Casio America announced the release dates for the G-Shock DWE5600UD-1 collaboration with Los Angeles streetwear boutique and clothing brand Undefeated. On May 9, the watch will be available at select Global Undefeated Chapter Stores and undefeated.com. (International shipping is available at undefeated.com.) On May 16, it will also be sold at the G-Shock Soho Store […]
G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog
The Streamliner isn’t technically a new collection for Briston as it already exists in the form of the Urban and Gentleman Driver. However, the new Streamliner Kennedy does completely reimagine the model with an updated case and fresh aesthetic. Instead of a 1970s inspired sports watch, the Streamliner Kennedy takes us back to the 1930s.
Unsurprisingly the jump from the 70s to the 30s has a large aesthetic impact on the watch, not least in terms of case shape. Where the Streamliner has previously been exclusively a cushion case design with exposed screws, it’s now square with a brushed steel core and tortoise shell acetate flanks. It’s designed to evoke images of early-mid-century America, as epitomised by the figure of JFK. Suave, refined and elegant without being ostentatious. That’s also where the name Streamliner comes from, which was an aesthetic movement connected with American Art Deco influences.
There are four versions of the Streamliner Kennedy being produced, each with their own case dimensions. The largest edition is the 38.5mm quartz chronograph, joined by a mechanical, automatic version at 36mm and two more quartz numbers at 30mm and 25mm respectively for more feminine wrists (those last two medium and small models also have options for gold PVD bezels). All four versions have a lapis lazuli cabochon crown, which is located at 3 o’clock for the chronograph and 12 for the remaining time-only options.
Each of the variants is available with a choice of two dials, either black or white. Both are classic colours in Art Deco watches from the likes of Cartier and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Though of course the Briston offers that style at a far more wallet friendly price. Building on that are the combination of Roman and Arabic numerals, making for a distinctive arrangement of markers. The chronograph model goes even further with a railway track minute scale and matching chronograph subdials.
As mentioned, the chronograph, medium and small editions of the Briston Streamliner Kennedy are powered by quartz movements. The larger (by modest standards) 36mm automatic though is powered by the Miyota 9039 with 42-hour power reserve. In addition to being powered by a mechanical movement, I also find this edition being my favourite for other reasons. The three-hand display is nice and clean, highlighting the arrangement of hour numerals, and 36mm leans into the retro sizing inspired by the 30s.
For strap and bracelet options, your choices are virtually limitless. They’re fully compatible with Briston’s existing strap and bracelet options in a range of materials including leather, NATO, steel and more. They come with quick change releases, making swapping between them a matter of a few seconds. As standard the automatic comes on a leather strap, the chrono a rubber one and the two smaller models a NATO.
Pricewise, the automatic €850 (£720), the chrono is €500 (£420), then the medium is €430 or €450 (£360/£380) and the small €370 or €400 (£315/£340) depending on if you opt for the PVD. For a retro watch bordering on sleek Art Deco and sports watch design, that offers some solid value. Makes me want to jump aboard an old-style Streamliner train or retro Greyhound bus and cross the American continent – probably heading towards Cape Canaveral, aka Cape Kennedy.
More details at Briston.
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Affordable tourbillons are becoming ever more common, but a watch that not only incorporates the gravity-defying complication but does so in a way you’d more often associate with the likes of Richard Mille is well worth taking notice of. Blackout Concept’s tonneau-shaped XP1 is made from forged carbon and to call it aesthetically intense is an understatement bordering on insult.
It makes sense. As the name suggests, the watch is a collaborative edition with French footballer Allan Saint-Maximin, so impact is the order of the day. And, with a price tag well under £3,000 for a flying tourbillon, the price-to-impact ratio is off the charts.
Available at Blackout.
The Norwegian, microbrand equivalent of Grand Seiko, Straum’s all about their nature-inspired dials, riffing off the rugged, Scandinavian wilderness. Yet even by their lofty (if accessible) standards, the new Arctic models are stunning. Of the quartet of models, with their nice but standard blues and greens, it’s the Alpine Glow that I find most fascinating.
It’s designed to emulate the sun dipping below the horizon and the combination of soft pink and sky blue is as gorgeous as it is unusual, complete with a linear wave texture that’s to die for.
Available at Straum.
I like colour. That shouldn’t really be a surprise by now. But I’m not sure even I’m as obsessed with it as AISION Design and their incredibly fun CMYK watch. Quick primer: CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black) and represents the framework for every printing colour.
