The Powerhouse Format

Since my trawl around for G-Shock alternatives I’ve found a few unfamiliar watches that have impressed me greatly. And not because of the alternative concept, but just because these are different and maybe even special. As wrist statements they’re good as they are built solid and look great – and not usually guilty of being a “macho” type, I try not to swagger when wearing any one of them!

I’ll feature just one and I was so impressed I bought the company – eh? . . .well not quite, but I did buy one of their best models – the (St Moritz) Momentum Format 4 – I call it the powerhouse! For those in the know some apt descriptions come to mind – such as the T90, the Type 90 (Kyu-maru), AMX-56 Leclerc, the T57, the Soviet IS-3, the Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte and finally the Challenger 2.

OK maybe I’m a bit over the top here – and for those not in the know, these are all main battle tanks of various Countries. But you get my drift – the Format 4 is a VERY solid piece of work! and built like one.

St Moritz Momentum Format 4 - a classic tough watch — St Moritz designed Momentum Format 4 – a classic tough watch

Made of high grade matte Titanium this watch certainly has presence, with it’s uni-directional wide deep figured bezel with luminous dot @0, plus a very definite 60 click function, large well figured screw down crown and shaped pushers. Surprisingly the dimensions are just 43mm x 14.2mm and the whole ensemble weighs only 90gms. The rubber strap as always with these Diver orientated models has the usual “wave” construction silicon/rubber, which as I’ve said before might be ideal for added grip over a neoprene wet suit, but against your wrist can be somewhat aggressive. I’m resolving that issue later this week when a deployment silicon 22mm strap I’m waiting for arrives. (note – my Apeks Diver 200 model has similar “waves, but which are flat on the under side – very sensible).

Orange Monster, Format 4 and the Pulsar Race - every one a powerhouse! — Orange Monster, Format 4 and the Pulsar Race – every one a powerhouse!

The size comparison above shows the territory we’re in and it shows well here. Actually three watch are types shown – The Monster is “analogue”, the Pulsar is “digital” and the Format (and why I picked it as one of my alternatives to the G-Shocks) is “Analogue/Digital” AND has a very comprehensive digital function set.

On first looks the dial has a very black background (called a blackout dial) within which there are two digital display windows. There are numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 with indices in between. An Hour and Minute hand plus a centre Seconds hand in orange plus a white coated end. The luminous aspect of each of these elements is provided by Super-Luminova coatings and according to Momentum, guarantees up to 8 hours legibility in low light and darkness. The heat tempered mineral glass is very scratch resistant and the analogue movement is Swiss quartz with LC digital display.

Digital matrix displays show well - Note the Format4 can be programmed out. — Format 4 Digital matrix displays show well – and can be programmed OFF.

The digital function of this model is very comprehensive, featuring Local Time mode, World Time mode (59 cities + my city), Alarm mode (5 + scheduled), Timer mode and Chronograph mode (10 laps + memory). An auto and manual Power Save setting is also incorporated where you can turn OFF the digital display at a preset time or immediately with any key reinstatement. The dial has an EL back light which illuminates the matrix digits on my one for 4 seconds (not 3 as instructions) which is ideal and excellent in use.
The watch has a battery life (CR2025 Lithium I believe)) of approximately 2 years and the Water Resistance is 20ATM or 200m.

Great dial, clear, uncluttered and excellent digital display

Note – some of the descriptions I’ve seen for this watch are inaccurate in some details. Possibly as the previous version has been substantially upgraded by the introduction of the Format 4 and their sales info not updated to reflect the changes. The improved Water Resistance rating for example from 100m to 200m and the much improved digital display, which is excellent.

Exposure to dull daylight via window, then shown in low light curtained room

Shown with digital back light lit, just after the previous image.

The above images taken after the watch was exposed to the window (natural light on a dull day), then into a darkened room with curtains drawn. The second image taken with difficulty (I needed three hands) as the EL back light is only on for a few seconds, so a case of press the pusher then try and compose the picture and take the photograph. Not that easy! So forgive my shaky hand, but it gives some impression. The digital EL back light in total darkness is excellent and as above, can show any of the digital functions including as here, the Day, the Date and the Time. Analogue display night vision with Super-luminova is OK, though not quite as good as my Citizen, Seiko or Apeks 200. Whilst it doesn’t appear to take such a bright initial charge as the former, it is still readable in the dark after a good 8 hours – I tried it last night and it’s fine. (to be picky reading analogue time would be easier if the hands were full length solid infill).

So overall I’m really pleased with this model as it manages everything I could possibly need or want from an ana-digi watch. In addition it’s built like the proverbial brick outhouse, but conversely is really lightweight and also a good size. Anyway on this watch, which I’m sure is a keeper, the only change will be to the strap (can’t snorkel these day, so a wetsuit and I will never meet) and I hope to have a suitable one soon, that’s a bit kinder to my old wrist . . .

A great watch at an affordable price and considering the functions and performance – great value.

UPDATE –
As said when I started this Post, I felt the strap had to be changed and here is the straight forward alternative. A silicon deployment style that fits great and pulls the watch in nice and close to the wrist with perfect comfort. No Diver’s “waves” to contend with – and it makes all the difference. Funny how it is reminiscent of my old Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster (I wore this back in 1961-73) – see images below.

Format 4 with my preferred silicon deployment strap.

Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster - 1000ft — Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster – 1000ft (courtesy of watchuseek)

Not quite in the same league and many differences of course – but it just has that old Nivada look. The above image is similar to my old one, which like an idiot I sold on some years ago to a collector, which I wasn’t at the time, but having given up diving and so on I was unlikely to don a wetsuit again anyway. Oh how I wished I’d kept it now!
However – back to the new strap images of the Format 4 – much better and neater without the Divers style strap and much, much more comfortable.

New silicon strap fits watch flat to wrist. Makes the watch seem smaller.

New silicon deployment strap fits perfectly

And finally the back of the watch showing the screw back fitting with the 20ATM mark and which also illustrates the very neat silicon deployment strap fitting (straight) which is such an improvement in my opinion.

An interesting point about the replacement strap – it makes the watch actually look smaller on the wrist (as noted on one of the images above). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – never judge a watch by it’s supplied strap – is it OK for you? And if it isn’t – check out the alternatives – you might just find that perfect combination.

I did.

IMPORTANT – CHANGING THE BATTERY

You may be used to swapping out your old battery on most watches and it’s usually quite easy to manage. However be CAREFUL when changing this 2025 Battery.
Unscrew the watch back and you will be faced with what appears to be a quite solid frame inside, which is secured to the movement assembly. Leave it well alone and DO NOT try to remove it. Stuck on the top surface you will see a sticker, which says “do not remove this sticker”. Well you can (in fact you have to, to get at the battery). BUT take care.
There are 3 points to watch here. On the edge of the sticker there are two small opposing cut outs, which allow 2 x metal connectors to connect to the watch back, when it’s in place. The 3rd point to note is, if you look very carefully, there is a small gold coloured spring that sticks up through a small hole in the sticker.

Once you have spotted these, then you can carefully peel off the sticker, noting it’s position relative to the connections and the spring. Once removed, the battery is there in front of you. A small battery cradle holds the battery secure – simply release one side (there is a sprung clip affair – which is easy to release) – once it pops/hinges up (leave the other side attached), you will be able to slip the 2025 battery out.

Slip in the replacement battery, push down the battery cage until it clicks into place, then carefully replace the sticker in the same position you found it – taking care to make sure the two metal connections are free of the sticker and the little gold spring protrudes from and through the small hole in the sticker. If OK, then simple screw on the watch back once again. You will should now see that everything has come to life – second hand is moving and the digital display is live.
Now you just have to set the analogue time and digitals to the correct time, date, month etc etc etc and you’re home free.

A good tip if you’re one of those folk that find it difficult to remember the sequence of things. Once the back is removed, take a photo with your phone – a nice close up of the exposed movement and interior of the watch. You will then see quite clearly, the 2 x metal connections at opposite edges of the sticker (it’s cut away so it doesn’t cover them) and also the gold spring that pokes up through the sticker. Once you’ve done the battery change as above, you can check your work against your photo -they should be the same – JOB DONE!

G-Shock not for you?

The title poses the question: What if you don’t like the G-Shock style? What else is there?

It depends, apart from a fashion thing, on just what you want from a watch.

If it’s just toughness (perceived or otherwise), then it’s relatively simple especially as in reality the question is – How “tough” does a modern watch actually have to be – honestly. And let’s face it, most good watches are intrinsically pretty tough to start with and “on your wrist” they are very much part of you – so whatever happens to your watch, may well happen to you!

My own view is that whatever model I pick, tough or otherwise it has to have certain basic Watch requirements.

1) – I have to be able to read the time – easily – and that’s day or night (a basic requirement in my book).
2) – 100m Water Resistance minimum – OK that’s not silly.
3) – Not too large – PLEASE! Too large and too thick, it starts to take on comic proportions!
4) – Battery quartz is fine – It doesn’t have to be Solar, World Time, have Multiple Alarms or Chronograph – though “some” functions can be useful.
5) – It doesn’t have to survive a 10m drop to concrete – it really doesn’t (definitely the forté of Casio)

And are functions essential? –

Chronograph/Stopwatch – when did I last use a chronograph/stopwatch? Answer: Can’t remember it was so long ago!
World Timer settings – I can manage that on any cheap analogue model in 5 seconds (without referring to the instructional booklet – IF I can find it).
Solar (Eco-Drive etc) – Battery is fine with me, with a cell change every 2 to 5 years. (Kinetic is another option).

So in reality (and that’s the point here) it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a relatively “tough” watch model that can meet sensible requirements.

Knowing I was writing this today I asked a friend (this morning actually) what functions had he actually used on his G-Shock DW5600 (I have one of these myself) in the last month? And his answer didn’t come as much of a surprise – “None” he said, “except the time, day and date plus the back light”. And that really does say it all . . . . . and had I asked myself the same question, the answer would have been identical!

However, G-Shocks usually come with a large function set, whether used, useful or otherwise and a major reason for their attraction. However as to the hard knobbly looks, overly protected pushers, and surprisingly not too intuitive settings/controls and arguable legibility, are often NOT as one would like – hence the reason I like to look for alternatives. Incidentally Casio do make the odd model that whilst not as obvious in shock protection terms does have that facility and without the “macho” look (I’ll perhaps consider them at a later date).

So what’s out there?

I was advised Luminox are a good alternative, but after checking them out I thought them a little overpriced for what they offer. Mechanical prices for average quartz – not an option for me.

In fact my 6 year old Uzi Protector (looks like Luminox) costs around £175 today and it’s managed all those few years without any issues of any kind and still going strong.

