, adding to the functionality of the watch.  This model puts Anstead Watches on a solid footing for their first venture, and it would definitely give me the confidence to buy from them a second time.

* All pictures courtesy of Matt Himmelstein

Editor’s note:  For those interested, the Kickstarter project page can be found here.

If you’ve read my earlier reviews of the Ocean7 LM-5 models (here and here), you’re aware that I’m a fan of this particular line, due, in large part, to the lumed sapphire bezel that is installed.  This latest model, the LM-5CQ, introduces two things we didn’t see in the other models – a chronograph function, and a lower price point.

Before we get into those differences, let’s review all the (great) things that stay the same from the earlier LM-5 models:

• Swiss Made
• 42mm steel case (13mm thick in this case) with 22mm lugs
• Swiss Super-LumiNova Dial Markers and Hands
• Domed Sapphire Crystal With Inside Anti-Reflective Coating
• Uni-directional 120 click bezel with domed sapphire insert (fully lumed)
• 100m water resistance rating (screw-down crown engaged)
• Strap:  comes on a standard rubber strap, or you can upgrade to Milainese mesh for $149

And of course, the major styling carries over as well, whether you choose the blue or black dials.  That said, the styling has to be a little different, as we’ve got a Ronda 5020.B Quartz movement (the other models are mechanical) adding in a chronograph function.  This also affords the addition of the “big date” window down at the 6 o’clock position.

While these are all welcome additions, it throws the balance of the dial off ever so slightly for me.  The midline of the chrono subdials isn’t exactly on the line you’d draw between 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock – I’m guessing this is due to spacing in the movement to handle the date display.  Not a major issue, by any stretch of the imagination.  However, if you have a bit of symmetry OCD (as I do) when it comes to your dials, you’ll want to take a closer look.

The switch from a mechanical to quartz movement, aside from complications, also brings us a much lower pricepoint than we’ve seen before.  On the stock rubber strap, this model comes in at $379.  This makes it for an attractive option if you’ve been eyeing the LM-5 lineup, or other sapphire bezel watches in general.

Let me know in the comments what you think of the LM-5 lineup, or if there any other models from Ocean7 that you’d like us to take a look at.

Today, we’ll have the first of two reviews on models from Edouard Lauzieres, courtesy of the folks over at Doc C Custom Clothier.  Before we get into the watch, though, we’ll dig a little into the company as this is our first look at the brand.

While you’ve probably not heard of EL before, they’re actually not a new company.  It was founded back in 1932, focusing on the Brazilian, and other South American, markets.  After the 70s, they dropped into very low-volume production, until 2005.  At that point, the great-grandson of the founder decided to put some life back into the brand, and brought forth new watches over the last 7+ years.

The first watch we’ll be looking at is Naples, which is one of the bolder red three-handers I’ve had cross my desk.  As to that color, I won’t give it away – you really need to go to the product page to see why it has the color it does.  In terms of styling (color aside), this is most definitely a sport watch, in terms of case shape and overall presentation.  It does have a more refined appearance with the surface finishes (and the bracelet), so it would work just as well in the office.

The movement is a ref. EL-18 based, which is based off of the Claro 888-2 (nope, I hadn’t heard of it before this review).  The movement is an automatic with various decorations added to it to upgrade it.  This is housed in a 39mm stainless steel case, which itself is set on a three-link (solid) bracelet, which can be sized up to 9″.

Covering the dial you have a sapphire crystal (and another one around back so you can see the movement), which is surrounded by a unidirectional timing bezel.  This insert is (surprisingly for a higher-end piece) just the normal sort of metal (aluminum, I’m guessing) insert, without any lume or texture to it.

And that sort of sets the tone for this watch.  While it’s a perfectly serviceable watch (and really, no major flaws that I picked up on in my time with it), it’s a fairly plain piece.  To be sure, there’s a segment who want a watch that lets the color of the dial speak for it, and leave the rest of the details to slide.  Here, it works against the watch in my way of thinking.  As my friend put it (when he first saw the piece), it looks not too terribly different than the Fossil he had in high school.