The dial here has a gradient sector of each colour, so they overlap in various ways. The result isn’t a cool colour; it’s all the colours, with different angles showing up different hues. It’s fantastic and worryingly accessible, even with an automatic movement. Impulse buy for summer?
Available at Aision.
Stone dial? Check. Weird, asymmetrical case? Check. Price tag to make an auctioneer hot under the collar? Not so much. While Grandeur’s Dali-inspired melting watch has all the makings of a pricey habit you can’t quit, the Stateside brand’s £1,000 price tag is almost unbelievable.
It’s not just the striking, brown-striated stone or the funky titanium (yes, titanium) case, but the fact that it’s a wandering hours watch. Eight does not, in fact, come before one on most dials. Sure, it’s quartz, but given there’s no second hand, who’d even know?
Available at Grandeur.
Who needs hands when you have circles? Beaubleu’s whimsical approach to watchmaking is as off-kilter Parisian as anything from Hermès and possibly more eye-catching on the wrist. In the Ecce Vesperal, the time is told with a trio of bubble-like ‘hands’ rotating around the centre.
The large blue circle is for seconds, with minutes and hours getting smaller. Paired with the brushed silver dial, it’s a gorgeously minimal, appealingly unique twist on timekeeping that’s accessible enough to be a quintessential impulse buy. You’re unlikely to see another watch like it any time soon.
Available at Beaubleu.
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Six months ago the name Dennison suddenly burst into relevance once again after the heritage case manufacture was revived as a new brand with their debut A.L.D collection. Building on their heritage designing cases for brands including Rolex, Omega and JLC, the A.L.D immediately stood out for its distinctive cushion case created by renowned designer Emmanual Gueit. Now they’re teaming up with Patek Phillipe collectors’ platform Collectability for their debut collaboration, fittingly called the Dennison + Collectability.
If you’re not familiar with Collectability, it’s a platform dedicated to all things related to collecting vintage and pre-owned Pateks. And they really know what they’re talking about as the platform was founded by John Reardon, the former Head of Watches at Christie’s and well known private collector. They position themselves as educators aiming to give collectors the knowledge they need to buy and sell Patek Philippe watches with confidence. It makes a lot of sense for this to be both brands’ first collaborations, sharing an interest in heritage case design with a particular focus on the 1960s and 70s.
The Dennison + Collectability measures 37mm x 33.65mm in stainless steel with that same A.L.D cushion shape from Gueit. There are two versions of the watch available, one in exposed steel and the other with a gold PVD coating. Normally I’m all on board the steel train for its more down to Earth sensibility but here I actually like the luxurious edge of the gold because it works nicely with the rich sunray brushed blue dial.
That dial is actually one of the standout elements of the collaboration. For the first time they’ve added a sector divide with a metallic ring around the central hand stack. The peripheral section being a lighter shade of blue than the centre. It’s not so dramatic as adding indexes or actual timekeeping scales – no, no, that would be far too gauche. On a more serious note, I do like the addition of a bit more structure to the display, it gives you something to bite onto visually instead of wide, flat expanse.
On the whole it’s a very smart dress watch. Another tick in its favour is the fact that all logos are presented on the solid caseback – while Collectability is a cool platform, it’s not exactly a cool word to have on the dial of your watch.
One of the surprising elements of Dennison’s remarkable relaunch is that their watches, so far, have been entirely quartz. The Dennison + Collectability houses the Swiss Ronda Quartz 1062. Yet its still spoken of with the same prestige as an affordable mechanical watch. It just goes to show the power of a good design and the involvement of names like Gueit. Hopefully they will follow the route laid down by Furlan Marri and use their initial quartz success to springboard to mechanical in future – probably a manual movement to maintain the dressy proportions. The Dennison + Collectability is priced at $690 (approx. £520), with a five day pre-order period open from May 6th.
More details at Dennison.
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American rapper and television host Action Bronson teased a collaborative G-Shock release with his Baklava clothing brand. An Instagram post (embedded below) shows the Queens native wearing a G-Shock GA-2100 watch with a translucent brown bezel, black wire screen protector, grid sphere print on the black dial, red-tinted LCD display, and strap adapters with a […]
G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog
There are a lot of big trends in watchmaking that slap you in the face with how all encompassing they are. I’m thinking specifically about integrated steel bracelets about four years ago. However, some are much more low key until you look around and realise they’re suddenly everywhere. That’s the case with pastel dial watches – desaturated versions of classic colours that have a gentle almost fun palette that works well across a range of styles and designs. Here are 6 of our favourites that prove why pastel dials are here to stay.
