2020 Green Dial Watches Part 2: Top 10 With Complications

To continue our look at green watches launched in 2020, part 2 focuses on watches with complications.

1. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore

This year we have yet another variation of the extremely successful Offshore range, in black 44mm ceramic case and bezel, and powered by the in-house Calibre 3126/3840 with 59 jewels, 21,600 vph and a power reserve of 50 hours. 

2. Breitling Chronomat

The Chronomat played an important part in Breitling's history. Introduced in 1984, when the world was still reeling from the quartz crisis, it was launched as a bold mechanical watch that would become an icon of its era. The new version recalls all the classic styling cues from the 1980s and features the in-house B01 calibre, with 70 hours power reserve and COSC-certified.

3. Bvlgari Octo Roma Tourbillon Sapphire Malachite Watch

This is a stunning watch with Malachite used not just for the indices but also in the middle case. Paired to a green strap I think overall, it qualifies for the green watch theme. A classy case with a restrained skeletonisation, coupled with baguette cut diamonds set in the bezel and lugs, it’s high jewellery without being blingy, and with an in-house tourbillon to boot, it has the brains to go with the beauty. 44mm platinum case is no lightweight either. Limited to just 30 pieces. 

4. Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar Forest Green

This is a classic that we all know, but with a gorgeous green dial to be in fashion. 40mm stainless steel case with the dial retaining its original display guided by the Golden Ratio. Powered by the in-house Calibre 90-02, an automatic movement with an off-centred rotor, following the shape of the typically German 3/4 plate. 

5. Grand Seiko "Toge" Special Edition

This new model takes inspiration from the Japanese and British legacies of the two respective companies, combining classic British Racing Green with the fine texture of Grand Seiko's signature Mount Iwate dial. The term 峠 (Tōgè), or mountain pass, refers to a navigable route through a mountain range, and this special edition timepiece subtly evokes the image of a spirited drive over the many ridges of Mount Iwate in Northern Japan. Movement is the Japanese automatic Grand Seiko in-house Calibre 9S66 with a power reserve of 3 days.  

6. Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Saxem 

Ok not quite a green dial per se, but the whole damn watch is about as green as they come! SAXEM stands for Sapphire Aluminium oXide and rare Earth Mineral and is, as the names indicates, an alloy that is the mixture of aluminium oxide (the building block of synthetic sapphire) with rare earth minerals such as thulium, holmium and chromium. Powered by the legendary Zenith El Primero movement, it is limited to 100 pieces. 

7. IWC Portugieser Chronograph

This is the Classic Portugieser chrono, with in-house movement and a very much on-trend for 2020 green dial. 41mm stainless steel case, power reserve of 46 hours.

8a. H. Moser X MB&F Endeavour Cylindical Tourbillon
 
H. Moser & Cie. has borrowed from MB&F the concept of three-dimensional movements, protected by a sapphire dome and featuring a one-minute flying tourbillon that rises above the main dial through a ventricular opening appearing at 12 o'clock. H. Moser & Cie. has equipped its tourbillon with a cylindrical balance spring, invented in the 18th century, it is reminiscent of a worm- or corkscrew, rising perpendicularly around the upper rod of the balance staff. Commonly used in historical marine chronometers at the time, it offers the advantage of developing concentrically, and therefore geometrically, since it works perfectly along the axis of its pivots. This gives it a significant advantage over the flat balance spring, whose opposite ends tend to exert forces on the pivots, despite the Philips or Breguet terminal curves which were specifically developed to partially correct the non-concentric opening of the balance spring. Fitted with a Breguet overcoil at both attachment points, the cylindrical balance spring reduces pivot friction and greatly improves isochronism. Due to its specific shape, the cylindrical balance spring is far more difficult to produce and takes ten times longer to make than a traditional balance spring. Limited to 15 pieces each colour. 

8b. MB&F x H. Moser LM101 

The Legacy Machine 101 distils the very quintessence of mechanical watchmaking: the balance wheel, the power reserve and the passing of time. MB&F has chosen to remove its logo and return to its roots and the origins of horology, when only the movements were signed. The fumé dials are borrowed from H. Moser & Cie. Topped with a domed sapphire crystal, the case is made of steel, for only the third time in the history of MB&F. Limited to 15 pieces each colour.