Uzi Protector - Swiss Quartz and 200WR — Uzi Protector – Swiss Quartz and 200WR

200m Water Resistance, analogue H,M & seconds, plus Date, Tritium light source, battery Swiss quartz and a tough blighter it is too. 40mm x 14mm dimensionally with webbing strap. No fancy functions, but a very good performer that meets my basic requirements and is pretty tough I’d say.

So that’s one option, so then I looked for a model that was both tough and had a comparable function set and this one came to mind. The Momentum Format 4 – which is smaller than it looks and also in Titanium. Some would immediately comment that Ti will scratch and it won’t last etc etc. Well I have to differ on that as I have 7 Titanium watches and they look as good now as when I bought them many years ago.

The Format 4 actually has an impressive function set – both analogue and Digital displays. Analogue Hours, Minutes and Second hands and Digital two Digital displays which can show a whole range of indications – such as – World time (59 cities plus user defined), 5 Alarms plus a schedule Alarm, Date, Day, Month, a Chronograph and Stopwatch 23, 59,59 with multi-laps, Timers. In addition the digital displays can be switched OFF facilitating power savings with or without auto on feature and the watch has Super-luminova analogue hands and indices, plus a 3 second duration EL back light, so no problems in the dark, even if not using the digital features. The watch has a Mineral anti-glare crystal, uni-rotating bezel (useful), a 200m Water Resistance (20ATM), with large screw down crown and back and takes a standard 22mm strap or bracelet and is powered by a Swiss quartz movement. And the 2 year Guarantee is extendable to 6 years.

And whilst I said it looked big and it does, it only measures 43mm x 14.5mm and in Titanium weighs just 90 grams and it looks pretty tough to me. Now I’d say this is a decent alternative to the G-Shock style and OK the watch face may not have much protection, but personally I’ve never had a shattered watch glass on any watch I’ve owned in my lifetime, so not a priority for me.

What I do see is a very fast legible take up analogue face, plus a secondary digital display and function set that meets and surpasses anything I’m ever likely to need or even want to use. So I’m happy with this choice. There are of course others out there, perhaps obscured to some extent I suppose, by the hype that “G”, “Shock” and “Tough” descriptions engender, but they are there – you just have to look.

Note – The Momentum 4 is also reasonably affordable and highly competitive in comparison to many of the G-Shock variants, especially considering the function set. Currently it sells for around £180 in the UK, which is pretty good for a Titanium cased Ana-Digi Diver Grade 4 Water resistant model. In fact I liked it so much I ordered one myself which will join my other Divers models, though this particular model I’ll have to consider my first real G-Shock alternative.

However – and there’s always one of those – IF you can’t get your head round the fact that it’s not that easy to inadvertently smash or crack your watch glass – and it really isn’t – you do have another option. And this model from Citizen might just solve your concern.

This is the Royal Marines Commando Titanium from Citizen which whilst it doesn’t have a great function set, it does the “tough” basics very well – in fact just what I needed when I was in my action days!

The one piece IP plated Titanium case is 42mm x 13mm, with an ultra thick 2.5mm sapphire glass, which is just about bomb proof I would have thought. Eco-Drive Citizen movement with the basic analogue functions of Hour, Minute, Seconds and a date window @3. Plus good luminous numerals/indices and hands means decent night use. Good crown protection and with a tough Kevlar strap and a commendable 300m Water Resistance all point to a seriously “tough” watch. It comes with the Citizen 5 year warranty. Price should be no more than £300 here in the UK.

So there you have it, after a few minutes crawl around the net and already I’ve come up with a couple of decent contenders.

And I have to admit (and the reason for this post) personally I was becoming a little bored by the whole G-Shock and “tough” watch concept, especially as the prices seem to be rising with each new model. And with few “new” features in the latest models, with the exception of a more extreme case, an extreme name and a larger SIZE, it’s little surprise that I decided it’s time to look elsewhere.

And very glad I did too, as there are certainly alternatives out there – you just have to get past the “G’s, “Toughs”and “Expeditions”, to find them.
And what of the two I’ve found here? Well I like them both and whilst I hear the concerns about watch glass breaking, I really have no experience of that ever happening to me. The odd scratch maybe, but nothing serious. So on that basis considering the impressive function set and the price, the Ana-Digi Format 4 is maybe the one I’d pick. Mind you the Citizen is one seriously smart and tough piece of work – a bit like the guys it was named after perhaps . . . . .

But there will be others around, you can be sure of that, so have a trawl – you might just be surprised.

But – and here’s a “but” to contend with! The Casio G-Shock for all it’s macho looks IS a seriously tough watch, though whether you actually need one is another matter entirely and just to illustrate the point I show youthe “drop test” video from Casio. And you have to admit – it IS very impressive!

Lorus, Pulsar – choices

Sometimes in this world of Casio, Citizen and Timex I yearn for the odd model that doesn’t have that corporate look. The Casio and G-Shock or the Timex Expedition for example, so this week I decided to have a look at some different watch models and styles from two Brands, Lorus and Pulsar. Although specialising in a lower price point as a sales philosophy they do manage to produce some up to the minute watches.
And being part of the huge Seiko empire they have access to some serious watch electronic know-how and are well worth a look. The first model that caught my attention is the striking Pulsar PV4005X1, which on first impression is Style with a capital S and when you see it up close it really does stop you in your tracks!

