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Seiko are continuing to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of their first ever dive watch by launching a second edition of the Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT 60^th Anniversary model. The new interpretation offers a much more pared-back look at the multi-time zone diver, featuring a white and blue colour scheme with a smooth dial. Plus, it’s not a limited edition like the previous version.

The case measures 42mm x 13.3mm with a 300m water resistance rating. The wide lugs and angular facets along the edge of the arcing shape are inspired by a Seiko dive watch from 1968, the brand’s first diver to achieve a 300m rating. In more recent years 200m has been the standard for the Japanese brand but since early 2024 they’ve steadily been reintroducing the deeper depth rating, putting the ‘professional’ back in Prospex.

It’s a very clean watch with a pristine white dial and aquatic blue ceramic bezel. Adding a splash of colour are the red accents on the seconds hand, 24-hour GMT hand and the GMT inscription below the central handstack. I’m quite torn because I do really like the textured wave pattern of the first 60^th Anniversary watch but a plain, almost sterile dial like this fits with the traditional design philosophy of dive watches better – putting legibility and clarity above all else. The colour scheme also reminds me of other sporty divers like the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup.

Beneath the surface of the dial is the 6R54 automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve and a daily accuracy of -15/+25 seconds. With that weekend proof power reserve, it’s one of Seiko’s higher spec movements. Plus, it’s equipped with the additional GMT function as well as a date for extra utility while travelling. That makes it not just a viable dive watch, but a versatile daily wearer as well.

Unlike the original 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT 60^th Anniversary, this edition is not limited, meaning anyone who wants one will be able to procure one. It shares the same price at £1,600, putting it in the mid-range of Prospex prices. On the whole I prefer that limited edition from earlier this year but there are merits to this version as well. Seiko doing as Seiko does, they’re offering a great variety of styles and designs at prices that see them quickly snapped up.

More details at Seiko.

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Raúl Pagès is the hot independent watchmaker of the moment, winning the 2024 Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives and having recently released his new RP2 to rave reviews. However, priced at CHF 89,000 his watches are not exactly accessible. Enter Massena LAB who have collaborated with him multiple times to bring his designs to the masses (at least before they sell out) in a manner that won’t break the bank. Following the Absinthe last year, the two have launched another collaboration for 2025 in the form of the new Massena LAB x Raúl Pagès Noctograph.

The Noctograph pays a lot of tributes to the aforementioned RP2 but instead of being close to 100k, it’s priced at $8,875 (approx. £6,620). The most obvious nod is that like the RP2, the Noctograph is a three-hand, time-only watch with central hours and minutes and then a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Although, the Noctograph’s subdial is much more Art Deco in style rather than minimalist thanks to a railway seconds track and a high shine sunray brushed finish.

In terms of colour, the central disc of the dial is a rich, royal blue with a vertical brush that sweeps across the display. In the bottom right of that blue dial, at 4 o’clock, you can see the ghost engraving of Massena LAB’s logo, a reference to the same positioning of Pagès’ ghost logo on the RP2. It’s contained within a rhodium plated minute scale that again leans into that Art Deco influence. Interestingly Art Deco is normally associated with the 1920s and 30s but Massena LAB actually cite the 50s as being their lead influence, especially when it comes to the circular lines of the 38.5mm case.

Beneath that display is the M660 manual winding movement. It’s produced by Massena LAB but was designed and developed by Raúl Pagès. It has a 4Hz frequency and 60-hour power reserve, which are solid specs. What really captures the attention though is the finishing, with prominent Côtes de Genève across the mainplate and perlage visible below the open balance spring.

The name Noctograph means a device designed for measuring night, which serves a double meaning here. Firstly, it’s a reference to the blue dial, which shifts through multiple tones as the light plays across it thanks to the finishing, one of the most prominent of which being a midnight blue tone. Secondly, as a refined dress watch it will count the hours of your late-night soirées in impeccable style.

