Category: News

We’ve already talked a lot about this year’s edition of Only Watch, the charity auction of 1-of-1 special edition watches raising money for Muscular Dystrophy research. We’ve talked about the most outrageous watches being sold, we’ve talked about some of the highlights like the Tudor Prince, we’ve even talked about the UK equivalent EveryWatch. Through it all though, we’ve been waiting for one final watch to be announced for the auction and now it’s here. The H. Moser & Cie x MB&F Streamliner Pandamonium for Only Watch 2023.

This is the second time that H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F have collaborated on a watch and for this piece, what we have is essentially an MB&F LM housed within the H. Moser Streamliner case. That means structurally it has a 42.3mm diameter design with an integrated bracelet and a sweeping shape inspired by historic streamliner trains from America.

The complication on display is a minute repeater with a flying balance wheel and double hair spring. As a fun touch, where the chiming gong and hammers are located at 10 o’clock, a miniature panda sculpture is present, sculpted as if it’s using the complication as a set of DJ decks. Hence the name Pandamonium, a pun based on the words pandemonium meaning large noise and well… a panda. Forming the base of the dial is an aquamarine fumé gradient.

A dial side chiming complication wristwatch with an exposed mechanism and a blue dial – where have I heard that description before? Ah, that would be the Christopher Ward Bel Canto, and actually the Pandamonium is having a similar amount of positive feedback online as the Bel Canto did when it was originally announced. Although there are obviously some major differences based on the fact that the Streamliner Pandamonium is a true minute repeater with a price estimated at £300k+ while the Bel Canto is an adapted jumping hours module and highly accessible at less than £3,500.

Is the H. Moser & Cie x MB&F Streamliner Pandamonium the best watch from Only Watch 2023? It’s not out of the question, although personally I still prefer some of the more colourful entrants like the Grönefeld Mandala. And ultimately it’s not really a question of it being the best when what matters is that it’s another great watch raising money for important research.

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It’s wristwatch award season at the moment and the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, also known as the GPHG, has announced their short list for 2023. They’ve gone for the ‘expert panel making decisions behind closed doors’ approach, but hey, so do the Oscars via the Academy. At Oracle Time we prefer a more open, community focussed awards, which is why for the Oracle Time Watch Awards 2023 we’re asking you, our readers, to nominate in the Reader’s Shortlist Pre-Selection and lastly vote for your favourites later this year. For now though, let’s take a quick look at the GPHG shortlist.

Rather than go through the entire shortlist (which you can view on their website) let’s focus on a few of the key watches that have been nominated. First of which, we simply have to mention one the British brands who have been included. Studio Underd0g’s Watermel0n chronograph has been nominated in the Challenge category, which is the section for watches with a price below CHF 2,000. The £500 Watermel0n certainly qualifies and even just a quick search on watch retail platforms like Chrono24 will show just how popular this watch is, commanding pre-owned prices of £700 – £1,200. In fact, at a recent EveryWatch charity auction a 1-of-1 blue colourway known as the Blueberry sold for £16,000.

Studio Underd0g isn’t the only British interest in the awards because in the Petite Aiguille category, for watches priced CHF 2,000 – CHF 8,000, is the Christopher Ward Bel Canto (read our review here). It has stiff competition from the likes of the Tudor Black Bay and Bulgari Octo Roma Automatic but I actually think it has a really good chance of winning. It caused a real stir when it was released because quite frankly no one had ever seen a chiming complication watch for £3,000 before.

Other prominent watches to look out for in the nominations include the Tag Heuer Carrera, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The Parmigiani Tonda PF Minute Repeater Rattrapante, which was the darling of Watches and Wonders back in spring. And last but by no means least, the Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon, which is just one of my personal favourite watches from the last 12 months.

If you want to see any of the nominated watches in the metal, they’ll be taking part in a world tour from September – December taking in Macao, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, New York, Geneva, Dubai and Zurich. Sadly no trip to London this time around.

More details at GPHG.

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On a recent trip to Singapore, I was shocked at how expensive the hotels are now but pleasantly surprised to find that there are many independent watch stores where you can purchase G-Shock and Casio watches at big discounts. Unlike some of the stores in Hong Kong, the stores mentioned here do not carry imported […]

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These days keeping track of all the terminology surrounding the use of carbon in watchmaking is all but impossible. Carbon fibre, forged carbon, carbon composite, carbotech, carbon tpt and Girard-Perregaux’s new carbon 8tech are all variants of carbon material used in watches. Each with features that make them distinct from each other despite broadly having similar properties of being light weight and tough. For now, let’s forget about all the many variants and focus solely on GP’s 8Tech, which is making its debut in the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph 8Tech.

