Category: News

In the watch industry, longevity is important. It takes time to create a brand and curate a loyal following of customers and collectors. So when a brand bursts onto the scene, people tend to take note. Wristbuddys are a Swedish watch strap specialist who started out in 2020 and are already challenging established brands in terms of range and value. They’ve gone from watch strap newcomers to an industry staple in just four years.

In the last year alone, their monthly sales have almost quadrupled from $60k USD to $200k USD, a statistic that coincides with their rapidly expanding range of strap options. Soon they will rival established names like Horus and Everest in terms of variety, versatility and style – an apt comparison because all three brands share a production facility.

A key part in Wristbuddys’ expansion is the development of new strap moulds than enable them to create straps for some of the most iconic watches on the market. Let’s take a look at their range of straps for famous watches.

FKM Rubber Strap for Rolex, £89

Wristbuddys produce FKM rubber straps for a number of Rolex models from the Daytona, to the Submariner to the GMT-Master II. Which isn’t too much a surprise considering that they all share similar lugs and as such it’s a one strap fits all situation. This Black FKM number is £89 with a curved end that fits over a dozen Rolex references. It’s understated in its monotone colour and is perfect for those who want even more flexibility than the Oysterflex offers.

Shop Now

Premium Curved FKM Rubber Strap for Omega Speedmaster, £55

For the world famous Omega Speedmaster, Wristbuddys produce the Premium Curved rubber strap. It’s available in a handful of colours including yellow, orange, red, black and dark grey. What makes it different to the Rolex strap above is the faux fabric texture and stitching that adds another layer of detail to the curved shape of the rubber. The brightly coloured options also add new opportunities to make your watch stand out and feel more personal to yourself.

Shop Now

FKM Rubber Strap for Tissot PRX, £59

While Tissot might not have the prestige of brands like Omega and Rolex, the PRX itself is a model that has garnered a lot of attention in the last 12 months. It’s designed to fit the 40mm PRX models in both the Powermatic 80 and quartz variants and is priced at £59. It has a flowing, smooth design in multiple colours such as olive green, black, orange, blue, ice blue (perfect for the PRX of the same colour) and white. Since the PRX comes on an integrated style strap, it’s fairly rare to see alternatives, meaning Wristbuddys are one of the few options you have to add a sense of personalisation.

Shop Now

Curved Rubber FKM Strap for Moonswatch, £45

Arguably the collection that really started to kick off Wristbuddys’ surge in popularity was their curved rubber strap for the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch. The MoonSwatch has a reputation for having a fairly poor strap and as such, many collectors began searching for alternatives. The brightly coloured Curved strap is perfectly positioned to pair with the equally colourful MoonSwatch and became an instant hit for the brand. Especially at the nice and accessible price of £45.

Shop Now

Of course, while many of their straps are designed with specific models in mind, they’re perfectly suitable for any watch that can fit their dimensions such as Zeniths, Tudors or other models not mentioned here like the Omega Seamaster. In fact, Tudor is particularly relevant because Wristbuddys has teased that one of their upcoming collections will be dedicated to the BB58. So keep an eye out.

More details at Wristbuddys.

​Oracle Time 

Read More 

G-Shock is releasing more gaming inspired watches with the Aim High Series including the DW-B5600AH-6, GA-2100AH-6A, and GA-B001AH-6A. These models have polarized purple and greenish colors with a gleaming appearance that changes depending on the angle of view. The purple color of the bezel and band gradates to the greenish color near the end of […]

​G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog 

Read More 

The Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Manufacture was a hit when it launched earlier this year. But don’t take my word for it, it was you the Oracle Time community who nominated as one of the best dress watches of the year in our awards – there’s still time to vote until October 31st. Now Frederique Constant are doubling down on its success by releasing the Classic Tourbillon Meteorite Manufacture which introduces a dial that’s quite literally out of this world.

Ok, that last sentence was perhaps toeing the line on cheesiness, but it was also factually accurate. The 0.5mm thick dial is made from a disc of actual meteorite that fell to Earth in Gibeon, Namibia. It displays the signature Widmanstätten pattern of striations and lines common to meteorites with high iron concentrations. It looks awesome and is protected by a ruthenium coating that emphasises the grey tones and protects the surface from oxidation.