Released as part of Watches & Wonders this year, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 Pistachio actually became one of the Crown brand’s most talked about releases despite launching an entirely new collection in the Land-Dweller. That’s because its pale shade of green is frankly nice to look at with its soothing tone that contrasts superbly with the bright saturated colours of the existing OP range. They also launched other pastel shades with the Lavendar 28 and Beige 36 – it’s a touch annoying that each colour is locked to a specific size but there are some collectors who don’t need much of an excuse to buy three Rolexes.
More details at Rolex.
Also launched this spring was the Grand Seiko Purple Kiri SBGW323. It has an incredibly pale lilac colour dial with petal style texture inspired by the kiri, the signature flower of Iwate Prefecture. The watch itself is well sized for a sleek dress watch at 36.5mm and houses the manual-winding calibre 9S64, touting a 72-hour power reserve. Under certain lighting conditions the purple colour appears to shift from pastel purple to almost an indigo blue, which is captivating to see.
More details at Grand Seiko.
The Tissot PRX is inescapable. Its 1980s design has become something of a timeless icon with an integrated steel bracelet, eye-catching tapisserie style dial and solid Powermatic 80 movement all wrapped up in an accessible package less than £700. Focussing on the dial, there is a diverse range to choose from but this ice blue is perhaps the collection’s signature and the most sought after alongside the mint green. Ice blue and mint green…well those are both pastel shades.
More details at Tissot.
The Ressence Type 8 Sage Green was actually launched around the same time as the Ice Blue automatic PRX above, March 2023. It’s also the first use I can personally remember of sage green as a shade in the watch industry – before the colour absolutely exploded everywhere both inside the industry and elsewhere across style and lifestyle products. It’s a good reminder that pastel tones don’t have to be bubblegum bright, as it’s actually quite a dark, almost grey shade of green. But it still ticks that pastel box with its desaturated look, emphasised by the slight grainy texture of the finish across the ROCs display.
More details at Ressence.
Another example of a slightly unusual pastel shade is the IWC Portugieser Chronograph with its ‘dune’ coloured dial. While we often think of sand or khaki as a standalone colour in its own right, it’s technically an example of pastel brown, we just don’t tend to think of it in those terms. It was released as part of the 2024 Portugieser soft relaunch alongside the horizon blue models, which could also be considered pastel, featuring calendar, chronograph and automatic models. It would be fun to see a pastel version of the Eternal Calendar that was launched at the same time.
More details at IWC.
As I mentioned in the introduction, the pastel trend has been more of a slow burn across the industry over several years rather than a flash in the pan. Tracing the pastel path back, the watch that really captured attention for being pastel and started the ball rolling is the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy. Debuting in 2021 with bronze cases (which was another trend at the time that has since died down) and some candy tone dials in lipstick pink, sky blue and wild green. They are the pastel archetype colours.
More details at Oris.
The inclusion of the Vulcain Monopusher Heritage Green in this article is something of a happy accident. We originally called the watch in to the studio to be part of an upcoming photoshoot on super bright dials for summer only to discover that in the metal, the colour is much paler than we anticipated. So pale as to be perfect for inclusion in an article on pastel dials. It’s a lime green tone with a sunray brushed finish across the bicompax pulsometer chronograph display. The shiny dial makes to stand apart from the typical matte finishes you tend to see on pastel colours. On the wrist it’s very comfortable with its chunky single-link bracelet.
More details at Vulcain.
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Japanese barbershop chain Mr. Brothers Cut Club celebrated its 10th anniversary at a party on April 25, 2025, at O-EAST in Shibuya, which also saw the pre-release of its first G-Shock collaboration. 300 of the limited edition DW-5600 watches were sold that day, but the watch is also getting a wider release at Mr. Brothers […]
G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog
Xposed London is determined to showcase the depth and breadth of men’s formal fashion, whether for the office, a wedding or party. The double-breasted suit with pinstripe pattern is on the more traditional end of the spectrum in terms of style, though it can be incredibly striking in vibrant shades of blue and red if you so choose. Or a classic grey that’s suitable for multiple functions.
Available at Xposed London.