The Laureato Absolute Chronograph is probably one you’ll be familiar with, especially if you’re a fan of motorsport since there was an Aston Martin F1 edition last year. It’s essentially GP’s high-spec version of the Laureato in high-performance materials. So no surprise that it’s the model that they’re using to introduce 8Tech.

8Tech is produced from carbon fibres combined with titanium powder arranged in extremely thin layers placed atop each other to create stacks that are then cut into octagonal shapes. Its this octagonal element that gives it the name 8Tech. The octagons are then placed into mould and heated and subjected to pressure to create a solid block from which the case components are then milled, final refinements being done by hand.

The result is a 44mm diameter case in the signature Laureato design consisting of a tonneau body with integrated rubber strap and an octagonal bezel. On the righthand side you can also see the crown and chunky chronograph pushers. The texture of the material is visually stunning, similar to that of the recent CarbonGold Bulgaris. A smoky, misty miasma of grey and black shifting tones that almost look like the veins in marble.

Inspired by this monochromatic colour scheme, the sandwich dial itself is also a combination of grey and black featuring a grey fumé gradient that fades to black around the periphery. The display features central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds with a date window offset between 4 o’clock and 5 as well as a tricompax arrangement of chronograph counters. Those counters are a 30-minute timer at 9 o’clock, a 12-hour timer at 6 o’clock and small seconds at 3.

Powering the chronograph is the Calibre GP03300-1058, an automatic movement with a 46-hour power reserve. You can see it through the sapphire exhibition caseback which has been given a smoked tint making the movement appear black like the rest of the watch. It’s a cool effect that helps to tie the whole piece together whatever angle you view it from.

The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph 8Tech is a solid showcase of their advanced materials and I like its stealthy, technical appearance. Admittedly when it comes to curating a watch collection I would opt for a regular Laureato in steel nine times out of ten, largely due to the Absolute’s large sizing. Also, there’s the price, as the Absolute 8Tech is £22,700 compared to the sub £10k of a metallic option.

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It’s been an exciting couple of days for black and gold watches. Just yesterday, Doxa introduced the Sub 300β, and today, Bulgari has launched the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic and Perpetual Calendar. The pair of watches are redesigns of the record breaking ultra-thin watches from 2017 and 2021 respectively, reimagining them in new materials and striking colours. Let’s kick things off with the Automatic.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic looks pretty spectacular. The facetted case is made from high tech anthracite carbon with an organic, swirling pattern to it familiar to types of forged carbon. To my eye this is one of the most pronounced examples around, with a relatively strong contrast between the lighter grey swirls and the darker black ones. It almost looks like an emulsion that hasn’t been mixed properly or maybe even marble, like the tourbillon edition they produced for Only Watch.

Adding a layer of luxury to the piece are the rose gold hour markers, hands and crown. The carbon and gold colourway is by no means a new one for Bulgari, they first visited the concept back in 1993, when their expertise as a jewellery brand gave them everything needed to experiment with various material combinations.

As for the CarbonGold Automatic specifically, it has a 40mm diameter and a thickness of 6.9mm. That means it’s actually a little thicker than the 5.15mm record watch from 2017, which has been caused by the fact that Bulgari (more or less) took a titanium version of that watch and applied the carbon composite on top. Inside, it houses the Calibre BVL 138, a self-winding, ultra-thin movement with a 60-hour power reserve and hour, minute and small seconds functions. It’s priced at £25,000.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar

Joining the time-only automatic edition is the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar, based on the much more recent 2021 Perpetual Calendar version. It has the same carbon style case and dial as the automatic just with the additional subdials and scales of the perpetual calendar that makes the pattern seem more densely packed.

With regards to the specifics of the perpetual calendar, it’s powered by the BVL 305 automatic movement with 60-hour power reserve. It features hours, minutes, retrograde date, days, months and retrograde leap year indicators. And, putting the perpetual in its name, it won’t need adjusting until the year 2100, assuming it’s kept wound.

Of the two watches here, this one has the more prestigious complication by several orders of magnitude and as such is price on enquiry. However, if I had to choose between the pair, I wouldn’t dismiss the Automatic outright due to its cleaner appearance and classier display.