Yes, there’s a level of fit and finish here that you simply would not see in your department store special, but those first impressions definitely count for something, especially with a luxury brand.  However, if you’d prefer something that walks a more tried and true path in watch design, and want to go high end, the EL Naples may be for you.  At the moment, the Naples can be picked from Doc C for $1350 (here).

Yesterday, we had our first look at a watch from EL, the Naples.  Today, we’ll have a look at the second review sample that Doc C Clothiers sent over.

The watch in question is the Rivoli, so named for the colors in the sunset-tinged sky of the small Italian town.  This is rather a departure from what you’d expect for a dial color in a men’s watch, that (to my surprise) worked quite well along with the brown strap (and, as an aside, my daughter just loved it).

While the Naples was a sport watch through and through, this one I think is what I’m calling a “classic” watch – this is the sort of style and shape that many people will picture (or even sketch out) when they are thinking about a watch.  This means that simplicity is a bonus here (where for the Naples I found it a detriment), and allows the watch to be a chameleon, working just as well at the office as it does with a suit or on the weekends.

As with the Naples, the automatic movement here is the EL-18 (based on Claro 888-2) with some additional decoration added for visual interest through the sapphire caseback.  This is housed in a 38mm stainless steel case which looks (and wears) a few mil smaller than that measurement might suggest – meaning if you’ve got smaller wrists, you’ll want to give this one a look.

The dial has some interest (aside from the unique color we saw). You’ve got a subtle sunburst pattern hiding in there, which catches the light and breaks up the surface, courtesy of guilloche which is done by hand – much nice than a flat dial in this sort of presentation.  Sitting on top of that you have simple (and lumed) stick indices, as well as the 12 up at the top.

As a whole this works very well with the simple hands, and that’s what I truly like about this watch – the simplicity.  Yes, there are some “snazzier” touches with the guilloche and croc-grain calfskin strap, but they don’t overwhelm the classic styling.  It just a nice, solid all-around watch, working for any manner of situations – the date display just makes it that much more versatile.

You can pick up this watch (or one of the other dial colors, which actually changes the model name) from Doc C here, for the price of $1150.  Given the Swiss automatic movement, hand-guilloche details, and versatility of the watch, the pricing doesn’t seem to be wildly out of line.

Our thanks to Doc C Custom Clothiers for sending over the two EL models for us to review.  If there is anything else from their lineup you’d like us to review, let me know in the comments (or an email), and I’ll work with them to see if we can’t make that happen.

In the past, we’ve looked at several watches from Benarus (Megalodon, Sea Snake), and these are all serious (and modern) divers.  Today, we’ll dive into their sister catalog, which is from Raven Watches.

Raven comes from the same design minds (Steve Laughlin and Ralf Schreiner) that are behind the Benarus line, so you know you’re in good hands here.  When you first take a look at the Vintage lineup (our review sample is the 40mm with date), you’re going to see watches that feel immediately familiar – and that’s for good reason.

The Raven Vintage is a throw back to the old Rolex Gilt-Sub watches  - which also used acrylic crystals, gold hands (not something you normally see paired with steel cases these days), gold dial printing, and no crown guards on the case.   Of course, a strait replica simple won’t do, so they’ve made some styling changes, including  a grippy coin edge bezel on the larger case.  You can compare the two if you like, as we’ve got a picture of the Rolly right above this paragraph.

I’m sure there are a few readers who are turning up their nose at the mere thought having having what they’d consider to be a replica on their wrist, but I think this is more in line with something that is an homage, given the design changes made.  I think this, frankly, is a great watch for someone who just likes the vintage styling, but can’t afford the thousands they run for, or someone who wants to leave their original safely ensconced and want a reliable daily wear version.

