In this week’s round up of all the newest watch releases, we have some amazing pieces from the likes of HYT, Roger Dubuis and MB&F, a limited-edition piece that’s already been sold out from Ming Watches as well as a must have accessory for your automatic watch. Enjoy!
HYT H0 SOONOW
HYT produces some of the world’s most creative, most innovative and most artistic timepieces. Its method of displaying the time is, in essence, unique. Powered by a proprietary calibre that utilises mechanical movements with fluid, the H0 SOONOW displays the time in a completely novel way. Available in two versions, either in stainless-steel or in a DLC-coated steel case, with either a blue or a green fluid display, respectively. Interestingly, the skull depicted in the H0 SOONOW was made with over 300 gold pins, creating an immensely detailed and deep look. Far from in expensive, the H0 SOONOW takes a fair amount of macho to wear, especially given its 48.80mm size and 75,000CHF price-tag.
Longines Legend Diver 36mm
Originally released in the 1960s, the Legend Diver was, and in many respects still is, one of Longines’ most well decorated and adored timepieces. The Legend Diver 36mm is the latest iteration of the famed original 42mm variant and this smaller version is now firmly aimed at the female market. Featuring a “tropical” dial with faux-patina, the Legend Diver 36mm is also offered with a standard black dial, along with a mother-of-pearl dial. Available on a leather strap or a Milanese stainless-steel bracelet, the Legend Diver 36mm is available from $2,150USD.
Christophe Claret Loma
To celebrate its official partnership with Ukrainian boxer Vasyl Lomachenko, Christophe Claret has unveiled the Loma, named after the boxer’s nickname. A winner of two Olympic gold medals, three world titles and one European title, the Loma is a fitting tribute to the boxer’s illustrious medal haul. Based on the Kantharos which was released six years ago, the Loma features a striking mechanism, a mono-pusher chronograph and a constant force mechanism. Technically, the Loma ticks a lot of our boxes. From an aesthetic perspective, the Loma isn’t exactly our cup of tea. Christophe Claret did well to combine a lot of tech into a fairly wearable package, but along with the incorporation of boxing inspired visuals, the Loma can appear slightly messy, albeit confusing. But you’re not buying this watch purely based on its mechanical prowess. This is a watch that will be collected for its celebratory directive. Limited to 20-pieces and costing 126,000CHF, you bet your bottom dollar that the Christophe Claret Loma will be bought by some well-doing fanatics.
Mido Commander Big Date 42mm
Mido celebrates the Commander Big Date’s 60th anniversary this year, and in doing so it has released a limited-edition model with a lot of contemporary flair. Featuring a large date aperture at 6 o’clock and a sunray satin-finished anthracite dial, the Commander Big Date is an exceptional timepiece, especially so considering its super approachable price-point. Highly legible and wearable, the Commander Big Date does well to retain its purity whilst enhancing day-to-day functionality. The 42mm wide stainless-steel case and polished bezel add elements of luxury to the watch, and the touches of red throughout adds another element of visual appeal that would have been amiss otherwise. Limited to 1959 watches and costing the $1,090USD, the Commander Big Date 42mm is wonderfully accessible.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Blacklight Trilogy
Featuring sapphire microtubes throughout the mechanical sculpture that glow under UV light, the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Blacklight Trilogy in three distinct variations, each in a 42mm wide case. There is a black DLC titanium variant, an 18k white-gold model and an 18k pink-gold variant, too. Each is made in a limited run of 88, 88 and 28 pieces, respectively, with pricing beginning at 80,000CHF for the black model, 95,000CHF for the white-gold model and 100,000CHF for the pink-gold model. Everything else remain quintessentially Roger Dubuis, with a highly skeletonised calibre running the show, highlighted by the microtubes. A fairly interesting showing that demonstrates just how inventive this brand is, despite being overshadowed by Richard Mille.
Barrington Single Watch Winder
Available in a variety of colours and variation, Barrington Watch Winders produces some of the highest quality watch winders you can get without burning a hole in your pocket. The Single Watch Winder is the one we’re focusing on here. It features a beautiful gloss finish that’s both super clean and super luxurious looking. It comes in seven different standard colour variations, with multiple special edition models readily available, too. The Single Watch Winder is available with two different cushion sizes, can be operated via a power outlet or batteries, is powered by an ultra-quiet motor and has multiple rotating settings. You can also set the TPD rate (turns per day), depending on the weight of the watch. This is a well finished must-have watch accessory, especially for your more complicated calendar watches that would otherwise require constant re-setting which, to be blunt, is a pain in the ass.
Franck Muller Vanguard Encrypto Limited Edition
Franck Muller has just unveiled the world’s first functional Bitcoin watch, the Vanguard Encrypto Limited Edition. Featuring a dial that has a laser-etched QR code that can be used to depsit Bitcoins and check your account, the Vanguard Encrypto Limited Edition is as inventive as it is assimilating. Markets change and grow, so it’s cool to see a brand like Franck Muller engage with its products like this. The Vanguard Encrypto Limited Edition uses an offline generated TRNGs (True Randon Numbers Generated) storage system to hold information, accessed via the QR code on the dial. I’m sure this is more of a trivial timepiece than a functional Bitcoin-friendly watch that traders would use, but regardless it’s still a pretty cool endeavour.
Ming Watches 18.01 Abyss Concept
Ming Watches’ next watch would have already been sold out by the time you would have read this, so hopefully you were able to get your hands on one before they were all spoken for. Regardless, the 18.01 Abyss Concept was worth covering if anything for its highly contemporary look. Limited to only 10-pieces and available for 6,500CHF, the 18.01 Abyss Concept features a 40mm wide, 14mm thick stainless-steel case, rated to a water resistance of an incredible 1,250m. It has a three-part composite dial, bead-blasted hands, a unidirectional rotating bezel and a ceramic bezel insert, along with Super-Luminova filling to enhance visibility in all environments. Behind the closed-caseback is the no-frills ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, not exactly a top-tier movement but still one that is well enough endowed to handle daily rigors of wear and tear. Innovative, different and cool.
MB&F HM7 Aquapod Platinum Red
Seeing and feeling are two separate things. And in the world of watches, I feel that it is imperative to get hands-on with watches, as much as possible, to truly formulate a subjective opinion of a watch. I was fortunate enough to do this with the original version of the MB&F HM7 Aquapod. This is an immense watch, incredibly large, incredibly complex but wonderfully beautiful, especially so in the flesh. This new model, clad in platinum and with a striking red bezel is, simply put, astonishing. Continuing with the inspiration drawn from the jellyfish, the red of the HM7 Aquapod was inspired by the jellyfish’s uncanny ability to use its red innards to ward off predators, especially so in the depths of the ocean where light is restricted and red quickly becomes one of the first colours to become “invisible”. There’s a lot of other changes that were made to the HM7 Aquapod Platinum Red, including a sapphire tourbillon bridge (as opposed to a metal bridge found in the original version) as well as 3D numerals sculpted from titanium. Limited to only 25-pieces and with a price-tag of $165,000USD, the HM7 Aquapod Platinum Red is an amazing watch that is truest and purest personification of one of modern watchmaking’s greatest minds.