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The Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto is quite simply lovely. A 41.5mm integrated bracelet sports watch with a gentle fumé dial and a gorgeous display. Now, for 2023, the model is being given a revamp in the form of the new Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 40 Serie Atelier V, a colourful reimagining of the watch.

First, let’s clear up any misconceptions. While the model is called the Sport Auto 40, it’s not 40mm, instead remaining 41.5mm like its predecessor. The 40 in its name actually comes from the Porsche 935 Turbo No. 40, the car that Laurent Ferrier himself drove in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1979, coming an astonishing third. The new edition of the watch is a complete tribute to that car, freshly draped in its racing livery.

What that means is the Sport Auto 40 has a viridian green dial, a fuchsia pink crosshair, orange SuperLuminova and a white small seconds subdial emblazoned with the number 40. It’s an unusual combination of colours on a watch and instantly makes it stand out as something special. It’s also unusual for Laurent Ferrier who are known for their fairly traditional colour palette that centres around blue, black and salmon in the vein of the Grand Sport Tourbillon. Last year’s Serie Atelier in magnetic green was pretty daring by their standards and the Sport Auto 40 goes well beyond that.

While it’s objectively the most outlandish colourway they’ve ever produced, we then come to the subjective question of whether it’s actually a good one. The orange and green combination works really well, especially with the dark grey of the hands and hour markers. Its sporty and bright. I’m less keen about the pink crosshair, it feels like one colour too many and the light tone means it’s actually very easy to overlook. If it were black or grey, it would stand out more and add to impact of the design.

I understand that it’s a nod to the livery of the car, but maybe there was a better way to work the colour into the piece. I half wonder if making the 40 marking on the subdial fuchsia would look cool. Simultaneously making its presence on the subdial more noticeable while also highlighting the colour at the same time. Then again, that might look horrible. Regardless of any tweaks you might personally make, it’s honestly great to see an haute horology maison like Laurent Ferrier have a bit of fun with their designs.

As for structure, the Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 40 Serie Atelier V has a titanium case in the signature cushion shape with satin brushed bezel. It houses the LF270.01 automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve and featuring hour, minute, small second and date functions. Nothing too revolutionary here as expected of an alternative colourway.

Ultimately, the Sport Auto 40 is a cool addition to the line-up and it’ll be interesting to see what colourways Laurent Ferrier explore in future. The watch is priced at CHF 51,000 (approx. £45,825) and will be appropriately limited to only 40 pieces.

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Casio is now offering a limited time restoration service for first generation G-Shock Frogman DW-6300 watches in Japan. The service replaces the bezel, band, and battery. The replacement bezel and band will be the color of the DW-6300-1A for all models sent in. The service also includes replacements for screws, spring bars, and the o-ring. […]

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Recently Oris have been swinging for the fences with bold designs and bright colours with watches like the Kermit and Cotton Candy Divers. Now though, they’re taking things at a slower pace, focusing on elegant design with the new Artelier S collection. The Artelier name might not be one you’re super familiar with but it is technically an Oris core range, you just need to scroll past even the Rectangular to find the handful of watches that comprise it (on closer inspection those watches aren’t even being stocked at time of writing).

The new Artelier S offers a svelte look at the collection with a smaller 38mm case in stainless steel. It’s in keeping with the current trend we’re seeing across a huge number of brands of downsizing models back to vintage style, sub-40mm dimensions. It works particularly well for the Artelier S considering that it’s the closest thing Oris have to a dress watch.

A large part of that dressy aesthetic comes from the dial, which is very minimal and refined. It’s a very minimalist dial, although I mean that with respects to the fact that it’s very understated rather than the signature minimalist style of brands like Nomos Glashütte. It has thin hands, small indexes and only decoration (if you can even call it that) is the brand logo at 12 o’clock and “Swiss Made” inscription at 6. It really lets the sunray brushed dial, which is available in black or forest green, sing.

Beneath the surface of the Oris Artelier S is the Oris Calibre 733 automatic. With its 38-hour power reserve I don’t think it will surprise anyone to learn that it’s base Sellita SW200-1. It’s the same movement that previous editions of the Artelier used.

Presented on a leather strap, the Artlier S is priced at £1,600. It’s nice to see Oris tackle a different aesthetic for once, putting their usual tool watch vibe to one side and focussing on understated elegance. In that regard I really like the Artelier S as it’s something a bit different to what we’re used to and looks good. Although at the current price without an in-house movement, it won’t be my first choice for an accessible dress watch.

