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” watchThe 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!
My favorite!
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.
The Harry Winston Opus X111
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!
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.
One of my favorites
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. . .
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 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.
Ebel Automatic Classic Hexagon 9303F61
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.
The Seiko GS in stainless steel
Note – Another 4 watches will feature next month on or around the same time, same place . . . . . .
I suppose it’s inevitable that when you collect watches for a few years, you at some point come across a model that simply takes your breath away. And for me it has to be the F.P. Journe Quantieme Perpetuel Watch.
F.P. Journe Quantieme Perpetuel model- my ultimate Watch – period!
So what can I say about this remarkable watch. For me as I say this is the ultimate watch – it is simply stunning – and very complicated. It has a most beautiful and simply executed dial, which displays the Date, the current Day and Month. A true Triple Date Calendar watch display if there ever was. The Day and Month are visible through two windows at 12 o’clock. The 6 o’clock double window shows the current Date. The aperture/window sizes are quite large so readability is near perfect. Note that the Date change is virtually instantaneous, so if the time is for example 11:57 the Date will still be correct, it doesn’t slide slowly over as most watches, so that you’re not sure if it’s today or tomorrow!
The F.P. Journe Quantieme Perpetuel Watch is of course a true Perpetual Calendar and one of the most difficult of all complications to master – and being a true complication can be incredibly awkward to reset if you let your watch stop for a few days. It is not impossible that such complications may have to be returned to the Manufacturer for this to be done – which is both expensive and inconvenient in the extreme! However not for François-Paul Journe, as he strives always to make any watch he designs, simple enough even for a child to operate – there is an answer – using the center single crown which has 3 positions. Using it you can set the Time, the Day and the Date. Setting the Month however is managed by another control, hidden beneath the top right hand case lug. The reason for this separate corrector control apparently is that within the movement there is a tiny Leap Year wheel connected to the Month wheel and separate from any crown intervention. The Leap Year indicator by the way is almost unnoticeable at the center of the dial with 4 small indices and indicator.
F.P. Journe Quantieme Perpetuel Watch with 22ct Gold Rotor
The fact that this wonderful complication Octa Calibre 1300.3 mechanical movement with it’s huge 120 hour reserve, is hidden within such an elegant case with the most simple and logical dial is nothing short of astounding. Of course this is no surprise to those who know F.P.Journe as he starts every new design with the dial and the aim of perfect readability. Also note that to achieve the proper visual balance of the dial, the Power Reserve Indicator with it’s retrograde hand is placed @9 – surely a feat in itself!
Anyway, there you have it – my absolute ultimate watch, that unfortunately I will never manage to own unless of course I win the European Lottery! – and even then with such a limited number produced the odds against being a proud owner are just about nigh impossible!
Another collection of “elegant” watches from around the world. First from my own cabinet is this, now vintage, made in France, Michel Herbelin Classic with a Swiss ETA movement.
Michel Herbelin Classic Swiss ETA quartz, sapphire crystal, 100m WR.
Followed by a delicate but classic form of the Romanson of Korea model, not often seen here in the UK, but nevertheless a popular watch around the world. This model certainly has an elegance and worthy of including here. I particularly like the perfectly matching bracelet which also has a delicacy of form I find very pleasing.
Romanson Classic from Korea
From the £300 range we move upwards to the classic Swiss Chopard Luc XP Automatic 65hr reserve with micro-rotor.
Chopard Luc XP 18ct Automatic
What sets this apart is the beautiful formed case at 39.5mm which is delicately thin 7.3mm. 18ct of course and powered by the use of a superb micro-rotor.
Now off to Germany for this wonderfully elegant Junghans Meister Kalender model. Featuring the automatic J800.3 mechanical movement, rhodium case and a convex hard Plexiglass with SICRALAN * coating which allows much better scratch resistance, excellent UV and chemical resistance.
Junghans Meister Kalender Triple Date Moon phase
I love this Triple Date Calendar and Moon Phase model so much that I have included another image – surely one of the most refined Triples around at the moment.
Junghans Meister Kalender Triple Date Moon phase
For such a lovely watch you would be forgiven if you thought it far out of reach price wise – however it may surprise you and could be worth checking it out! I spotted it at €2000 Euros just the other day.
That surely has to be one of the best elegance to value ratio models I have seen in a long time.