I’ve been a fan of Massena LAB for a while (I recently added one to my collection) and while the Noctograph isn’t my favourite, I do still like the effortless elegance it carries itself with. Plus, at $8,875 (approx. £6,620), it’s one of the few ways a regular collector might actually get their hands on some of Raúl Pagès’ work. Limited to 99 pieces.

More details at Massena LAB.

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There are plenty of different certifications in the watch world, from the country a timepiece is made to the hallmarking of its precious metals. In an industry where provenance is a big deal, knowing where something is from is non-negotiable (even if it can be a little tenuous at times). So too is performance, with movements going through their own set of qualifications, with organisations like COSC and METAS testing very specific, measurable aspects of chronometric rigour.

There’s one certification however that goes above and beyond the basics of timekeeping. It brings together performance, expertise and place like no other: the Poinçon de Genève.

The Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva Seal, if you insist on anglicising everything, has been around for a good long while now. In fact, the seal first came into being way back in 1886 when Switzerland was having a slight issue. These days, the country’s known for watchmaking almost as much as chocolate, but back then watchmakers were moving out of the city and moving abroad. Geneva as a city needed a way to give some gravitas to their watches.

The answer was essentially the watchmaking equivalent of what the French call Appellation d’origine contrôlée in wine. These area-specific classifications denote a bottle not only made in a certain area, but using certain grape variants and traditional methods of production. It’s often a byword for quality without actually saying that. The Poinçon de Genève is much the same.

In order to qualify for the seal, a watch must demonstrate three things. First and historically the most important is that they’re a Geneva-founded watchmaker. This was originally to try and encourage watchmakers to stay in Geneva amid the industry exodus in order to qualify for the seal. As Geneva’s global reputation for watchmaking really took off, it became a nod to quality in and of itself.

Second, they must demonstrate impeccable aesthetics and perfect assembly across the movement components and finishing. This is what is most often associated with the Poinçon de Genève. The general idea here is to remove any sign of machining and leave only handmade artisanry.

So, edges are bevelled and polished, wheels and other flat surfaces are circular grained or finished with perlage and bridges have all traces of machining removed. They may be useful for trapping dust, but this emphasis on hiding the machine work is historically the main use of Côtes de Genève, or Geneva Stripes. Even the sinks for ruby bearings have to be polished, and the jewels themselves ‘semi-brilliant’ so a feature all their own. In short, if any visible machining remains on any component, it’s disqualified.

Until relatively recently, the Geneva Seal stopped there, with a focus entirely on the finishing. But in 2011 and 2014, the requirements were updated with reliability criteria. 2011, incidentally, was when the seal was updated to include the entire watch, not just the movement. Between them, those changes meant a much more demanding set of hoops to jump through and coincided with Timelab’s takeover of the testing in 2010.

Timelab is a big mover and shaker in the Swiss watch world. Founded in 2008, they were tasked with taking over Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres meaning that any time you hear of COSC-certified, it went through them. Needless to say, they have some experience in the field of performance testing.

As to what that testing entails, it’s mostly just auditing what watchmakers say they’re making. For water resistance, every watch is tested to at least -0.5 and +3 bar, so half an atmosphere and three times atmosphere, or 30m underwater. If the water resistance is claimed to be higher, it’s tested to that instead. The same sort of thing goes for power reserve and functionality, too. If the watch does what its maker says it can for as long as they say it can, it passes.

Vacheron Constantin calibre 3200

As you’d hope, accuracy testing for the Poinçon de Genève is a little more concrete. It’s tested for seven days solid. Manual-wind watches can be wound every 24 hours; automatic watches must rely on their automation. Readings are taken at the start of the week and again on day seven, and if it’s out by less than a minute at the end – compared against a reference clock – then it can pass.

Now, this all makes the accuracy testing here far less exhaustive than COSC. You might think that it’s due to the full watch, rather than just the movement being tested, but METAS does that too and it’s far more extreme. The bottom line is simply because, while reliability is an integral part of a Genevan watch, at this level it’s much, much more about the craftsmanship.