And in the course of a week, daily wear is what this watch was for me.  There’s something about the designs Steve & Ralf put together, but they just click with me.  The sizing and proportions feel “right” on the watch, and it fits snugly in place, even without drastically curved lugs.  On top of that, the proportions feel spot on as well, with the 20mm bracelet paired on the 40mm case.  As an added bonus, the case is thinner than you’d expect for an automatic (14mm from case back to top of domed crystal; the case itself is 9mm thick); this all nets to a 5.2 oz package on the bracelet.

The finish on these items is another area that has changed from the original – rather than full polish, they’ve got a sort of “selective” brushed finish. You still get some shiny streaks in there, but with the finish as it is now, you’re not going see all manner of smudges and fingerprints.  Now, I don’t know about you, but that does drive me a bit crazy on a fully polished case or bracelet.

On the dial, it fits well with the vintage theme – just a simple matte black with gold and red lettering, and some slightly yellowed (for that vintage feel) C3 luminova on the dial and hands, which glows just as nicely as you’d expect it to.  If I were to change anything, it would be the date window (white text on black would blend better), but I realize that wouldn’t fit as well in the vintage inspiration.

The watch itself is powered by a Miyota 9015 automatic movement, so you’ve got something nicely modern (and reliable) keeping time for you.  This also helps keep the pricing down, which comes in at a very affordable $580 – and that’s inclusive of the black/grey zulu and leather NATO straps in the packaging.  I should also note that this all ships in a travel roll – which, while you might not travel with it, creates a very nice work surface (ala this one I wrote about here) to keep the watch safe.

All in all, this is a great package – you have the vintage look and feel with the reliability of a modern movement (and manufacturing), paired with some very nice extras (the straps and 5-place roll), all at a nice price.  If you’re looking for a diver, but don’t care for the more modern designs, this is one you need to check out.

Whenever a new watch brand hits the map here in the ol’ US of A, I take notice.  While many of these turn out to be overly simplistic or a minimal rebrand of another model, the folks at Hexa have built up a rugged diver that has a unique case.

We were able to spend a nice bit of time with the K500 earlier in the month, and I think it’s an interesting addition to the pantheon of small-make dive watches that are on the market.  While I realize the style isn’t for everyone (in fact, it’s not quite to my own tastes), this is a really nice build, and has a lot to offer.

Rather than trying to  be clever listing out all the various specs the 7.4oz watch offers, I’m just going to rely on this graphic directly from Hexa:

The most striking (or perhaps polarizing) part of this watch design is, of course, the case.  The offset crown and integrated crown guard are certainly nothing new, and, for a watch of this size, nicely keeps the crown from digging into your wrist.

Inset in there, of course, you’ve got a very clean and easy-to-read dial – and that’s day or night.  The lume on this watch is particularly nice – a benefit of having Lum-Tec involved in the process, I imagine (side note:  while a lumed seconds hand is not necessary in any definition, it is a sign of attention to detail that I appreciate).  The timing bezel is also rather easy to read – no excess of hash marks on there.

That bezel is also easy to turn, due to how grippy the it is with the geometry of the “teeth” – which makes up, in part, for the difficulties that integrated crown guard can cause when you’re going to lock the crown in place.

Back to the bezel though, having that sort of grip is something I can only imagine would be helpful if you were wearing gloves on a dive – which is what this watch is intended for.  The 500m water resistance rating certainly indicates that, as does the built-in (6-position) ratcheting diver extension on the bracelet.

With the bracelet, you could swap in fixed ends on the case (we left it with the pivoting ends), or you could go for the vanilla-scented rubber strap (classic trappings there).  All of these come in the case, no upcharge, which is a nicety.

One last point I want to touch on is the movement. Here, the Seiko 6R15 is taking care of the relevant duties.  As usual, it performed flawlessly in our time with the watch, and I think it offers a good balance of value and performance.