And no it’s not a mistake in your social calendar unless you’re VERY optimistic! It does of course refer to the description of my favorite type of watch, which shows “at a glance” (and that’s important) not only the time, but additionally, the Day, the Date and the Month – and crucially all at the same time. An example of a quartz Triple Date Calendar is the Dugena Moon phase shown here –
Dugena Moonphase Triple Date Calendar
For me the Triple Date Calendar function really means I should look at just two types of watch – Quartz Analogue and Mechanical. The true Triple Date Calendar model was of course a term used to describe this complication in mechanical movements, but technical advances mean quartz can now also provide the same function. However regardless of watch type one of the important aspects of triple Date is the dial, because that must be clear enough to allow you to glance at it and quickly determine Triple Date information. Just one glance and you should know not only the Time, but also the Day, the Date and the Month – instantly. However, this is most certainly not always the case and if nothing else the Triple Date function shows up who can or cannot design a watch dial.
Android Ambassador Triple Date Calendar – with sub-dials
The quartz Android Ambassador model as shown above is a most stylish modern model. It doesn’t however use apertures, using sub-dials instead, which I’m pleased to see are a decent size and very clear to read. The sub-dials show the Day and Date, the Month this time being indicated by the center pointer to the outer Month track. In addition and unusually this also indicates the year/week number. The hands may obstruct sometimes, but this is a consequence of analogue hands and these are particularly good, as they are luminescent, which I’ve discovered are in fact surprisingly rare in a Triple date Calendar watch.
Remember what I said about dial design. The two models illustrate this pretty clearly – both may show the same information but the Android is certainly much easier to read. Had the Dugena larger apertures it would have been so much better. I have to hand it to Android though as there are not that many good quartz Triple Date Calendar models around the low £100’s which it is (or was).
The concept of the Triple date is all about information – what do we want to see on our watch? or maybe what do we need to see? The answer for me is a practical one really and Time, Day, Date and Month just about says it all. If I don’t know the year, then maybe I have other issues to worry about and my General Practitioner may be able to help! 😉
Here’s some Triples that I personally like –
Jaeger LeCoultre Master Calendar vintage
An absolute Classic Triple Date Calendar is this Jaeger LeCoultre and this is a vintage one – as I said these are easier to come by than modern, though you will be surprised at the high prices these can command. This is a mechanical movement of course, so the workmanship required to manufacture such a complication is considerable and Jaeger LeCoultre are in a class of their own.
Interesting Mercedes Chronograph Triple Date Calendar
Another rather rare vintage model is the Mercedes Benz Chrono and for me one that I dearly love to own. Mechanical of course with an automatic caliber Valjoux 7751 with a full Calendar (perpetual). Looks like a sub-dial Triple Date until you spot the 2 apertures in the sub-dial @12, a Date pointer center driven, 24hr time, Moon phase etc. and yet totally readable – one of my favorite models.
Classic vintage Movado Triple Date Calendar
One of the most iconic Triple Date Calendar watches in my opinion is this classic vintage Movado, which is as good as they come. I actually had two some years ago, but sold one on – (I know I was ill at the time!) and now these are becoming more difficult and more expensive to find.
So what type of watch can be called Triple Date Calendars –
Digital? – No – not strictly Triple Date Calendar of course – but today with the digital revolution, to find a model that displays all this information and almost anything else you want to know is common. Most Digital models do show the 3 basics, such as the low priced Timex AE1200W (shows time, Day, Date, Month in standard view AND features a Perpetual Calendar till the year 2100). Radio Controlled quartz models of course are Perpetual by default. But Digital models in general can be the cheapest option of all if what you want is data overload.
Quartz – Yes – Analogue models are becoming more common now especially from mainstream Brands such as Casio, Seiko and Citizen. But on modern analog models, unlike the classic vintage models must be looked at carefully for good dial design, which is paramount. All too often they seem tempted to display in a “new” way – often with silvered hands and indices, poor layout and poor clarity as a result.
However there are a few decent ones around including the Dugena and the Android already featured. Quartz Ana-Digi may models again have the data, but not always presented simultaneously and a push button selection may have to be made, such as Calendar. More often than not the standard view will feature a 24hr time sub-dial (goodness knows why?) World Time, a selector dial and so on, which for me just adds to the dial clutter. The whole point of Triple Date Calendar dials is their readability.
And that is a real bugbear of mine – so many quartz analog models seem to go out of their way to make the dial cluttered and virtually unreadable. And if we’re talking about Triple Date Calendar “at a glance” – then forget it!