Whilst it looks the part it also appears to come up with the goods as far as specifications is concerned –

Black dial (Negative) full-panel dot-matrix “style” liquid crystal panel, with Hours, Minutes, Seconds (Digital). It also shows Day, Date, Month, Year. Other features are a 10hr 1/100 sec Chronograph, Split time, Timer, 3-channel Alarm,and World Time (33 cities). For night use it has a LED panel light with auto illumination, Mineral crystal, a Stainless Steel case, 4 screws back and a Water Resistance of 100m, plus a PU strap, rounds up what this model has to offer. Dimension wise a little big for me at 49mm width, but still smaller than most of the newer G-Shock models, so could well be a popular choice.

As with all digital displays, it does depend on the contrast and whilst it looks OK in the images, it is a learning curve as to how you see it in less than ideal light. It has of course a panel light operated by the lower right pusher. (Personally I prefer an Ana-Digi set up as I find analogue hands easier to see these days, but for those into digital this model certainly has bags of appeal).

Note – The LED panel illumination selected manually or on auto has a nonadjustable duration of 2 secs. From my experience especially at night, the eyes and brain struggle to take in and read dial information in that time. Timex for example have a 3 seconds option which is much more effective. An adjustable duration setting would be preferable.

However on balance and certainly for looks it’s a winner and I’ve seen it on Amazon for around £90, so it also appears to win on price too.

Here from their European web site are a few images – these can all be seen HERE.

Pulsar - selection 2 — Pulsar – selection 1

Pulsar - selection 1 — Pulsar – selection 2

I’ll be looking at Lorus (another Seiko brand) in a forthcoming Post and featuring one specific model that a friend has just acquired – might be interesting.

UPDATE –
Managed to get hold of one of these models and it is pretty impressive I have to say. It’s not too big on the wrist (mine is only 170mm, so quite small) as the case is 13.9mm, but the rubber strap is quite thick at the fitting point on the watch. The strap has preformed underparts which hold the strap at a curve at the fixing point. This makes the watch stand out further than perhaps it should from the wrist. I will play around with fitting an alternative (26mm) silicon strap just to see how it looks and post the result in a further update Post. Maybe I’m being picky here and it may turn out to be OK anyway – but we’ll see.

Here’s a couple of images of this watch – 1) on the wrist and 2) in comparison to a Fossil with similar display set up. I note that the matrix “style” display on this Pulsar is certainly one of the best I’ve seen. It has a similar luminescence almost on a par with my Breitling Aerospace, which has always impressed me. So full marks to Pulsar! ALSO – In reality the matrix “style” display clarity is exceptional and as the figures are so large, 2 seconds is easily enough time to read the time/data in the dark – very impressive and I stand corrected!

Pulsar on smallish 170mm wrist is actually not to bad at all.

Comparison to Fossil with similar display set.

Calendar costs

The problem when looking for a Calendar and Moon Phase watch is knowing what the terms actually mean. There are models which show the day, date, month and lunar phase and most commonly will require adjusting the date on short months and leap years. That’s February (28 days), April, June, September and November (each 30 days). Now with most of my old collection of mechanical models this is pretty normal, so no big deal.So to acquire a straight forward Triple Date Calendar and Moon Phase, as described above, isn’t too difficult and OK whilst not quartz cheap, can certainly be found at a relatively “affordable” price.

A Brand that does crop up quite often today is the German Nivrel and they produce excellent quality models such as their Calendar Moon Phase N436.001 AAAS and AHAFS.

The retail price appears to be around £1700 or €2100 which is not at all unreasonable for such a complication model from a decent Maker. The automatic movement is based on the Swiss ETA 2898-2 and is neatly contained in a 38mm x 10mm case with 5 bar Water Resistance.

Now the point I started to make at the start of this Post was about the description of what a Calendar Moon Phase watch was all about.

You can have “Full Calendar” – where the Day and Date are accompanied by the addition of a month display, and – sometimes – also a moon phase. Some movements switch to the next month when the date jumps from 31 to 1 of the next month and there are movements where the month display is not automatic and has to be advanced manually every month. Regarding the two Nivrel models above I’m assuming the months change as the date moves from 31 – 1.

There is the “Annual Calendar” – where the disparity between months is taken care of automatically, except for February, so basically you have to make an adjustment once per year – hence the “annual”.

And finally there is the “Perpetual calendar” – I suppose this is the natural progression from the “Annual” by taking into account the 28 day February and that every 4 years February will have 29 days (leap year). In this case it more or less runs in a four year repeatable cycle so not strictly a “perpetual” either and an adjustment will still have to be made in 100 years time, not that it should bother you – but make sure your son has the instruction booklet! (basically as our Gregorian calendar drops a leap year in every 100).

This is where unfortunately the costs increase greatly with such complications and can be quite expensive. A reason perhaps why so many people prefer quartz digital models, which of course can do “perpetual” using the power of electronics – but as I said at the start – it’s just NOT the same.

However models are available and again Nivrel have a mechanical Perpetual Calendar and Moon Phase model at perhaps the most reasonable price of any I can find.

This is a 3 sub-dial style model that shows hours, minutes and central second, date, day, month, leap year cycle and the lunar phase. This Perpetual Calendar model is the most complicated watch NIVREL produce and as they say on their web site –
“It is a very complicate mechanism that indicates to the year 2099 without external intervention the correct date of the Gregorian calendar. Providing continuous winding up means that you do not have to adjust your clock, even at short months and not even on the 29^th February in a leap year”.