In the end, it will be up to you if the styling clicks, and you are looking for a watch that’s as home on land or in the waters.  If that’s you, head on over here and get ready to put down at least $699 (other PVD finishes can raise the pricing to $738 or $799), plus shipping.

For an intial foray, I think this is a solid outing from Hexa, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes from their workshop next.

A bit over a year ago, we brought you news of a new model from Morphues Watches, the Cinema.  Today, we’re going to give you a a hands-on review of this watch (the first of two models from them we’ll be looking at).

At first glance, it’s easy to see the inspiration for this watch comes from the movie theater; here is a quick overview of the various cinematic references you’ll find upon closer inspection:

• The dial looks like a film reel, complete with texturing to make it appear as if film is wound
• The crown has the appearance of a projector lens (especially when unlocked and extended)
• The silicone strap is imprinted with the design of a strip of film
• The font used for letters and numerals is reminiscent of the deco era of movie-making

So, right off the bat, you can tell this is a watch for someone who loves movies.  That covers the form; what of it’s function?  Inside the 45mm stainless steel case you’ve got the workhorse ETA 2824-2 movement taking care of time- and date-keeping functions.  On top of the case, you’ve got an AR-coated sapphire crystal, which buttons up the package (screw down case back) to net a 50m water resistance rating.

In terms of daily wear, this watch is quite pleasant.  The thin (only 10.4mm thick!) case fits under any cuff quite nicely, and the case didn’t wear overly large.  For a watch at this price point (more on that in a moment), the silicone strap seems an odd choice, but it is in keeping with the theme.  In the end, it was well suited to daily wear (for the time I had with it).

Now, back to the price.  Given the fact that there are only 150 of these hand-assembled watches in existence, you know you’ll have a premium at play here.  Morpheus is currently asking $1950 (product page), which doesn’t seem wildly out of line for the limited nature and uniqueness of the piece.  I do wish there was a higher quality strap that it came with, but that’s easily remedied in the aftermarket, should you so wish.

Today, we’re taking a look at the second watch that Morpheus Watches sent over.  Oftentimes, we are tempted to refer to a larger (either in terms of diameter and/or thickness) watch as a tank.  Well, Morpheus ran with that label, and actually created a watch that’s inspired by the Abrams M1A2 tank.

Not surprisingly, this is a very beefy watch, coming at 46mm in diameter, plus the turret-like crown guards.  That’s just the first part of the inspiration, however.  For a full rundown, I’m going to rely on this image provided by Morpheus:

Now, our particular model was the PVD coated case and beige dial (product page), which has a more subtle tank tie – the color of the dial was inspired by the paint color used on tanks (and other vehicles) in the Gulf Wars.

After taking a look at the watch, you’re (like me) probably wondering what that crescent shaped cutout is on the top part of the dial.  Thankfully, it’s not some oversized date display window.  In fact, it’s actually a 24-hour indication dial (courtesy of the Ronda 505.24 D movement).

This gives the watch a bit of a unique look, and it’s the first time I’ve seen a 24 hour readout quite like this.  While it’s not the way to go for every watch, it definitely works for this watch, giving it more of an industrial gauge feel.

And, overall, this watch has a very industrial feel to it.  Which is fitting, I suppose, for the heft that you have on your wrist.  The silicone strap does help keep the watch more comfortable (though it is the soft silicone that picks up lint like a magnet) – but you need to be ready for a heavy watch.

Of course, this isn’t a watch for everyone – frankly, it’s not one I’d personally be adding to my own collection. That all boils down to a matter of preference and tastes, however – not for any quantitative reasons.  If you’re leaning towards picking one of these up, pricing on this collection (full collection here) starts at $395; the gold version goes for $495.  Given the limited edition nature of the watches, and the utility of the GMT movement, I think this price is reasonable.

Today, I want to bring your attention to a watch review that I did exactly one year ago.  While I reviewed the watch then, I realized I never mentioned why exactly this piece is in my collection – and why I’ll never let it go.