9. Ressence Type 1 Slim X

The new Type 1 Slim X is a limited-edition piece marking its 10th anniversary. Ressence continues to change the way and the why we experience watches by introducing the first piece of their X collection. 

Visually Ressence created a dedicated symbol for the collection that is the fusion of an X, or ten in Latin, and an hourglass. It sits proudly on the hour disc of the Type 1 Slim X. Each of the four watches of the Collection X is limited to 40 pieces and shares the main dark olive-green color. 42mm case in titanium, powered by Ressence patented calibre ROCS 1 - Ressence Orbital Convex System with a  power reserve of 36 hours. 

10. Tag Heuer Carrera Heuer 02

Hey look I really like this. I don’t know why there is always this hate for Tag Heuer watches and it always seems to be universally poo-pooed by “collectors”. This latest version of the Carrera is powered by the in-house Heuer 02 movement and to me, a much classier look which straddles modernity and timelessness quite nicely. I think This will age well compared to the skeletonised versions. But YMMV. it’s a nice shade of green and with the steel bezel, it works really well. Now if they’ll just refocus their marketing strategy...

Talking Shop: New Kids On The Block - Kenissi, Norqain, Fortis

When we talk about the major players in the Swiss watch movement manufacturing, certain names come immediately to mind - ETA is generally the first, mostly followed by Sellita (keeping in mind that Unitas and Valjoux are part ETA). However, there could soon be a third vying for attention, once their new factory is fully operational sometime in 2021-22.

If you guessed Kenissi, you’d be correct. If your reaction is “huh?” then keep reading.

Not much is known about Kenissi’s founder, only that the owner is an industrial supplier of sapphire crystal across the industry. It moved into movement manufacture, managed by Eric Yvon Pirson (head of Tudor), Jean-Paul Girardin (formerly of Breitling), and Philippe Jacques Dalloz. They are constructing a new movement production site (within a building that will be 150m long) in Le Locle, (home of Zenith, UN, Tissot, Mont Blanc and others) on land owned by Rolex, but with ownership shared between Tudor, Kenissi and Chanel.

Kenissi already produces movements for Tudor as their “Manufacture” movement, which debuted in the Tudor North Flag (2015), followed by Breitling in 2017, and then in a highly finished form for the new Chanel J12 in 2019. 

Tudor Manufacture Calibre

Breitling Calibre B20

The movement itself is well known, and the specs are nothing to sneeze at. It features a full balance bridge with two fixed points for added structural rigidity and shock resistance, COSC-certifiation, and with a very practical 70-hour power reserve. The GMT version features a jumping hour which allows the wearer to easily set the local time as well as changing the date backwards and forwards at any moment.

Chanel Calibre J12.1

The new ‘Manufacture’ will mean a massive increase in production capabilities and will allow ease of continued supplies to Tudor and Breitling as well as simultaneously expanding their client base, which already includes Norqain and more recently, Fortis. Given the trajectory, it is not farfetched to consider that more brands will look to Kenissi as a possible alternative to ETA/ Sellita, with Bell & Ross a strong contender to be next (possibly due to its Chanel connections).

Norqain Calibre NN20

Who is Norqain?

Norqain is an independent, family-operated business that was founded in 2018 by Ben Küffer (formerly of Breitling), who brought on his father, Marc Küffer, as Chairman of the Board. Marc was the owner and CEO of Swiss luxury watch producer Roventa-Henex (a private label watchmaker since 1959 - making watches for the likes of Farer), member of the Board of Directors of the Swiss Watch Industry Association for 25 years and also being on the board of Ulysses Nardin. Ted Schneider, from the family that owned Breitling for nearly 40 years, and Mark Streit, the Swiss ice hockey legend and Stanley Cup winner, are also part of the management and board. It also has close ties to Breitling via Kenissi in the form of Jean-Paul Girardin, who oversaw the development of Breitling’s manufacturing capacities, moving there after it was sold to CVC Capital in 2017. Norquain’s dedication to quality, design, and value for money quickly made it a favourite amongst industry insiders.