The Nivrel Perpetual Calendar Moon Phase model N401.001-1 AAASS uses an automatic mechanical movement based on the ETA 2892-A2 calendar module and the watch is a really neat 38mm x 10mm, a Water Resistance of 5 bar and retails for around £8300 currently. But if that’s beyond your purse, then the only other option is to look at pre-owned models and whilst there’s often stiff competition, there are good buys to be had.

So basically whilst the “perpetual” idea is easy enough to find today with quartz digital models such as Citizen, Seiko and Casio, we enter a different world in mechanical complications watches. Yes we can fairly easily find good and sometimes exceptional quality “Calendar” models of varying degrees of sophistication and at often quite reasonable prices, but when it comes to true mechanical “Perpetual” models – it can be a sometimes frustrating, wonderful, but expensive game – and if you’re really lucky – a rewarding one.

Finally just to make you drool somewhat, here is my absolute favourite – the H Moser & Cie Perpetual 1

H Moser and Cie - Perpetual 1 - the ultimate Calendar — H Moser & Cie – Perpetual 1 – the ultimate Calendar

Simple and elegant. Check out the small center Month pointer towards 11 (November) and that big Date display (known as the Flash Calendar) which manages an instant change of date at the end of one month to the start of the next month, without any invalid numerals to appear in the date window, so avoiding that uncertain period in between – and lastly a 7 day reserve.

There’s nothing else to say, but I AM doing the European lottery next week . . . . in hope!

Aero Observer

Down to earth today – I feature a watch that has always interested me simply because of the way it looks. It’s just one of those designs that appeals to me on all sorts of levels. And it’s by no means what you’d call a high end watch, but the Brand in my experience, having owned 4 of them since 2008, has never yet disappointed me. Each model has been totally reliable, surprisingly accurate and a pleasure to wear.

The attraction of this particular model to me is that it appears to conjure up visions of vintage aviation, Bomber Command and World Wars, or Boys Own magazine, Captain Jim “Red” Albright or even Biggles. It has a large clear dial in that sepia coloured “vintage” look – all very subjective I know, but marketing by design has that trick – of influencing you without you realizing it. And OK I have fallen for it, but I was already hooked when I first saw it some years ago and in saying that it doesn’t mean I’ve been conned – far from it.

Close up of the Observer Flier model A1408

Aeromatic is also one of those brands sometimes and unfairly in my opinion, called “Germasian”, and I have a few already, all of which have kept great time over the past 5 years, without problems.
Offices in Frankfurt and marketed in Germany, though whether assembled there I wouldn’t know. The cases I would imagine come from Asia, perhaps using model “blanks” and they may have had a hand in the design, but whatever their sources, they then badge them Aeromatic 1912. Depending on function the mechanical movements will be likely sourced from Asia. Quartz movements are probably from Miyota (Citizen) in Japan or Ronda from Switzerland.

Note the large "flat top" Onion Crown) - stiff but works OK — Note the large “flat top” Onion Crown) – stiff but works OK

As I say I find the term “Germasian” somewhat derogatory, as there are literally hundreds of Brands who use exactly the same sourcing policy these days, including Swiss – in fact finding a brand that makes every part of their watch is not easy and you might count them on two hands – maybe.

Anyway we’re not talking high end here, we’re talking practical and now that’s settled –

Note luminous dot markers include hour markers — Note luminous quality (stock photo) – however in practice lume fades quickly in dark.

This is the Aeromatic 1912, Military Flier Observer Big Date Swiss Ronda Gents watch.

The movement in this model is the quartz Swiss Ronda Powertech 519. What I like about the Powertech series is that they are extremely reliable and used by many watch Brands for that very reason. I know that any watch I have with Ronda movements (and I have a few) – have never ever had a problem.

Military Flier, BIG Date from Aeromatic (A1408) in Nato strap

Anyway the A1408 features a big date double window @3 and the overall size of the etched stainless steel case measures 43 x 15mm. The large beige coloured dial, which looks larger owing to the narrow bezel has luminous hands and dot markers (both hours and minutes), domed hardened mineral crystal and comes with a good quality brown leather strap.

The Big Date has a quick change function, though as most normal Day/Date functions it will have to be adjusted forward on the short months – no big deal. The clock will continue when adjusting. When pulling out the crown to position 2, the seconds hand stops (hacking) and you can adjust the time as normal.

The dial itself is a rather pleasing design, big and VERY easy to read. The large hour and minute hands are white filled with luminous material, though the luminous effectiveness is a little disappointing. I note that the dot markers on the outer minute track are luminous, as are the inner hour track dot markers – a little unusual perhaps, but the inner track lines up nicely with the tip of the shorter hour hand, so the idea would be good if the lume was up to par.

Aeromatic, Nato strap and wrist. Looks quite big. — Aeromatic, Nato strap and wrist. Looks bigger than it is.

The watch back is absolutely flat, so although the watch case is 15mm depth, it sits very flat to the wrist, except when the Nato strap is fitted, as it tends to hold the watch off the wrist slightly. The A1408 also “looks” big though is in fact just about 43mm wide (45 incl large crown), due to the narrow bezel and large face. On the back are the model name, design, model numbers and so on plus the 5o meters depth rating.
Battery wise – it uses a 1.5v Renata 371 or equivalent which is easy to obtain. Battery life according to Ronda is approximately 45 months and note if not using the watch for a while, pulling the crown out to position 2, allows the battery life to be extended.

Case back info: Observer Hawk design - 50m Depth Rated. — Case back info: Observer Hawk design – 50m Depth Rated.