Mechanical – Absolutely – When it comes to mechanical Triple Date Calendar watches however, these are not quite so common, and in fact there are more vintage models than modern ones. And this is simply because technology overtook the very skilled and technically difficult process of manufacturing them and offered a cheaper electronic alternative. It’s all about cost and also whether the Brand has the technical skill even to make such a model.
So all that said, foe me the Mechanical Triple Date model is almost the ultimate – almost – except for one small problem. Most models don’t have compensation for the short months. In other words – they don’t have a Perpetual Calendar – So every so often unlike the digital models, you have to reset your Date depending on the month (also on leap years). UNLESS of course you start looking at the very best classic Brands.
Wonderful Patek Philippe 2499 Triple Date Perpetual Calendar
As in the case of the Patek Philippe shown above, it also features a Perepetual Mechanical Calendar as well. BUT unfortunately these are really NOT common – no Sir! And if you do see one, you’ll need to make a choice between it and that new car! I think the Patek Philippe models starg at around shown is around $15k to “the sky is the limit” – so not your everyday model.
Here are a few more models I like –
Unusual Jaquet Baume Triple Date vintage modelVintage Eloga Triple date Calendar model
This Eloga model is particularly special and rare, in that it has incorporated a disk with the Date printed. The crown @10 is used to manually align the day against the date and the progressing pointer then reads the Day and date correctly – a wonderfully elegant solution (I’ve also seen a Landau with the same dial system).
Blancpain Villeret Triple Date Calendar
Then there is the classic 3 sub-dial configuration of the Blancpain above, one of my favorite Makers and kept just about as simple as possible to aid clarity – I love it.
I think I prefer the aperture display system I suppose owing to age – the older you get sub-dials become tricky to make out, whereas windows with words within them are certainly easier – if large enough of course. And this year I hope to get myself 2 Triple Date Calendar watches – or that’s my aim anyway – as I believe these are the most wonderfully artistic of all the models out there, especially if mechanical and include the Moon phase as well. And of course they tell you what you really want to know – “at a glance”
So Casio – again! And not for the first time featured and I doubt it will be the last time either that I feature this amazing Company’s range of even more amazing watches, because there’s no question that for watch models for everyday and for you and I, they are probably unsurpassed. The fact is Casio is virtually a household name to many of us and certainly over the past 50 years. From that amazing Calculator you used to smuggle into school (they weren’t allowed in the good old days (1960’s & 70’s), then that snazzy Wrist Watch that had Digits and you were the first in the street that had one, to Cameras, Musical Instruments and so on – if it was to do with pushing the boundaries of miniature Electronics – then Casio was right there. And I’m pleased to say – still is!
Casio Telememo AW80V
What prompted this Post was that I took out of my display cabinet the other day, a spotless as new and pristine Casio AW80 Telememo 30 (Japan 2427 module, China case) and wore it for the first time in ages. The time after a few years was not quite right, so I had to try and remember how to set it. Fortunately the 2427 module is a clever and quite intuitive. I basically used the Mode (lower left) to select LON & time and set the digits to the current time. Then used Mode to reach H-S which is hand setting mode. Pushing the lower right button moves the hands (clockwise only) and in my case I had to move them quite a long way. Pushing both upper and lower left buttons starts the movement of the hands – take you fingers OFF the buttons – once you are within a minute or two, stop with the lower button, then each press moves it one minute – to the correct time.
I noted too that the last time I changed the battery was nearly 13 years ago, which is considerably over the 10 years stated. Good eh?
But what’s new at Casio and do they even need anything new, I hear myself say – so I had a look . . . . .
Of course there are many new G Shock models around and these can command almost non Casio prices, such as the Premium 30th Anniversary model MTG-S1030BD-1AER which costs around £1000. Featuring Radio Control, Solar and so forth, the range continues down to the more affordable G Shocks we all know and love. But I’m more concerned with the smaller dimensioned non G Shocks which I find more interesting. Such as this classic round dial Casio AE1000W-1A – World Time, Alarm etc. at a very affordable £20. Great resin hard case with softer fixed bezel and a see what you need to see ‘at a glance’ dial – and so easily readable.
Casio SE1000W-1A World Timer, Alarm Watch
But this new model (to me at any rate) Casio AQ-190W-1A, World Time, Alarm etc. is reminiscent of the wonderful Citizen Skyhawks, but amazingly affordable at around £40 is a real surprise. Featuring analogue Neobrite luminous hands etc, high contrast digital displays, a 1/1000 sec stopwatch, 5 Daily alarms, Timer, Auto Calendar and unusually a rounded glass, 100m Water Resistance and a stainless & resin case. It’s also a neat size at 45mm x 13mm and so light weight, wearable by almost anybody.