To be sure, this particular watch doesn’t come out of the watch box all that often, but it holds a special place in the collection.  Why, you might ask?  Well, on this very day, I wore it as my wife and I got married – so wearing this watch brings up great memories of a very happy day.

You can read my original review right here.

Being as chiseled as I am is tough. You have to eat right (brownies only every other day), exercise (take the stairs to the attic), and keep tabs on things like your heart rate and body temperature while playing Sim City. That’s why the Basis is one of the best “general purpose” body monitors I’ve seen. The band, which senses your blood flow, body temperature, and perspiration along with steps and motion, is a small, discreet watch-like system that works surprisingly well as a standard pedometer but offers a way to break bad habits and make new ones.

I’m a longtime fan of quantified health devices for the simple reason that they offer immediate feedback on my current activity level and health. I’ve been using Fitbits for as long as they’ve been available and I’ve managed to lose 20 pounds by keeping my activity up and not eating like a slob. The Basis is different in that it offers the same features as a Fitbit but with a few improvements. For example, on the bottom of the watch there is an optical BPM heart sensor as well as leads for perspiration sensing and temperature. Because it is a watch you can wear the device overnight and monitor your sleep habits as well.

Read more…

If you recall, we first brought you word of the new Boxer Watches brand last July.  While it took more than the month that we anticipated for obtaining a review sample, obtain one we have.

This watch is a skeleton piece that leans toward the dress end of the spectrum, due to the overall styling, as well as the 10mm thickness that the case has (kind of a surprise for an automatic, but it is thin).

One of the questions I originally had with this watch was readability.  While the white hands here do help them to stand out against the gold tones of the movement, I do wish that they were a bit wider, which would make it much easier to read the time in a quick glance.

Past that, I always find it a pleasure to see a mechanical movement working away.  With the presence of the gold tones (and embellishments), it does call to mind the movement (and display) that we showed you in this Armitron, though I don’t believe them to be the same movement.  Here, we have a movement known as the “Chinese Standard Movement“.

From my time with the Zeus, the movement kept time just as you would expect, though the rotor doesn’t seem to spin as smoothly as one would hope.  It didn’t impact the functionality, but it is indicative of the lower price point that the movement afforded.

In terms of styling on the 45mm case, I do like the scalloped sides, and how that extends through to the  the top bezel, allowing it to look like it’s floating a bit.  Obviously, that doesn’t carry through to the case back (for structural reasons), but it’s a nice detail to help the watch stand out.

So, will this watch stand out on your wrist?  It’s hard to say.  For me, I’m not as much of a fan of gold-tone stuff, so this watch isn’t quite a good fit for me.  Also, coming in at $180 (at current exchange rates), it would give me second thoughts, as there are other automatics at this pricepoint that have a smoother (and presumably higher-quality) action to them.

Additionally, there were some rougher spots in the case finish (I think from the cleanup after they were cast, but before plating) that, while not extremely noticeable (most were on the backside or in the lugs), it is present.  In short, it’s not one I’d necessarily purchase for myself – but if you’d like your own, you can head on over here and get yours.

Today’s post is a little bit of an odd one.  We’ve been working for some time to try and get a Signalman in for review, but those are proving to be quite popular, so supplies have been too light to spare a sample loan.  In the interim, however, the chaps over at Schofield sent over one of their strap kits – and it is an impressive bit of kit (yeah, that was intended).

The first thing that struck me about this kit (it was fully loaded for our review loan) was the quality of the roll that it was contained in.  It was very generously sized, and coated in a a lovely wool (or at least wool-like) fabric – definitely giving things a high-quality feel.

Inside the roll, there are plenty of slots for keeping spare straps (or some watches) as well as a handful of tools that would be needed to change out a strap.  I’ve come to appreciate these sorts of rolls more and more, especially the larger ones like we see here (or saw with the Raven Vintage) – it basically gives you a portable work surface where you can safely put a watch down without worrying about a crystal getting scratched or dinged.