I like how the straight lines of the meteorite almost blend in with the long, angular hour markers around the edge of the dial. Although what really draws the eye is the tourbillon located at 6 o’clock. It’s part of the Manufacture FC-980 Tourbillon movement that Frederique Constant introduced back in 2008. It’s automatic with a 38-hour power reserve and is celebrated for being competitively priced for a Swiss tourbillon – £12,750 for the previous steel editions.

However, don’t expect a price like that for the Classic Tourbillon Meteorite Manufacture because the 39mm diameter case is made entirely of polished platinum. That’s a pretty dramatic step up from its steel and gold predecessors in terms of luxury value. No surprise then that the piece is priced at €42,995 (approx. £37,300).

While that price alone would make the watch exclusive, it’s also a limited edition of just 35 pieces. I really like the watch. It manages to take the extremely reserved and classical design of the Tourbillon Manufacture and turn it up to 11 without losing sight of what made the watch popular in the first place. The meteorite adds an intriguing pattern without overwhelming the display and the platinum is luxurious without being gaudy thanks to its sleek silver colour. A well-executed hyper-luxe take on the design.

​Oracle Time 

Read More 

Whether they’re set in an elegant engagement ring or splashed liberally across an oversized watch case, there’s nothing like a diamond. Whether that’s because of their value, their glimmering attraction or their position as an unequivocal symbol of love, they’re precious stones in more ways than one. And yet, how we get them is often a lot less precious. Historically, diamonds have been mined, sourced and traded in less than savoury ways.

Blood diamonds funding warlords, exploitative production practices, the way we can get them can be both environmentally and socially destructive, with each mined diamond releasing up to 500kg of greenhouse gasses into the environment – a far cry from the symbol of love they often are. These days 1 in 3 mined diamonds come from Russia, which if you care about global politics is enough to make you think twice. But what if there was a way to  create a diamond and not just leave the environment unharmed, but actively help it? It sounds too good to be true, but that’s precisely the magic behind Skydiamond.

First, it’s worth asking what a diamond actually is. After all, it’s just layers of carbon, lined up in a specific way. How you get there is obviously different, whether it’s millions of years of underground pressure or grown in a lab, but the concept is the same, taking carbon and transforming it into something beautiful. At the same time, in case you hadn’t noticed, we have a problem with too much carbon in the atmosphere. So, why not take it from there?

This is the concept Dale Vince OBE, an entrepreneur and environmentalist you might better know as ‘Labour’s Green Knight’, struck upon while thinking of the most permanent way of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon. After all, nothing’s harder than diamond and, with the preciousness associated with the stones, there’s an innate value to the final result. Given that 36 percent of engaged men proposed with lab-grown diamonds last year, there’s also the demand.

And so, Skydiamond was founded in 2022. It’s not just a carbon-neutral production method, but it’s actively carbon negative, something the rest of the process adheres to – and it’s an incredibly cool process to boot.

Once the carbon dioxide has been taken from the atmosphere, it’s liquified and purified. Water is then split into oxygen and hydrogen via electrolysis, with the latter being combined with the C02 to make methane. This gas is then fed into a reactor where it’s subjected to temperatures of 900 – 1,200 degrees Celsius in balls of plasma. The whole thing takes around 14 days to produce a diamond, using nothing but solar and wind power.

Now, granted there’s only a small amount of carbon trapped in each diamond. They’re incredibly dense, but not massive – a couple grammes are used to see each stone. But the fact remains that it’s carbon being captured and, perhaps more importantly, eliminating the need for mining. Why wreck the planet when you can have your diamond and wear it? Sure, there’s a certain stigma attached to lab-grown and non-mined diamonds, but that’s something we should be actively changing. When there’s no physical difference (Skydiamonds are graded and certified in exactly the same way as ‘natural’ stones) and it’s a choice between destructive and positive, there’s not much of a choice.

Diamonds have always been a symbol of love and forever shall they remain. But Skydiamond as a concept illustrates that you can represent your love, while loving the planet at the same time. If that’s not a win-win scenario, then nothing is. And maybe, just maybe, Skydiamond can lead the way to a better, more sustainable approach to diamonds as a whole.

More details at Skydiamond.