Fortis are still around?

Yes. They had financial difficulties back in 2017/ 2018, and were taken over by Jupp Philipp, who was a big fan of the brand, but with a background in the food industry. It took him nearly eight months to assess the company and analyse the business before signing on the dotted line in September 2018. Since then they have devised a roadmap for Fortis, and with Kenissi on board, they hope to develop the brand into a contender for the likes of Breitling, Tudor and IWC.

The attraction of the Swiss watch industry may be that of the shiny new products being released every year, but behind every flowery PR prose, there are not just the watchmakers that assemble the watches, the artists who decorate them, but also the parts suppliers, without whom there would be very few watches produced.

The possibility of a third significant player in movement supply is also interesting because it means more competition, and competition is always good for an industry, and this could possibly lead to better pricing. There is a lot of uncertainty in the watch industry at the moment, and there are also concerns about possible job losses in the coming 12 to 18 months, a firm who will probably be taking on more employees is also a welcome thing.

 

Baselworld 2015 Wrap Up - Part 2 - Trending Blue Watches

Feelin' blue? Well my friend you're right on trend because out of the blue, this year blue is the new black according to the fashion forward set at this year's Baselworld. Blue watches is one of the dominating trends with many brands releasing a blue watch of some sort.

Here at tarts we have curated a quick selection of blue watches in a wide range of price points and varying degrees of complication, suitable for everyone from blue collar to white collar to no collar. That's right. You don't have to be blue blooded anymore to own a blue watch. Why with all these choices there's no reason to sing the blues no mo'. So why don't you take the blue pill and get yourself a blue watch this year?

In no particular order:

Faberge, the egg makers makes a watch

Edox Hydro-Sub

Chris Ward Trident Pro

Breitling Super Ocean

Oris Thelonium Monk Limited Edition

Omega Speedmaster X-33

Frederique Constant World Timer

Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Gravity

Blancpain Fifty Fathom Chronograph The Ocean Commitment

JeanRichard Terrascope Blue

Hublot Big Bang Unico Italia Independent

Sarpaneva Korona Northern Lights

Tudor Pelagos 

Glashutte Original PanoReserve and PanoMaticLunar

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 007 Spectre

Konstantin Chaykin Diana

Omega Globemaster

Eterna Royal KonTiki

H Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar

Citizen Eco-Drive Divers

Quick Look: Breitling Blackbird

If you think Breitlings are oversized blinged up watches, you'll be happy to know that they're not all like that. They do make some very sensibly sized watches and this is one of them. In fact it almost seems small, at least, that was my first impression. Till I measured the case size. It couldn't be that small given it runs the Valjoux 7750 movement. The measurements came to be 40mm in diameter and about 13mm thick. 100m water resistant.

The Blackbird has always been one of my favorite planes. It's designed to be a stealth recon aircraft flying "below the radar" so to speak. It's sleek , elegant and subdued. It also looks mean and aggressive. And not to mention pointy. It conveys a sense of discreet power. Funnily enough pretty much all of these adjectives can be used to describe its namesake in watches. The Breitling Blackbird. No, not the Breitlings of today, (and they're not alone in this) but one from the age of sensibility (relatively speaking) in terms of watch design. The early 2000s.  This was before bling and oversizedness took hold and watches became ostentatious for the sake of "just cuz".

Good thing about Breitling watches is that they all look pretty much the same from generation to generation and only a truly hardcore B-fan will be able to tell to a degree of certainty which year the model is from. And even then, older models are much more desirable, aren't they? I refer you to a classic exchange from the movie "Gone In 60 Seconds" - the newer one with Nicolas Cage - where an exchange about vintage Ferraris compared to brand spankers and what they say about their owners. Ahem.

As mentioned earlier this model is powered by the Valjoux 7750. A tough, reliable workhorse of a movement and one of the most popular if you want a chronograph. The movement is quite tall, meaning the watch will be relatively thick regardless to begin with. But the Blackbird wears well on the wrist and is easy to pull off. High contrast white hands on black dial makes it quite legible and the dial is also balanced if not symmetrical. Anti - reflective coating on the sapphire crystal adds to the legibility in all conditions. Finally, it comes with the signature 7750 rotor wobble that is so endearing to some and an annoyance to others.