Casio AQ-190W-1A World Timer, Alarm
And finally in my little round up of Casio is this rather elegant MTF-117L-5AV which is a more conventional style from Casio. It is an analogue model with no digital features with a stainless case, aluminium bezel, mineral glass Day and Date watch with a quartz movement at +/120secs per month. The dimensions are a very neat 39.5mm x 9.9mm so is a slim model and there are 9 Gents versions and 6 Ladies versions and a nice addition to the Casio range.
Casio MTF-117L-5AV
A slight departure from the more classic Casio look, but a very nice watch and I particularly like the day indicator, which does not reply on the more usual pointer, but rather a red dot indicator, on a vertical scale, which is both neat and visible. I have to admit I quite like the look of it and rather impressed they’ve managed to get away from the stereotypical Casio image – nice one!
That’s it for Casio for now, but I leave this Post with a montage image of a few of the Casio models featured or mentioned over the past few months on this site – – it’s quite a line up. I will however, every so often trawl the Casio sites to see what’s new. So, as ever “Watch (this) Space.
Every one different – and every one a Casio!
I always seem to have around a dozen or so Casio models, bought over the years since the 1970’s – very few of them expensive apart from my Oceanus and so far they all seem to share a common factor – they still work!
Latest –
Well when I got my Oceanus, I though it was the last Casio I’d ever buy. BUT whilst expensive and clever and all that, it simply didn’t give me the same buzz as the ‘cheap and cheerful’ resin hybrids packed with nice little last for ever modules – AND you could swap and change them at little cost, which was fun.
So, in the event I sold on the Oceanus to someone, like me, who (at the time) thought it was the best thing out there. I wonder if he’s still got it?
A tricky thing to describe is “value” and how do you actually measure it. In very basic terms for me, it means when applied to a watch, that the basic requirements I wanted are in fact met and the price was right. To illustrate the point I can do no better than highlight this Citizen Eco-drive model I bought some years ago in 2008.
Citizen Eco-Drive 180 (BM8180-54E)
This military inspired Citizen Eco-Drive 180 ( BM8180-54E ) – with centre seconds highlighted in red with pointer and a nice sized day and date window @3. It is as good today as the day I bought it and I’ve never had to adjust the time, as it’s accuracy is about as good as it gets from a mainstream quartz watch. I also can’t fault it in any way whatsoever, as it does exactly what it’s supposed to do and does it very well indeed. It also cost under £100 at the time and a sure sign of the longevity of this model is the fact that it’s still available today and hardly changed.
Citizen Military Eco – available at Argos (UK)
The model from Argos (above), is basically the same watch and the price again is good at under £70 and in my opinion it is a real “value” watch, no question about it. It also is remarkably good at night as the luminous hands and dial are excellent. The neat day and day window @ 3 is easily read and it manages 100m water resistance – so what’s not to like?
Here it is again, this time it is the same model code as well and at time of writing, available at Watchshop in bracelet form and still under £100.
The Citizen Eco BM8180-54E still around
And it’s amazing in how many guises this model can still be found – this one (possibly the most current of them all) for example is the BM8470-11E, with a nice dial facelift perhaps and the case has changed a little, but it seems very familiar to me. A rather more modern take on my original version and still under £100 (from Timeshop4you).
Citizen Eco-Drive BM8470-11E
So there you have it – what I call a “value” watch. The design is really as good as it gets, the size is what I would call universal (not too big, not too small), very clear to read, day or night and with clear day and date information. A good second hand, excellent crown size and is water resistant to 100m, so swimming no problem. And the price of course has virtually stayed unchanged in years, AND of course it’s Eco-Drive day, so pretty much a “get it and forget it” watch watch. Also as evidenced by my own experience, this model would appear to be what we call a “good un” – never a problem, simply wear it and forget it!
Note – I updated this Post in December 2022, so there you have it.
This latest incarnation is rather good, almost a civilian version if you will (the older one was a so called military inspired creation) – no crown guards, cleaned up dial , but the essential model is still the same – I think Citizen know this is a winner all the way.