​Oracle Time 

Read More 

It looks like the G-Shock Mudman GW-9500 may be taking the place of the Rangeman GW-9400 when it comes to collaborations with the environmental group Earthwatch. The latest Earthwatch edition for the Love The Sea And The Earth limited series for 2023 is the GW-9500KJ-3JR, which is inspired by the endangered Fiji banded iguana. The […]

​G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog 

Read More 

The one-of-one Dream Project #2 G-Shock G-D001 will be auctioned for charity in New York in December. Casio officially announced the Dream Project #2 G-Shock G-D001 for the G-Shock 40th Anniversary. As reported earlier, the watch is a one-of-one limited edition model that was created with the help of AI. The development team used a […]

​G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog 

Read More 

Over the years that he’s been a public figure, David Beckham’s style has changed drastically and frequently. From long hair and a bandana to a shaved head and tattoos, he’s always been on the leading edge of what’s popular – and still is if the recent Netflix documentary BECKHAM is anything to judge by –these are the watches in David Beckham’s watch collection that have supported him on his style journey.

The early part of Beckham’s career can be summed up with one brand: Jacob & Co. It’s a go to for rappers and popstars when it comes to wristcandy and it’s no surprise that Beckham caught the itch too, hanging out with the likes of the Spice Girls and his wife Victoria. The Global 3 and the Five Time Zone as well as pieces from the Epic collection have all found a place on his wrist over the years. They’re all super flashy with bold colours, jewels a plenty and a playful attitude that epitomise his early career when he was developing his skills and dead ball prowess.

After years of being the pretty boy of football, Beckham’s style took its first major turn. He inked up, getting his now famous tattoos and becoming a bit of a rebel. His personal style was getting wilder, more ambitious and more roguish and his watch game was going the same way too. He had watches from several superstar brands but the one that dominated was Rolex. A Daytona, a Yacht-Master II, a Day-Date and more have all been in his collection over the years. He’s also seen wearing a yellow gold Yacht-Master Ref. 16628 as a young man in the first episode of the Netflix documentary.

However, his most frequent companion has been the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea – an absolute monster of a diver with 12,800 foot water resistance, equivalent to a depth of 3900m. The extreme specs are upheld by the movement as well – the Rolex Manufacture 3235 has a 70-hour power-reserve and an accuracy of +2/-2 seconds per day. Not to mention that Beckham’s model has been customised by the Bamford Watch Department, transforming it into a seriously cool blacked-out stealth version in keeping with his tattoos.

The recent years of Beckham’s life have been dominated by social responsibility: he is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, an advocate for Malaria No More and runs his own foundations. It marks another change in his style: tailored suits and a seat in the royal box at Wimbledon – the epitome of charm and sophistication.

His statesman-like approach to life is also reflected in his wristwear, becoming a brand ambassador for Tudor in 2017. He is frequently seen wearing the Tudor Black Bay Bronze, a 43mm diameter diving chronometer with a bronze-coloured PVD treated case and a satin finish. It’s far more subtle than most of the watches we’ve looked at in his collection yet still fits his personality and personal preferences, it really is a pairing made in heaven. It also accompanied him on his aforementioned trip to the Wimbledon Royal Box this summer.

Also in his collection is the Tudor Heritage Chrono Blue in steel, a cool 42mm diameter chrono that’s much more down to Earth. It’s a bit more conventionally sporty than the divers in his collection with a 45-minute totaliser at 9 o’clock, small seconds at 3 and a date function at 6. It has strong vintage credentials, inspired by emblematic Tudor chronos of the early 1970s. However, the overall look of it is perhaps a little too busy for some people’s taste, although Beckham pulls it off really well.

A particularly popular Tudor spotted in his wrist is the Black Bay Chrono released in 2021. The high contrast, reverse panda dial is unequivocally cool, especially paired with David’s plain white tee, as seen on his Instagram. The Black Bay Chrono is absolutely the perfect watch for him, it combines his love for divers with a sportier, chronograph edge that suits his sporting personality. Not to mention the stainless steel case matches the flecks of steel that are starting to appear in his hair.

In recent weeks Beckham has been embracing his role as owner of Inter Miami CF over in the states, attending games and promoting the team. Which let’s be honest has been a lot easier to do now that the eyes of the world have finally turned towards American Major League Soccer since Lionel Messi joined the team this summer.

In support of his team Beckham has repeatedly been seen wearing his custom Tudor Pelagos Inter Miami that was produced for him in 2020. A steel Black Bay with black dial and the Inter Miami logo at 6 o’clock.

It’s safe to say that Beckham’s promotion into a fully-fledged silver fox isn’t far off, but it’s a change that suits him, just like his role as a spokesperson for social justice. Sure we all remember the crazy styles of his youth and his notorious appearance in the Pepsi commercial, however, it finally feels like Beckham is someone to take seriously and nothing shows that better than his ever improving watch collection. If you need any further proof, check out his Patek Philippe Grand Complications Celestial ref. 6102P.