So overall how do I rate this model? First point is that I do like it, it has that solid etched case which is built like a tank and is quite well made. The dial is well figured and the painted numerals and luminous dot markers are well defined with no rough edges to them and the hands are excellent. The large double windows for the date are well cut, defined and the date numbers are also large, clear and with good contrast. I note the second hand tick produces a slight over travel, but hardly noticeable and each tick seems even. The back is a press fit and though I would have preferred a screw back, being very rigid steel construction it’s a nice tight fit.

The most disappointing aspect of this model is in regards to the luminous quality of both dial and hands – the stock image I used above shows the dial immediately after charging, for example under a bed side lamp. However once the light source is removed the luminous effect fades quite quickly. I would estimate perhaps 3 hours effective illumination is about as good as you’ll get depending on how well it charged.

I do note that although the watch is only 43mm wide, lug to lug is 50mm, so small wrists will notice this unless fitted snug. I say this as the leather strap included (as shown above) is quite thick and stiff so doesn’t actually pull the watch in tight as I personally prefer (though for large wrists this will be perfect). Hence my Nato, which although more comfortable may be a temporary affair and doesn’t resolve the snug fit bit. I’m looking around for an alternative silicon or webbing style, which I’m sure will solve the problem and I will update the Post once I get something suitable.

Interestingly whilst the case height is 15mm, this is deceptive, as the hardened domed crystal is nearly 4mm thick to the centre, so effectively the watch wears like a 12mm thick watch. Possibly the reason that with only a 170mm wrist, it actually sits OK and doesn’t look like a wall clock!

Am I happy with it? Well yes – I do like the “vintage and flying helmet retro stone washed jeans look”, which looks more authentic than the first images I saw all those years ago. But in the dark at 3am in the morning? A diet of carrots or a torch might be handy.

Note – I’ll update as and when I get my new strap…….Done –

Well I removed the Nato strap as it caused the watch to sit off the wrist a little, which meant the Nato had to be tight to stop it moving – so – decided to use a conventional leather strap. The difference here from the supplied strap is that it is much thinner and much more flexible. The supplied strap was much to think and inflexible for me and was actually too long for my smallish wrist. Now I think we’re getting somewhar and the watch now feels so much better on the wrist and is becoming a pleasure to wear – and for me that is very, very important. After all you wouldn’t wear a pair of shoes that didn’t feel right – would you?

Here’s an imags with the new strap –

Another angle on a neat case/strap combination — Conventional leather – note the thick dome crystal!

Well I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the right strap and bracelet is so important to a watch, it can make all the difference. Another reason why I always prefer standard lug/strap pins to any custom supplied one.
However I also tried and stuck with a FastWrap webbing strap as the perfect accompaniment – as here –

This FastWrap webbing strap like may others features a double strap, one part slips under the lug pins and the other bypasses these, and BOTH go under the back of the watch case. I always find that on watches that are quite thick already (this one is 15mm) this can make the watch too thick to sit neatly on the wrist. So I sometimes cut off the short part of the strap that would normally bypass the lug pins and rest against the wrist. This means that one piece of webbing only goes under the lug pins and under the watch back – and that’s it.

Footnote –

Coincidentally the watch model that the Aeromatic basically is a homage to, comes up at an auction soon here in the UK. With the appearance of a rare A. Lange & Sohne German observer aviators watch, Circa 1940`s. In an anti-magnetic silver nickel case, but with a black dial with luminous hands and hour markers.

Lange & Sohne German observer aviators watch Estimated £3000+ — Lange & Sohne German observer aviators watch
Estimated £3000+

Note the case numbering is prefixed by the letters FL, denoting Fliegnummer or Flying Number FL”. The Lanage & Sohne model is somewhat larger at some 56mm wide excluding the crown. Note if you want to own this you’ll have to fork out at least £3000 which is the lower estimate.

The Watchmakers Art

It’s always been fascinating to me the extraordinarily different and diverse media surfaces upon which people will add their personal artistic talents. The street artist for example
directly on the pavement or sidewalk, the graffiti merchant to walls, under bridge supports, on the side of a bridge span in the centre over the river and even on the
sides of skyscrapers. The more conventional manage their stuff to paper, wood, canvas, metal, ceilings mural walls – in fact almost any surface that happens to be blank!
Even at bottom of swimming pools and cars don’t escape their attention and I’ve even seen stuff on grass! (maybe I should re-phrase that last statement!)

But there’s a specialist group of Artists who just happen to have a skill set that transcends them all and will be immortalized perhaps for all Time.

Yes this is “Dial Art” –

Van Cleef & Arpels - California Landscapes (inspired) — Van Cleef & Arpels – California Landscapes (inspired)

Where the very best of the world’s top watchmakers create not only masterpieces to adorn the wrists of men and women, but engrave, paint and enamel some fantastic Art
to the face of your watch.
And they have the benefit of the fact, that the wearer or viewer, doesn’t walk past and no longer sees that nice picture on the wall, but looks directly at that art
perhaps many, many times a day, something few artists can manage.

Here are just a few of the amazing creations and for no other reason, but an appreciation of their collective skills.