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Doxa are no strangers to black colourways with their Sub 300 Carbon collection, however the new Doxa Sub 300β Sharkhunter takes the idea of a sleek black watch to a new level. It combines a black ceramic case with gold accents and a golden bezel, a first for Doxa, to create the most urban, street cool Doxa in a while. The idea behind it being that as the 300β or “300 Beta” it goes further beyond their traditional tool watch remit, it’s a tool watch+.

Structurally, it’s very similar to the existing Sub 300 range, which is no surprise. Although it is technically a slight bit slimmer with dimensions of 42.5 x 44.5 x 11.95mm compared to the Sub 300 Carbon at 42 x 45 x 13.4mm. The main alteration in size comes from the updated bezel on the Sub 300β, which has been redesigned to allow the watch to slip beneath a cuff easily, leaning into the idea that this is a Doxa for the city as much as the water. Worth pointing out that with 300m water resistance, it sacrifices none of its robustness for this new, sleeker appearance.

Speaking of appearance, it is incredibly sleek with the black ceramic case providing a perfectly smooth surface that contrasts to the matte grained dial. Plus, the text and numerals across the dial, bezel and date window are tone-on-tone black for that properly stealth, blacked out visual. Admittedly it does rather compromise the legibility of the piece, particularly for the dual depth and time scales of the bezel.

Of course, you can’t really describe this watch as genuinely stealth or full black because of the golden elements. The external bezel ring, crown and applied hour markers are all made from gold, giving a luxurious twist to a brand who are predominantly known for rugged utility such as the Doxa Army. I’m in two minds about whether I like it or not. On the one hand it feels like a fresh direction for the brand but on the other hand, is it the right direction?

With brands like Oris, Ralf Tech, Omega and Rolex all racing to the bottom of the ocean, it feels like Doxa are conspicuously absent from the ultra-deep conversation despite being well positioned to be a prominent player. I’d rather see a sub-3,000m Doxa than an urban one. Ultimately that’s a different issue than the one at hand, which is the Sub 300β Sharkhunter.

Priced at £6,950 it’s not exactly the most accessible Doxa around, being close to double the cost of the Sub 300 Carbon. That jump in price is almost entirely down to the materials and while ceramic and gold are prestigious, I’m not sure they’re double-price worthy. Especially when it houses the same movement as the rest of the Sub 300 collection, a 38-hour power reserve piece speculated to be an ETA 2824-2.

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Earlier this year we had the opportunity to talk to Ludwig Oechslin about, among other things, the origins of the use of silicon in watchmaking. An innovation that he was at the spearhead of when working on the original Ulysse Nardin Freak. One of Ulysse Nardin’s subsequent collections, the Blast Free Wheel, was designed to pay tribute to the material’s importance by having a skeletonised display that put the technology front and centre. Now, Ulysse Nardin have launched a new, metiers d’art version of that watch called the Blast Free Wheel Marquetry.

Marquetry is traditionally a technique used in woodwork, a form of seamless tiling using thin slivers to create a mosaic-like pattern. You can see traditional marquetry on watches like the Louis Erard Excellence. However, Ulysse Nardin have put their own twist on the metiers d’art technique by moving away from wood and using silicon as their material of choice. This is a style they first introduced in 2019 with the Freak X and it’s nice to see it make its way to some of their less well known collections.

In terms of style, the silicon marquetry has a blue colourway with various shades and a combination of contrasting matte and mirror surfaces as well as two different thicknesses. It gives it a hyper modern appearance that reminds me of a high-tech circuit board. It’s a cool look emphasised by the futuristic design of the Blast Free Wheel with its 45mm white gold case with pronounced facets and sapphire crystal sides.

Getting into the display: at 12 o’clock you have the decorated barrel providing a 7-day power reserve, at 3 is the winding wheel, at 4 is the unique power reserve indicator, at 6 is the tourbillon. Along the lefthand portion of the dial are various wheels and gears and lastly in the centre are the hour and minute hands. A complex ode to haute horology. The movement is called the UN-176 Manufacture manual.

This is one of the coolest non-Freak Ulysse Nardin releases I’ve seen in a while. It looks cool, the movement is impressive and the case design is bonkers. What more could you want? As for the price tag, it sits at £120,670, so while I admire it, I have a dramatically higher chance of picking up a Freak.

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