Now, what about these straps?  We were sent over a mixture of both their canvas and tweed straps; contained in that variety were both the regular and long varieties.  I tried to get some shots of the differences to show the lengths; you can also refer to their page here where they explain the differences (summary: if your wrist is under 7.5″, the regular will work for you).

While the canvas straps were soft and flexible, and look sturdy and quite fitting with the nautical theme Schofield goes for, I found the tweeds to be the standouts in the package.  While I don’t normally have any tweed in my getup (be it hat or jacket) – yet – these really spoke to me.

For one, they’re different than anything I’ve seen elsewhere.  Sure, you can get a rougher leather strap, but then it looks just like that – a rough strap.  Here, with the tweed, it would dress up quite nicely, while the rough nature of the wool itself lends itself quite nicely to casual, sweater-wearing weather.

Starting in at $150 (the tweeds are $210), these are not cheap straps.  However, it you’re looking for something high quality to pair up with your luxury watch (perhaps a Signalman), these are a great option.  For me, the hardest decision would be which of two tweed colors to get!  You can view the full lineup here.

Today, we’ll take a look at the first of two samples that Gavox sent over for review (and yes, that watch name is quite  a mouthful).  Before we get into the watch, though, we’ve got some house keeping to clear up.  First, being, of course, the history of the Gavox brand, as many of you may not have heard of them before today.

Gavox was founded in 2011, by Michael Happé, a pilot and grandson of one of the original “Flying Tigers” (you can read up on them here) – which explains why we see a heavy aviation influence on the lineup – most evident in the Curtiss P-40 name being used.

Given all of that, I’m fairly confident calling this a pilots-style watch (even though it doesn’t have the triangle many of us associate with the style).  This is a fairly compact piece, with the 40mm stainless steel case measuring in at only 8mm thick.

This is in large part made possible by the Seiko VD78 quartz movement housed inside, which in turn nets the standard time readout and sub-seconds dial at the 6 o’clock position.  Capping off the case, you’ve got a mineral crystal up front and steel in back, all coming together for a 50m water resistance rating.

As you would expect, this is a very light and comfortable watch – you can easily forget you have it on your wrist it’s so light.  Our sample came on one of the nicest canvas straps I’ve seen in awhile – it has a great, earthy texture to it that contrasts the smoothness of the PVD-coated case.

Of course, if you’re not a fan of the canvas strap, you can opt for a nylon NATO or padded leather; you can also opt for a plain stainless case.  Outside of the EU, pricing should start around $160 or so (with PVD tacking on another $16 or so dollars).

For my take on it, I really liked the piece.  It has a great sense of style and design that we’ve seen in the Techné lineup, and it’s a good way to get a subtle flavor of the aviator style on your wrist.  If you’d like to pick one up, head on over to Time 2 Give and place your order.

Today brings us to the second sample that Gavox sent over for us to review, which is also part of their Curtiss P-40 lineup.  While yesterday’s example had a more simple presentation, today’s watch has the addition of one of my favorite complications.

That, of course, is a 24-hour indicator (not a true GMT, as this is synched to the main time display) which is plain handy to have when setting the time on a watch, or if you’re travelling internationally.

The other design change you’ll notice on the dial is that the Arabic numerals have been removed, which cleans things up a nice bit considering the addition of the second dial.  This presents as a very clean and balance dial – I do think I prefer it over the example from yesterday.

Here, we do keep the same case (40mm by 8mm thick) that we saw yesterday, housing the Seiko VD77 movement, which is how the 24-hour subdial gets added into the mix.

If I were to choose between the two watches (as they are very similar), I’d likely opt for this model, as the dial is a bit more balanced, and I simply like the 24-hour indicator.  Pricing starts at just over $230, and opting for the limited edition PVD case is only a small increase.

You can purchase from the full lineup here.