Cartier - enamelling technique called grisaille of an Andalusian horse — Cartier – enamelling technique called grisaille of an Andalusian horse

From the gemstone mosaic horse of the Cartier Cartier Santos-Dumont in white gold to champlevé enamelling, hand Gilloche, added diamonds. Mother of Pearl engraving and goodness knows what other incredibly difficult technical art feats, they are quite amazing. A far cry from my daily beater I can honestly say – though . . . . it has to be said that within the limitations of my own small budget it’s just possible that I can acquire an equally (well not quite equal) piece of immortalized Art work on my wrist too.

Ta Da! I give you my personal favourit Classic of all –

Mickey O'Clock — Mickey O’Clock Watch – Mickey Mouse in red – Model OCD02.

And be honest – there’s not too many folks on the planet who don’t know who this is – Oh Yes! OK – I’m sorry and no disrespect intended – but I’m retired (did I say?) 😉

Something completely different!

And I have to say right from the outset – I actually quite like the whole concept and for some reason I also like the product.

Vintage style Handmade Bracelet watch "KAKU(Blue)" leather steampunk — Vintage style Handmade Bracelet watch “KAKU(Blue)” leather steampunk

This is A STORY, Tokyo, the handmade watch brand of Gothic Laboratory – Designer Kouhei Yanai and Mari Goto (watch creator). The web site says their works are influenced by modern Japanese culture, which means animation, cartoon, game, J-ROCK and J-Pop music. Now we’re really into something that’s way beyond me, BUT I do like the punk style look of their watch collection, some of which I feature here. When I said something different I really did mean it.

Brand：Mari Goto
Material：Brass, Acrylic tempered glass, Bull leather
Body size：Diameter 35mm × Thickness 11mm
Movement：Japan SEIKO Quartz movement
To fit wrist size：17cm ~ 19cm
Width of strap：25mm
Non-waterproof
Guarantee：One year

Vintage style Handmade Bracelet watch "Hole" leather steampunk — Vintage style Handmade Bracelet watch “Hole” leather steam-punk

Brand：Mari Goto
Material：Brass,Acrylic tempered glass, Bull leather
Body size：Diameter 24mm × Thickness 9mm
Movement：Japan SEIKO Quartz movement
To fit wrist size：15.5cm ~ 17cm
Width of strap：10mm
Function：Non-waterproof
Guarantee：One year

Vintage style Handmade watch "macaron" (Mint) L-size leather steampunk — Vintage style Handmade watch “macaron” (Mint) L-size leather steam-punk

Brand：Mari Goto
Material：Brass,Acrylic tempered glass ,Bull leather
Body size：Diameter 40mm × Thickness 10mm
Movement：Japan SEIKO Quartz movement
To suit wrist size：16cm ~ 19cm
Width of belt：18mm
Function：Non-waterproof
Guarantee：One year

Definitely NOT the mainstream, but nevertheless these are such an inspired artistic mix of rock and pop culture, grunge and steam-punk that they smack of “today” and modernist young “in your face” if ever was!
A bit like science fiction, the end of civilization, yet from the bits left over – we start again, we start out time again from zero and on.
Now OK, waxing a bit lyrical there for a moment, but you’ve got to hand it to these two and applaud their efforts. Thing is, it’s not beyond possibility that I might just order one just for me, maybe as a statement – you know I might be a bit frayed about the edges, but I’m not done yet!

Prices are around £100 – £200 and sent directly from Tokyo. Give them your wrist size, color of strap and they can provide engraving too (free) to your requirements. Each model takes about a month to make and around a week to get to you – can’t be bad. And it certainly makes a change from the high end Independent Makers and maybe brings us all down to earth that little bit.

Maybe it’s time for A Story. HERE.

Independent Artists (1)

My first “Independent Artists” Post today is the independent French born Watchmaker Ludovic Ballouard, now based in Geneva Switzerland, having worked previously for 3 years with Frank Muller and 7 years with J.P Journe to name but two. Now an Independent Watchmaker he produced his “UPSIDE DOWN” in 2009 and followed with his “HALF TIME” in 2012. With a new creation every two years – what’s in store for 2014?

It’s the “UPSIDE DOWN” that intrigues me. With 12 upside down numerals, each one changes right way up with a dot marker beside it, after one 60 minute sweep of the single hand. The position of the single hand denotes the minutes. The complication viewed from the exhibition back is quite amazing.

The "Upside Down" watch — The “Upside Down” watch

The amazing "works" — The amazing “works”

A few versions are made of this extraordinary watch and of course they are all fabulous, though I do have a favorite, which is the following one – just sublime!

The web site of Ludovic Ballouard can be found HERE.
Check out the first page animation, though remember the hour transition is a bit quicker than normal!

I should also mention that Ludovic Ballouard is also responsible for the 2013 Harry Winston Opus watch, the X111. Introduced at the 2013 Baselworld watch fair in the haute-de-gamme (high end) Opus collection.

This amazing concept watch certainly drew the attention of the world with its 242 functional rubies and it’s revolutionary indication of time by use of tiny, pivoting markers round the dial. The Opus XIII has 11 triangular hour hands, which jut out from the polished dome in the center of the dial , retracting again at the end of each hour. For minutes there are 59 minute markers (every 5 minutes tipped in red) and these pivot in towards the center as each new minute starts. Initially not the easiest watch to read, though that said, once you understand the dial mechanics, it becomes much easier to immediately tell the time. And seeing it in action, the detail technology is quite incredible.

The incredible Ludovic Ballouard movement of the Harry Winston Opus X111

The Harry Winston Opus XIII – Ludovic Ballouard movement is really something very special – with 660 components, 242 functional rubies, 59 minutes hands and 59 blade springs carved from a single piece of steel, 11 Triangular shaped hours – it is without doubt a masterpiece of watch engineering.

