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...

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

Glashütte Original Senator Observer 1911 Julius Assmann

 

The newly announced Glashütte Original Senator Observer 1911 Julius Assmann, limited to 25 pieces (the age at which Assmann founded his watch ‘manufacture’), pays homage to the founder of GO, Julius Assmann, and famed Polar explorer Roald Amundsen.

Why this unlikely combination?

Yes, there’s a story behind the name…

Before setting out on his historic voyage to the South Pole, Roald Amundsen acquired a number of Assmann’s observation watches, including one made by Glashütte watchmaker Paul Löwe in 1907-08.

When Löwe had completed his watch, it had proved to be exceptionally precise, and he was urged to send it to the German Naval Observatory in Hamburg, which tested and certified navigational time keeping equipment. It was there that Amundsen saw the watch, which he purchased it in 1910.

When his exploration team went on their polar trek to the South Pole in 1910, their only means of tracking their journey time and global positioning was their observation timepiece - the Assmann Löwe observation watch. Amundsen’s observation watches were critical to his mission. Without them, he and his team could not have become the first people to reach the geographic South Pole on December 14, 1911. At the Fram Museum in Oslo, you can see one of Amundsen’s Glashütte observation watches, complete with the inscription “J. Assmann – Glashütte” on the dial.

Observation watches, also known as “deck watches” were used by navigation officers in conjunction with marine chronometers and other instruments to determine as precisely as possible a ship’s position at sea.

Which came first - Glashütte or Prim?

In 2007, Glashütte Original presented what would turn out to be the first in a line of "Sixties" models (with a square-cased tourbillon featuring in 2011's line-up) based on an almost identical design that they’d produced in, of course, the 1960s. The modern version was released in either a silver or black dial, and rose gold or stainless steel models.

This one is Reference 39-52-04-02-04

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS :

Case: Stainless steel
Size : 39 mm 
Crystal : domed sapphire
Dial : Arabic numerals and applied indices
Calibre : Automatic GO 39-52. 25 jewels, 28,800vph
Power reserve : 40 hours
Water resistance : 30m

This was one of those watches that, when its release was announced, I was convinced that I’d love, especially the silver dial version. Interestingly, my enthusiasm wasn’t anywhere near as great by the time I saw one in the flesh, the silver left me somewhat ambivalent.

The black one, to my mind, is more eye-catching, looks more elegant, and the dial feels as though it has more depth to it than its lighter sibling. In the flesh, they are very discreet classic looking watches and at 39mm, a comfortable size for both men and women (this one belongs to a woman).

You'll notice that this 1960s PRIM I have is more than a little similar to the silver dialled version. It makes me wonder how many other brands did a similar design in the ‘60s. Does anyone know of any others?



[AP]

Glashütte Original - Living in the '70s

Most of the Tarts are old enough remember the 1970s, some as adults, most of us as children, but the fashion and design of that decade may well be ones that some of us prefer to forget.

Baselworld 2011 has brought a new offering from Glashütte Original, who are moving from the ‘Sixites’ to the ‘Seventies Panorama Date’, with its instantly recognisable stylistic nod to the eponymous decade, and featuring GO’s distinctive panorama date feature. The squarish shape, the bracelet, they both remind me of some of the watches my father had during that period.

A Brief History of (my) Time.. In Europe
by pj.m



Glashutte Original, Revolution, & Horomundi: Thank You. I had an incredible trip and it would have never happened if not for you. Rene and Christina, you were unbelievable hosts, Thank You as well.

I would also like to thank Wim, for hosting an excellent prize on the GO forum, IanS for taking time from his incredibly busy schedule to travel with me outside of Geneve, MarkS- it was a pleasure to finally meet you, and of course the watchmakers, Mr. Dufour, Mr. Roth, Peter Speake-Marin, Romain Gauthier, Felix Baumgartner, the wonderful staff of Greubel Forsey and Losa Bruno. It was an honor and pleasure to meet you all, and I very much appreciate the time that you took to speak with me.

[all monikers are of course Horomundi references]





The beautiful village of Glashutte...



My new beautiful baby girl.. the Sport Evolution Perpetual Calendar



The gorgeous center of Dresden...




I will continue later with Prague and Geneve.... for now, at least I know that this is working for me.