So, who actually qualifies for the Geneva Seal? By limiting the pool to brands with watchmaking based in Geneva, recipients are limited by nature. In fact, there are only five that currently put their watches through Poinçon de Genève testing: Cartier, Chopard, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin, and Louis Vuitton.

Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222, with the Geneva Seal stamp on the caseback

You might be wondering, why not Patek Philippe? Well, they used to enter their watches, but in 2009 decided instead to set up their own testing that included gemsetting among other things.

Personally, any maison that relies on in-house testing feels a little dodgy to me, but if you can’t trust Patek Philippe, then who can you trust? What you can certainly trust is that any watch stamped with the Geneva Seal is not only accurate and reliable, but a masterclass in excessive, handmade finishing, which is really what high-end watchmaking is all about.

Cartier, Chopard, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin, Louis Vuitton, and Ateliers deMonaco are currently the only watchmakers based in Geneva that qualify for Poinçon de Genève testing, while Patek Philippe do their own testing in-house.

More details at Poinçon de Genève.

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Recent photos from U.S. Navy SEAL training exercises show that SEALs are still wearing G-Shock watches for diving activities in 2025. While Navy SEALs have long been associated with the G-Shock DW-6600 and subsequently the DW-6900, they have also been spotted wearing the DW-9052, which was known to be issued to SEAL divers in the […]

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2025 marks the 5^th anniversary of the Horological Tools Department, better known as HTD. To celebrate the occasion, they’ve launched a redesigned version of their first ever chronograph as well as a new interpretation of last year’s Hesagraph tricompax Miami Vice. They’re the HTD Hesagraph Cannoli and HTD Hesagraph Variente B and we’ve been hands-on with both.

My eyes are drawn immediately to the Cannoli, not least because it’s called the Cannoli (a link to HTD’s Italian roots). It has a super traditional bicompax chronograph display in one of the most famous colour schemes in all of watchmaking, the panda. That means it has a white dial with black subdials like the eyes of a panda. It looks really smart with its clean lines and slightly recessed subdials. Thanks to the relatively small hour markers and lack of a tachymeter on the dial or bezel, it actually feels very minimalist.

The Hesagraph Variente B is a bit more dynamic as it has a tricompax display adding a third chronograph subdial at 6 o’clock. The colourway here is what’s known as a reverse panda because it’s black with white subdials (the dial is technically a very, very, very dark brown but you’ll only notice that in specific lighting conditions). The 30-minute subdial also features red markers between the numerals, adding a third colour to the display. The Variente B also has larger hour markers than the Cannoli and an additional minute scale around the periphery.

On the wrist, both watches wear exactly the same because, and this may shock you, they have the same case. It measures 39mm in diameter with a 12.4mm thickness and a polished finish across the lugs, caseband and bezel. I do kind of wish that there were some contrasting finishes to break up the outline a bit more, but the full shine does make it stand out in a crowd – also thematically working for the previous brightly coloured Miami Vice edition.

Beneath the surface, protected by the solid caseback, is the Sellita SW510M elabore grade. It’s manual winding with 63-hour power reserve, offering some really solid specs. The Cannoli features hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph seconds and a 30-minute timer while the Variente B of course adds an extra 12-hour timer.

While I like the fun design of 2024’s Miami Vice, I do acknowledge that these versions will be much more popular among a wider range of collectors. The panda colourways also suit the minimalist layout really well. Priced at £1,324.55 they make for versatile daily wear chronos suitable for any occasion – whether you’re timing the end of a race or the end of your father-in-law’s speech at the family gathering.

More details at HTD Watches.

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The Millesime from Raymond Weil is arguably one of the best new dress watch collections to emerge on the scene this decade. Its relatively slim proportions and retro, Art Deco styling are perfectly positioned to capture collectors’ imaginations at a time when neo-vintage designs are more popular than ever. Now RW are doubling down on those features by introducing a smaller 35mm version as well as expanding the number of chronographs on offer. Without further ado let’s look at the Millesime 35mm and Millesime Chronograph 39mm Collection for 2025.