But personally for me – the “Upside Down” model is my choice. It simply has an elegance and artistry which is Ludovic Ballouard, without influence of projects such as Opus – and that surely is why he does what he does.

His next concept creation hopefully is in 2015 and I for one – can’t wait!

Which Reverso?

Have been toying with the idea of adding to my collection and the Jaeger leCoultre reverso is perhaps the model I wish to purchase. I already have a few Jaeger LeCoultre watches but they are all round case models and mostly vintage. If I manage to find a Reverso it can be either pre-owned and/or vintage as long as it is in good condition and at the right price.

I thought it would simply be a case of picking a good condition model and that would be it – BUT – what I hadn’t bargained for was the sheer variety of Reverso models that there are. Couple that with my personal preferences feature wise and you will quickly see my dilemma. There are literally dozens of versions available currently and each year something different appears, so including vintage models, the choices are pretty daunting.

Advert for the original Reverso (www.timeandwatches.com/p/jaeger-lecoultre-reverso-history.html)

Now I’m not about to do a piece on the history of the Reverso, firstly as there are a few versions (a bit like their watch) of the story and there are dedicated sites for that subject. Suffice to say that back in 1930/1 in India at a polo match, watched by Watch Collector César de Trey, a player broke his watch glass and wondered if there was watch that would withstand a polo match. That conversation soon got to the ear of Jacques-David LeCoultre and following on from that – Jaeger SA made the case in conjunction with French designer René-Alfred Chauvot and the slide and flip mechanism was born. And they’ve been making this watch ever since.

There are what I call the basic ones, where the watch dial is only on the front, the back being reserved for engraving etc. Then there are dial faces front and back which I suppose rather defeats the whole point of the watch, which was to protect the glass dial, but as most of us don’t play Polo, who cares! Some folks like to have a day watch and a night watch, or dial at the front and skeleton back or/and goodness knows what else – suffice to say – there are lots of different ones!

Another favorite – a Triple Date Calendar

Now when you consider that the original model in 1931 just had an hour and a minute hand, and the back was plain stainless steel for engraving or such like. It flipped over and protected the dial – as required. In 1934 a small seconds counter was introduced @6. Since then it seems to me that almost anything was and is possible.

And this is by no means an exhaustive list of dials and versions, as apart from all those I’ve missed, there are of course anniversary limited editions, Tourbillons and ultra complication models (with matching price tags), then there are the Ultra Thin models, Repetition Minute models, Grand Complications and so it goes on. . . .

So after all that, what am I going to do? Difficult I know, though common sense and my wallet will dictate at the end of the day. I’m favoring the Triple Date or Triple Date and Calendar style, as these give me the data I want when reading a watch. Do I want 2 x dials? – well maybe I do – it would be handy to have one with luminous hands for night use – simply by flipping it over. I mean how neat is that!

And I know that Jaeger LeCoultre have a bespoke service . . . . .

Wow!

On reflection I think I’ll see what’s available on the pre-owned front and hopefully find one that suits me, within reason. . . . of course. . .

Maybe a gold one –

A Triple Date in Gold - this I like! — A Day and Date in Gold – mmmmm – nice!

César de Trey

The elegant watch (1)

Elegant – simple enough word to say, but not quite so easy to see – I mean what’s elegant to me may not be to you and as a description of a watch, well it then becomes wide open to interpretation and even ambiguity, so say the least. What about “refined” or “sophisticated” or maybe “tasteful”. Perhaps “delicate” would describe it or even “graceful” and so on and on . . . . .
Not so easy is it? Can this definition actually be defined – Wow, that’s deep, but there lies the conundrum and can it be applied equally to a Dress watch or an everyday Practical watch?

I hope to post 4 models each month that maybe meet my “elegance” criteria and here are my interpretations on what I think is elegant and see if you agree – first up . . . . The wonderful IWC Portofino

The beautifully elegant IWC Portofino Moonphase.

Perhaps what I’d personally call “simply” elegant, the IWC Portofino – and yes “delicate” even “graceful” and certainly “sophisticated” – oh yes it ticks a good few boxes for me and if elegance is a combination of so many different impressions, it certainly fits the brief I’d say.

A sleek Lemania from the 1950's — A sleek pink Gold Lemania from the 1950’s

A beautiful 18ct Pink Gold cased Lemania (supplier to Brequet) from the ’50’s, with sunken engraved sub-dials at 38mm diameter and only 8.5mm depth, is indeed rather slim and elegant. Proportionally it is a very pleasing watch and one that I think meets the criteria pretty well.

Not sure if this Ebel automatic 9303F61 is entirely “elegant”, but it has a certain “refinement” about it that I personally like. Definitely “sophisticated” and even complicated showing the Day and Date in retrograde style and all contained in what they call their Classic Hexagon model – 45.4mm diameter x 11mm. I love the description of this particular dial configuration which is called the “wink and smile”. Ebel tend to be a little below the radar here in the UK, but they do produce some very sweet and very high quality watches, which is unsurprising as Movado group are involved, so need I say more.

Followed by a Seiko GS automatic, just to show that Gold doesn’t have the monopoly on elegance. Seiko are masters of stainless steel design and this model is no exception. Beautiful shaped curve of the GS and it’s balance between refinement and practicality, the perfect matching bracelet says it all and i think a worthy member of my “elegant” selection.