Another trawl through some of the great watches that are available today and maybe we don’t see too often. Once again this selection are what I’d call in the affordable price range and some good value items. Almost all of them are common in one respect and that is, you can be pretty certain that your friends won’t have one – but will after they see your new wrist wear! My image here is a collage as before with brief details below and in no particular order.
Variety 2 selection
Only 6 are shown here as one of them, the Junghans, has a sideways shot, showing it’s unusual crown/pusher set up and it’s 9.6mm case depth.
Junghans Megasolar Spektrum, stainless & ceramic, solar quartz, 100m WR, – 43.5mm diameter (£600)
Fortis B42 Flieger Black, Auto, Day/Date Titan Limited model at 42mm diameter (£600 – £1500)
Bruno Sohnle Glashutte Rebito, 42mm diameter (£380)
Schaumburg GT “Raceclub”, Auto – 46mm diameter (£900)
Askania Templehof in steel, Auto – 42mm diameter (£850 – £1300)
I’ve listed the case diameters this time, as there are too many models out there that are unfortunately ruined by being way oversize and just too big for comfort. So I’m doing a gentle bit of championing the smaller guys. But let’s not be silly here – most of the models shown here are all decent size, as all are over 40mm (remember many Patek Philippe models are around 36mm and don’t look silly on ANYBODY’s wrist!!).
More varieties in future posts.
Note– Prices are only a rough guide and may range from pristine pre-owned to new models.
Whilst trawling around the web I found this Company, the Davis Watch Company, who have a rather neat range of mid priced Quartz models plus a few more up market mechanical watches too. Always on the lookout for a sensible priced quartz Dress watch I came across this rather nicely styled model from their “AllRound Series”, the 0582, which I think has a rather elegant classic look about it.
DaVis AllRound model 0582 Dress Watch
I like the look of this model as it harks back to just a hint of Art Deco and Classic, without being actually Retro. The overall appearance is interesting and that little bit different with the leather strap and integral tan stitch fitting into smooth hidden lugs case design – very stylish in my opinion and as a Dress watch, pretty much what I was looking for. Additionally the dial is elegantly configured with fine Guilloche background and three multifunction sub-dials. The indexes are white applied with stainless accents which aides clarity, the hour and minute hands similarly outlined.
It features Day, Date and 12/24hr time and is powered by the MIYOTA quartz movement Caliber 6P29 (SR621SW battery) and has a accuracy of around +/- 20 seconds per month. The case is brushed Stainless steel, has a Water Resistance of 100m and dimensions are 50 x 33 x 10mm, so a relatively neat watch and it comes with their International 2 year guarantee.
We tend to forget these days that Dress watches are exactly that and surprisingly rare to find, or those of decent appearance anyway. They are simply not meant to be Military, or Divers or big and flashy, but instead are sleek, smooth and elegant, meant to slip under the shirt cuff. I think this one is just that and at a very agreeable price of under €130 (Euro).
Davis also make quite a decent range of non dress models too and this one – the Davis Aviamatic 1020 features Chronograph, Day and Date, in brushed Stainless Steel, which is also available in white. A 22mm leather strap compliments this neat 42mm x 11mm case with a 50m Water Resistance and screw down crown. The solid performing MIYOTA quartz Caliber OS21 with a +/- 20sec/month movement is used here and has an approximate battery life of 3 years (SILVER OXIDE SR927W),
Davis Aviamatic 1020
This model has a larger version, the 0450 at 48mm diameter and other dial colors are available, which makes it quite versatile.
The high color yellow and black Aviamatic model I alluded to and posted an image of, in my last article, though for me a little on the large side at 48mm, will certainly appeal to many as it really has that “military” look.
Davis watch also offer a few mechanical watches , though there is a price premium to pay, they are still very reasonable and feature Miyota mechanical movements. I have a couple of other brands using these movements and I rarely, if ever, have a problem with them and they invariably represent excellent value.
Ladies are not left out and they have a few different models in their range and should you wish to see these, this is the link to them. From ring watches to designer and even ceramic, they are that bit different from the mainstream, in my opinion.
Davis Aviation 10260 Orange
Refreshing to see a not so well known watch brand (to me at any rate) with such a diverse range of pretty good looking models and at not unreasonable pricing across that range. I like the fact they major on good solid mainstream and standard quartz movements such as Miyota in that it gives confidence that the engines will work pretty well and be reasonably reliable.
In fact I’m rather taken with more than one model myself and might just be tempted to acquire one, or at the very least persuade my Wife that one of them could make an “AllRound” Christmas present.
Watch space 
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