Millesime 35mm Collection

There are six references at the new diameter of 35mm, split between four small seconds models and two central seconds models. At 35mm they are particularly small, to the point that you could argue they are decidedly feminine. However, recent trends have been favouring smaller, vintage dimensions in the region of 36mm-38mm so it’s really not that far below the curve of what’s popular or realistic for men to wear. All it takes is a little confidence and anyone can pull it off.

While we’re still talking about the case, there is a slight difference between the small seconds and central seconds versions. The Millesime 35mm small seconds has a thickness of 10.25mm and the central seconds is 9.18mm, more than a full millimetre difference. On the wrist that’s not likely to be noticeable unless you happen to have both watches side by side. They’re both nice and slim. Also, one of the small seconds references has a rose gold PVD coating while one of the central seconds has diamond gem-set lugs (leaning even further in a feminine direction).

For the dials, they’re smaller renditions of the classic display from the 39.5mm models. That means the same Art Deco sector dial influences with sharp hands and a crosshair style motif. For the small seconds there’s a salmon edition, anthracite and mint green, silver, and cream (which is the rose gold model). Then for central seconds there’s green and cream. Of the six options, I most prefer the green, there’s a hint of blue to the tone that makes it a more intense, slightly darker colour than previous green Millesimes.

Powering the Millesime 35mm collection are the calibre 4250 and calibre 4200 depending on which dial layout the watch has. The specs of the two are more-or-less identical with a 41-hour power reserve. It’s a solid enough movement for a watch priced at £1,875 on steel bracelet and £1,775 on leather strap for the small seconds models. The green central seconds is more accessible still at £1,575, while the gems of the cream model put it at £1,875 alongside the small seconds.

Millesime Chronograph 39mm

The Millesime Chronograph is still a relatively new addition to the range, first appearing six months ago when they launched the Largo Winch limited edition. In that inaugural collection there was the special edition as well as a blue and a black version. Now they’ve expanded that original suite with reverse panda and anthracite grey versions.

Starting with the case, the dimensions are given as a round 39mm as opposed to the 39.5mm of the originals. The reverse panda model has a rose gold PVD coating, giving it a slightly more luxe appearance. Though the anthracite version isn’t completely without rose gold as its hands and hour markers are also coated. It’s entirely personal preference but I actually think both models would look more handsome in pure steel throughout with more of a monochrome design.

The movement here is the RW5030 with 63-hour power reserve. That’s pretty good for a chronograph calibre as it allows for plenty of leeway to use the power intensive complication. As a tricompax model it’s equipped with central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds with the small seconds, 30-minute timer and 12-hour timer arranged on the subdials at 9, 3 and 6 o’clock respectively.

In terms of price, the PVD reverse panda and anthracite grey on steel bracelet are both £3,095 while the anthracite on leather strap is £2.995. That feels like an appropriate price given the PVD elements on display as well as the good specs of the movement. I wouldn’t describe these Millesime 2025 launches as groundbreaking or revolutionary but adding more options for collectors is never a bad thing. It feels like only a matter of time until Raymond Weil releases a version that will tick all your boxes, inviting you to pick one up.

More details at Raymond Weil.

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Strange as it seems now that they’ve been shuttered by Rolex, one of my favourite watches last year was the Carl F. Bucherer Heritage WorldTimer, a watch with plenty of low-key glamour and jet-setting chic. Well, it turns out I’m a sucker for clean, elegant world timers as the Carl F. Bucherer might just have been displaced by none other than Rado. Sure, I was expecting more Captain Cooks this year. What I wasn’t expecting was to fall in love with the collection all over again with the downright gorgeous new Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole.

You might remember back in the misty days of 2022. We were walking out bleary eyed into the post Covid light, our whole world opening up, the possibilities endless. Those possibilities also included a diminutive little edition of the Captain Cook dubbed the Over-Pole. It was a 1960s throwback to a rare, world time version of the seminal dive watch, replacing the unidirectional bezel with 24 timezones.