​Oracle Time 

Read More 

What was the last watch you bought?

The last watch I got was the Unimatic U4 Classic with a custom dial featuring the King Nerd logo below the 12 o’clock marker. I’ve always liked the quality of the Unimatic watches and I already had a couple. The guys were very kind and put the King Nerd logo on the dial and sent me the U4 after I helped them create the 1/1 bronze “William Tell” watch we did together with Massena Lab for the Phillips watch auction. The watch sold for nearly £13,000.

Do you collect anything outside of watches?

I collect comics, toys, sneakers, coffee table books and some football shirts. I’m basically still a big kid at heart and would argue the moment you stop loving toys and comics, you become very grumpy. I’m pretty grumpy already, especially in the mornings!

What’s at the top of your wishlist?

Whether I’ll ever be able to afford one remains to be seen, also whether I’d even have the confidence to wear it out is another, but if I had both those things I’d choose the Vacheron Constantin 222. I’ve always loved that watch, it’s in my top three watches ever. The 222 has the most perfect connection between the bracelet and watch case ever, it flows so perfectly together and from a design point of view it’s perfect. Believe it or not though, of all the watches I’ve been lucky to either see in person or try on, I’ve never tried on a 222, so whether it’s as good on my wrist remains to be seen.

What is a recent find or discovery?

I recently found a “Metropolitan Police War Instructions” book from 1939 in a charity shop. It was only for inspectors and sergeants and featured all details of what to do if there was a war. It’s a piece of history and really interesting. I always find these kinds of things interesting, moments in time that fascinate me. The past is out of our control, the same way space and sea fascinate me; they can’t be controlled either and we have no real power over them.

What inspires you?

Most things inspire me. People, nature and anything to do with design really. It’s a hard question to answer because I feel like I get inspired by so many different things. I guess I see myself most inspired when I focus on something in particular. So, if I’m working on the designs for a motorbike collaboration, I get my inspiration from the people who buy this particular bike first, then the place the model of bike is used most, the city it’s used most in, the people, who they are, what they like and what I think they would like as a design on the bike they love and ride every day.

My mind then tends to run through a thousand really unorganised ideas I’ve had in the past. I try to picture these ideas on a bike or shoe, or whatever the project is, and from there I write a few notes and draw the idea in my mind before throwing the best few ideas I think would work onto paper and working from there. It’s a very, very unorganised way of working, but it seems to be the only way I know how to work.

What is a book, podcast or album that changed the way you think?

Again this is hard for me to answer. If I think of an album then Thriller made my imagination run wild at an early age because it came with such ground-breaking videos and timeless music, it was something I had never seen or heard before. Nas’ Illmatic album also did this, it’s basically a book describing 90s New York but in music form, possibly the greatest hip-hop album of all time. As far as books go, I’d say Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, mainly because it got my imagination going and also made me fall in love with Blade Runner and sci-fi in general.

Who is a celebrity or person of note that you admire?

I can’t think of any one person specifically, but I like Stephen Fry, he seems pretty cool and I could probably listen to him talk all day. Louis Theroux also seems like a nice person and very interesting. David Attenborough, too. I’d love to spend time with him, he’s definitely an inspiring, amazing person. That man has literally seen the world twice over and all its most beautiful things. The likes of Jay-Z, DJ Premier and KRS-One, to name a few, are idols of mine and people I really admire, too.

What is your ideal long weekend?

My ideal weekend could be many things, but off the top of my head I’m thinking maybe listening to music by a pool somewhere in Italy or strolling around Venice drinking Campari Spritz all day.

What would we always find in your fridge?

Erm, apart from all the usual things like milk and bread (yes, I keep bread in the fridge). The things you’ll always find in my fridge are dark chocolate, cappers, jalapeños, palm hearts, oat milk, chorizo and sparkling water.

What is a rule or mantra that you live by?

I don’t know if I have one, but in an ideal world I like the idea of everyone being kind to each other. A little bit of kindness can change someone’s whole day in a good way.

What does the year ahead look like for you?

A couple more cool releases with my friends over at Leica, a bike collaboration I can’t mention just yet and a project with a whiskey brand.