They certainly don't make watches like they used to and this particular model is long discontinued. Meaning the number of this style will not increase and for the time being they're reasonably easy to find on the secondary market. However, be quick if you want a reasonably priced Breitling that's neither Jeremy Clarkson nor Kanye. And as matte finishing and discreetness makes a return to popularity, the demand and price for these examples will rise quickly and discreetly.

Top Gear 50 Years of Bond Cars Wrist Watching

Top Gear.. well, Richard Hammond recently did a Bond car special to celebrate the 50 years anniversary of James Bond. This episode is absolutely compulsory viewing if you're the least bit of a Bond fan, or a car fan. Of course, as we all know very well that all 3 hosts of the program are also somewhat watch enthusiasts, as our previous posts have shown. And this time around, Richard did not let us down, wearing no less than 4 different watches during the course of this special episode.

2 of the watches we've seen him wear before so I won't go into details. They are the Rolex Sub and the Breitling. The third watch he wore during the interview with Daniel Craig, is a Tissot T-Touch of some sort. There aren't really any clear shots of the watch during the episode so I couldn't tell exactly which T-Touch it is...

However, what was most interesting to me, and I had to do a double take (well, in this case, pause, rewind, zoom) to make sure I wasn't mistaking what was on his wrist for most of the episode...

Aston Martin DB5 - the most famous Bond car of all...

As Richard is driving the DB5, I couldn't help notice what was on his wrist. It can't be....

But it looks like any other Speedy, you say. What's so special about this one?

Well, I'm going out on a limb here since I can only determine from the screen caps, but it's most likely a 105.012 or a 145.012. These 2 references were produced in the late 60s/early 70s and powered by the cal.321, which had the column wheel arrangement rather than the cam and lever that's found the cal.861 and subsequent Speedmasters.

But it is!!! Not just any ol' Omega Speedmaster...

The 105.012 is the first Speedmaster to have the text "Professional" added after omega discovered that its watches were sent to the moon on the wrists of the Apollo 11 astronauts and there are only very minute differences between the 105.012 and 145.012. And if you can tell the diff, you're even more of a watch nerd than you're letting on. I won't go into details here. There are plenty of info out there on the interwebs.

Of course, there are no hard and fast rules back in those days and exceptions do apply. Finding one these days that had everything correct and original is becoming increasingly difficult.

Plus the fact that the Speedy were pretty much unchanged over the past 50 plus years, and that it's been around for so long, there are always going to be franken-watches (put together using original parts, but may not be original to the actual watch) or watches that were serviced and had parts replaced with later original items... and a whole host of other reasons.

That's quite a long limb I've gone out on. Let's bring this back to the episode. In my opinion, I've never seen Hammond as one for vintage watches. James May we all know has quite a few vintage pieces and they do go... well with his style. But that's the thing about the Omega Speedmaster. It's such a classic and iconic piece of great design and engineering that something made in the 50s (the very first iteration of the Speedmaster) still looks modern today. Just like BOND! 50 years old and still as relevent today as he was 50 years ago (totally biased opinion here), and the Aston Martin DB5. Granted car tech has moved on since then, but the design is still as gorgeous today as it was 50 years ago.

Sorry... but the same can't be said for Roger Moore...

During Hammond's interview with Daniel Craig we see briefly what appears to be an Omega Aqua Terra.

You can't really see it but Daniel Craig is wearing an Omega Aqua Terra... as per contractual agreement...

More Bond car porn...

Classic Toyota 2000GT

Lotus Submarine!

The Breitling Hammond's worn before on Top Gear

Aston Martin Vanquish

A close up of the Omega Speedmaster

Aston Martin DBS

We also catch a glimpse of ex-Stig, Ben Collin's wrist, and he is sporting a TAG Heuer Carrera chronograph day-date, which is powered by the venerable Valjoux 7750. 

Ben Collins wearing a TAG Heuer Carrera chrono

Hammond and Tissot T-Touch of some description...

So it would seem that Hammond's taste in watches is almost as diverse as James May.

Now, can someone convince Clarkson to wear something else????