The thing is, the 2022 Over-Pole was also vintage in size. In this instance that means 37mm across. In genuine vintage terms, that’s not too small at all, but in modern watches that’s tiny and, I’d argue, a touch too small to elegantly fit 24 timezones around. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a problem I could mull over too much as the limited edition faded away.

Now, the Over-Pole is back in action and in a big way. Well, bigger at least. The new version upsizes to a much more wearable, readable and generally better 39mm, retaining some of those classically small dimensions but in a way that won’t have you squinting at what might be an upside-down New York. And, rather than the dark, grey-and-black colours of the previous edition, Rado has embraced the glamour of the golden age of air travel.

Not only is the case gold, but so too are the retro beads of rice bracelet. Full gold takes a fair bit of swagger to pull off, but in this instance without the bank account to match as it’s all PVD over stainless steel. Some watchmakers find gold plating to be a dirty concept, but I’m here for it. It means you have the same aesthetic but at an actually affordable price tag. Sure, it means there’s less intrinsic value, but if you’re looking at Rado rather than Rolex, that’s probably not a big consideration.

The gold continues onto the dial with the funky, multi-faceted indexes set against a classic silver dial. Those indexes are a lot of fun, especially the three cardinal points (three o’clock being replaced with a date). They add some punch to the dial, some personality like a statement chair in an otherwise minimal apartment.

Normally I don’t care for date windows, but a worldtimer’s one of the few instances where it makes a lot of sense. I’d have rather had it at six o’clock for symmetry’s sake, but there’s only so much Rado can do with third-party movements, even if they are part of the same company. And I do like the red lettering rather than black, it makes it really pop. It’s just a shame it’s a slightly different shade to the signature proof-of-life anchor that makes up their logo.

This being Rado, ceramic is an inevitability and here it’s on the bezel, the single most sensible place for ceramic to be, in pure black. The cities are engraved into the ceramic and coloured gold which isn’t the most readable combination but is definitely the most glamorous. It’s also a nice counterpoint to the silver dial and while I’m all for pure monochrome, the quirky indexes, date et al incline me more towards this kind of mix.

On the wrist, it’s incredibly comfortable. 39mm is the goldilocks zone already and 10.9mm is relatively svelte, but the way the beads of rice bracelet drapes over the wrist makes me wonder why it ever fell out of fashion. It also makes the watch feel more private jet than premium economy, so if you want to turn down the ostentation, the optional black leather strap’s a perfectly sane alternative. Way less fun, but sane.

Despite the change in size, the movement remains the same, the R862 which is based on the 2824-2, a manual-wind take on the maker’s flagship 2824 with a slowed-down frequency to up the power reserve. That power reserve is a substantial 80-hours, making it weekend proof, even if you’re living the dream of a four-day work week. It’s good, solid fun and finished with lashings of Cotes de Geneve and blued screws.

The only downside I can see to the Captain Cook Over-Pole is that it’s still a limited edition of 1,962 pieces, in reference to the archival original. Sure, that’s a big number compared to most limited editions (ours are only 100 or less), but Rado’s not a small brand and they won’t be around forever. That’s a shame because the Over-Pole has the first-class air hostess legs to become a collection mainstay – especially at the punchy price of £2,650.

More details at Rado.

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I always appreciate a bit of fun in my watches (a probable side effect of being surrounded by British watch design in the vein of Studio Underd0g) and Danish brand Arcanaut know how to have fun. Their latest limited-edition watch is the Experimental: Arc II Garnet Goblin, a super entertaining collaboration with Czech retailer Chronoshop.cz and dedicated to the country’s culture. Though importantly, it’s available outside the Czech Republic via Arcanaut’s online store.

The watch is based on the Arc II, so there’s not a huge amount that’s new about the 40.5mm steel case, with its CNC milled shape that feels modern and industrial. What makes this limited-edition special is the dial, which is formed of a cluster of 0.8mm garnets that are bonded together and polished down to a flat disc. Garnets have a strong connection to Czech culture and are considered their national gem, occurring naturally in the Bohemia region.