Whether or not you like them or not (or think Apple has one coming), Smart Watches are definitely starting to become a prevalent segment.  Time will tell if they have staying power, or will go the path of things like the SPOT watches.  Today, we’ll have a look at the first one I’ve had a chance to review, the MetaWatch Strata.

Our particular review unit is the blue version; the color in these models refers to the underside of the band and the sides of the case; the screen itself is a standard 96×96 pixel LCD.  Of course, where this watch is looking to set itself apart is that screen, and what it can display.

App in background

With the MetaWatch, you can customize quite a variety of information, with the ability to rotate through different screens, which of course could have different datasets on them.  You can have things like:

• Different watch faces
• Called ID and/or text message notification
• Calendar
• Weather
• Stock information

They also have plans for additional expansions to the capability; you can read about their further plans here.  The next question (perhaps) would be how this data is getting onto the watch. Rather than baking in some sort of newfangled wireless tech, it relies on Bluetooth to communicate with something you always have with you – your cell phone.

This introduces a fairly stringent set of characteristics your phone needs to have – if you’re an iPhone (4s or 5) user, you need to be on iOS 6 (or higher); if you have Android, you need to be running 2.3 or higher, and have a phone that supports the Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP).

In our house, none of our phones are anywhere near being new enough to support this BT tech – thankfully, though, the family iPad did (note:  this required using the iPhone app, as the iPad app hasn’t been delivered yet).  While this indeed did work, it really underscored the need for this watch to be near the paired device.

Charging clamp

While it just gives a simple buzz when you get out of range, and will keep functioning just fine, many of the more interesting elements (say, seeing calendar info or controlling music playback) really just falls off the cliff if you’re not near the phone or tablet.  At that point, you’re just rocking a thick digital watch that can rotate through some static screens (well, time still works).

Charging port

So, is this the watch for you?  That’s hard for me to say, as this is really the only smartwatch I’ve reviewed, and I wasn’t truly able to utilize the capabilities.  However, if you’re carrying a phone that will work with the watch, there’s a compelling case for being able to have the notifications (or change a music track) without having to pull your phone out of your pocket or bag.  Starting at $179 (full product listing), the watch is firmly in the affordable camp – it’s just that the hurdle of compatibility is a pretty sizable one.

We’ve been keeping you up to date with hands-on reviews of the Egard lineup as they add models; today, we’ll be taking a look at their latest – the Hunter.

This particular model is set apart from the Shade and Adoro right off the bat, as it’s comprised of a fairly chunk squared-off (40 x 42 mm) case, rather than the round treatments we’ve seen previously.  Of course, the movement inside (Sellita Sw-200) is round – and the layered dial is as well.

At first, this might sound a bit odd.  but what this does is it allows for some extra space between the dial and the case for the designer to play with.  Here, there are non-functional screws protruding into the space, giving the appearance of an external anchor for the dial and movement.

In practice (and to my eyes), it’s just giving another element of layer and texture to the watch, which the dial itself already has quite a bit of.  The dial itself is indeed 3D, with the numerals and indices projecting up out of the angled ring; this allows for things like the blue color insert we had on our sample.

Tack on the nicely domed sapphire crystal up front (not something you see a lot of in a square case), sapphire display back, and a 50m water resistance rating, you’ve got a pretty solid watch.  That said, there is one item that I’m hoping could be addressed in further iterations – and that would be the handset.  Visually, they just seem to small, especially given the heft many other components of the build have to them.

In my eyes, this is right smack in the middle of sport – to – dress watch continium, which really seems to be the sweet spot that Egard is targeting.  At $899, this is on the higher end of what I normally cover here, but it does have a solid movement and some very interesting design aspects to it.  

All in all, I’ve been liking what I’ve seen coming out of Egard, and the designs are progressing nicely – really looking forward to what might come next.  Let us know in the comments what you’d like to see from Egard, either in terms of changes to their current lineup, or something new.