​Oracle Time 

Read More 

As its superb Spirit Zulu Time last year showed, Longines has a surprising pedigree in GMT watches. It has been doing dual time zone timekeepers for going on a century, if predominantly for use as cockpit instruments – which, honestly, is the place that makes the most sense for it. If you’re regularly crossing meridians these days, you’re going to be doing it by plane.

That hasn’t stopped dive watches getting in on the action, ubiquitous as they are, and Dive- GMTs have become a niche though well-represented sub-genre of wider ocean-dwelling watches. So, it’s not too much of a surprise to see that Longines has now jumped right in with its new HydroConquest GMT.

The HydroConquest is the most modern of all Longines watches, its answer to the pricier Submariners and Seamasters of the world. In fact, it pretty much nails the archetype, with a rugged 41mm stainless steel case, unidirectional rotating bezel and 300m water resistance, offering a professional, ISO-standard tool watch. It’s all relatively formulaic in conception, which is no bad thing given the stringent necessities of an actual dive watch.

That formula has also left Longines plenty of room to offer a bit more variance throughout the collection, with plenty of different coloured dials and bi-colour options aplenty. Until now though, it had no complications, keeping true to the utilitarian vibe it’s designed for – which, as the addition of the GMT shows, was overdue for a shake-up.

I’m more than happy to see it. At 41mm the HydroConquest is a nicely-sized diver for my wrist and I’m a fan of GMTs in general and Dive-GMTs in particular, pieces like Tudor’s Black Bay GMT. However, where that particular watch sacrifices its diving usefulness for a day-night indicator bezel, the HydroConquest GMT does not. That’s good news for anyone that actually wants to dive with it but makes the functionality a touch less intuitive for anyone that doesn’t.

Colourwise, there are four different variations that are all very Longines. The blue and black are relatively standard in the pantheon of dive watch colours, with a few orange red highlights to make the black more interesting. As if to signal that these are the more old-school divers, they both come on rubber straps along with the bracelets. Not so the other two.

The other versions are a gorgeous chocolate brown and this, Longines’ answer to the Hulk in its signature olive green and a black bezel. These two feel a bit more vintage, not just in their lovely colours, but in the fact that they come on military style NATO straps instead of rubber. I much prefer this look, and the green and black is by far the standout of the collection, in large part because of the gilt indexes and handset. The gold and green combo is always a good one and the black bezel sets it apart from the rest of the collection in the best possible way.

On the wrist, that sunray green catches the light magnificently, sometimes almost black, sometimes light olive, always a distinctive shade of green a mile away from the more common (and somewhat overplayed) forest of emerald hues, perfectly complemented by the green NATO. It also feels great on. 41mm is my upper limit for size, but the lugs aren’t too long, meaning it sits well.

The crown protector is chunky without being an imposition and, surprisingly, the HydroConquest GMT is actually thinner than the Zulu Time at 12.9mm thick. All of that makes it a great everyday watch, as much as the inclusion of a GMT function.

Speaking of, it’s worth noting that it’s a true GMT, with an independently adjustable local time hour hand, rather than an independently adjustable GMT hand. Your preference comes down to how you use it; if you stay at home but have meetings with other territories, an office GMT is perfect. If you actually travel regularly, like I do, being able to quickly adjust local time when you land as in true GMTs like this is way better.

Of course, there’s more to the calibre L844 than that. Longines has been a proponent of silicon balance springs for years, ever since ETA started cornering the market on the things. Paired with a few more non-magnetic components, it has serious antimagnetic properties. Put it this way: if your watch isn’t resistant, you may need to get hold of a CRT monitor from a charity shop. It also has a weekend-proof 72-hour power reserve, which is nothing short of impressive at this price point.

The HydroConquest GMT on its bracelet will set you back £2,650. Sure, that’s more than Mido’s conceptually similar offering (Mido being a Swatch Group sibling of Longines that for some daft reason we don’t get here in the UK), but the quality here easily justifies the price. Hell, I’d stack it up against a fair few watches that are a lot more expensive. I won’t name names, but you know what I mean.

​Oracle Time 

Read More 

New for October are a handful of fashion-oriented G-Shock colorways and three Precious Heart Selection pairs (including one Baby-G model). The jewelry-inspired GM-S5600BC-1 (right) and GM-S2100BC-1A (left) have a 3D textured bezel with soft curves, which is the result of a special forging process of the stainless steel bezel. These are smaller models with black […]

​G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog 

Read More