This fact inspired Arcanaut to create a fictional story based on Czech mythology to create the ‘Garnet Goblin’, the fun character depicted on the watch’s GlowPatch (decorated with elements of lume) caseback. The story tells of a Maria the goblin who felt alienated by her greedy peers in the mines and who built up enough courage to leave them behind and journey to the surface where she found a field of garnets, finding a new love for her own. She then sells the garnets to Arcanaut to make the watch you see here. It’s very silly and I love it.

In a slightly more grounded take on reality, the garnets are actually sourced from the Turnov surface mine by a famous Czech garnet brand, Granát Turnov. They hand-finish every stone to ensure the highest quality, which is why the dial of the Experimental: Arc II Garnet Goblin appears almost fiery, such is its clarity and intensity of colour.

Powering the watch is the Soprod M100 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve. It’s a perfectly suitable movement that doesn’t take any of the limelight away from the dial. There’s an initial pre-order batch of five pieces at a price of £3,386 prior to the main production run at approx. £3,710. It’s a limited edition of 66 pieces.

More details at Arcanaut.

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The upcoming Casio AQ-S820W is expected to be a popular series, as it offers a large and rugged analog-digital style with Tough Solar power and 100-meter water resistance at a very affordable price. (These days, Tough Solar means being fully powered by light and having a power saving function that disables the display when the […]

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Erwin Sattler Opus PM 70 III

Watches might occupy most of our attention, but mechanical clocks are a fantastic addition to any room in your house and there are no centrepiece clocks like those by Erwin Sattler. The Opus PM 70 III is a dramatic and modern pendulum clock that stands out for its impressive hand-painted blood moon at six o’clock. The case measures 70cm x 20cm x 10cm in black varnish housing a movement with an eight-day power reserve. Limited to 99 pieces.

Available at Erwin Sattler.

Sarah Graham, From £150

Sarah Graham is a British artist known for her rich use of colour in her work, best known for photorealistic oil paintings such as this Kaiser Chiefs album cover. It’s all about creating a vivid visual in still life that satisfies an obsession with bright colour and the joys of life. Bringing into focus the small elements of life that bring us comfort and which we don’t always appreciate for their full value such as toys, ornaments and sweets. Her work is available in prints, original paintings and a host of additional items such as mugs, cushions and clothing with which to furnish your home and yourself.
Art prints from £150.

Available at Sarah Graham.

Carmen Delprat Art, From $150

Art, like time, is more than what meets the eye – it is an experience, a shift in perception, a quiet force that transforms a space. In the surreal world of Carmen Delprat Art, each piece extends beyond the canvas, offering limited edition prints, originals and exclusive art scarves. Collecting isn’t about filling walls; it’s about curating pieces that resonate, that evolve, that hold meaning. And in a world that moves fast, there is something profoundly compelling about art that makes you stop. Fine Art Prints from $150 (approx. £115).

Available at Carmen Delprat Art.

Impatia Scivolo Shuffleboard Table, From €23,000

Games night just got so much better with Impatia’s sleek and elegant takes on the classic games tables. From pool to chess to shuffleboard, their selection of contemporary designs combines the beauty of wood with the beauty of glass with the beauty of The Game. The Scivolo is available in a variety of finishes including modern and fresh natural oak or a more earthy walnut paired with dark green alcantara.

Available at Impatia.

Lyzadie Design Studio LETSWEAVE Dining Table, £10,450

The LETSWEAVE Dining Table is a fascinating piece of furniture made in collaboration between designer Lyzadie and New Zealand artist Sheree Willman – and inspired by traditional Maōri design. The panel style design is inspired by Tukutuku, traditional panels found in Maōri meeting houses, using traditional colours. The result is a handcrafted table that’s as much a piece of art as it is functional utilitarian furniture. It’s produced in reclaimed rimu and kauri wood.
£10,450.

Available at Lyzadie Design Studio.

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