Measuring a sleek 102mm x 65mm x 21mm, the Secrid Premium Miniwallet is ideal for storing your money without totally ruining the line of your suit when held in the pocket. It’s also nice and spacious despite its smaller size, with space for four embossed or six flat cards, four extra cards, banknotes, and business cards. It’s produced in Basco leather made by Tuscan artisans using sustainable vegetable tanning techniques. It’s also available in a variety of colours.
Available at Secrid.
The Kelmarsh wingtip Brogue Derby are part of the latest collection from Barker Shoes, an English shoe brand with 135 years of heritage. They’ve been based in England’s shoemaking heartland (Northamptonshire) since 1880 and still employ many of the traditional techniques they learned more than a century ago. The Kelmarsh shoes feature a classic brogue design with a natural finish and a comfortable fit.
Available at Barker Shoes.
Whether you’re looking for a two-piece, a three-piece, a tuxedo or tweed, Hockerty have all your suit needs covered. Their custom-tailored service is incredibly versatile, allowing you to choose from a huge range of styles and materials—whether that be a summer-ready linen or a soft and comfortable Merino wool. You also have full control of lapel style, buttons, pockets, pleats and cuffs.
Available at Hockerty.
Peper Harow’s latest arrival redefines British luxury socks. Made in the UK, each pair of luxury socks delivers both style and quality, and with a one-year guarantee and free UK delivery on orders over £30. It’s a tale as old as time: suit classic and refined, socks expressive and colourful. Especially with the Camden’s vibrant design and multiple colour options, including green, black, and grey. The organic cotton material is also incredibly comfortable.
Available at Peper Harow.
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Japanese watch brands continue to surprise me. While there’s all the surface level brands we know and love like Grand Seiko, Citizen and the independents like Hajime Asaoka, the concept of Japanese microbrands is a lot less publicised. However, there’s a rich depth to Japanese micros that warrants close inspection. Which leads me to the subject of this article, the Kuoe Kyoto Old Smith 90-002 field watch.
The story of Kuoe is familiar to many microbrands. Kenji Uchimura was studying language at university in London and while in the city entered one of the many antique watch shops in the area. He instantly fell in love with classic watch design, especially from the early and mid-20th century. Upon returning to Kyoto in Japan he began working for a watch brand before taking the plunge in 2020 of creating his own brand that focusses on the style of design he first fell in love with in London.
That fusion of British and Japanese influences is immediately apparent as soon as you open the box containing the Old Smith 90-002. Despite the name Kuoe Kyoto on the dial, it feels like you might as well be holding a vintage trench watch from the first world war, the earlier classic form of field watch that would later be adapted in the 1940s into the Dirty Dozen commissioned by the MOD.
In front of me I actually have three distinct versions of the Kuoe Kyoto Old Smith 90-002. There’s the 35mm steel edition, 38mm steel edition and 38mm bronze edition. Both of the steel versions have ivory coloured dials with applied Arabic numerals and a railway track minute scale. It’s super legible thanks to the high contrast with the black indices. I also really like the neo-vintage style with the off-white dial and beige lume that makes it look like a white watch discoloured by age.
The 35mm is a touch small for my taste though fits the vintage, classical inspiration behind the collection. Strapping on the slightly larger 38mm though and I’m instantly in love. It feels very slim with polished flanks and a matching polished bezel, sitting flat to the wrist with nicely curving lugs. The 35mm version’s case is actually a bit different as its bezel-less with a domed glass.
Swapping over to the bronze edition and sure enough, the case is made from CuSn8, one of the most common bronze alloys in watchmaking. In its clean state it looks very handsome though of course it will develop a patina over time, creating that vintage appearance a lot faster than steel. Luckily it has a steel caseback to avoid the issues of bronze discolouring skin that can happen.
The dial has also been changed to suit the brown metallic case. It’s now a chocolaty shade of brown itself with white Arabic numerals, though it retains the beige neo-vintage looking lumed elements. The slightly grained texture is also much more apparent here than on the ivory of the steel editions.
As for strap options, there are many to choose from. The standard is a single piece ribbed nylon strap that threads through the lug bars similar in style to a NATO without the extra NATO style pocket that attaches the strap to the watch. I’d personally swap it for a fully fledged NATO if you want to go down that route, though it does come in some nice brown, black and striped colour options. Alternatively, it’s presented on a leather strap which is far nicer. As the Old Smith 90-002 has that pre-Dirty Dozen military vibe, a leather strap feels the more thematically appropriate and it works really well on both the steel and bronze models.
Powering all three models is the Seiko NH38 automatic movement with 41-hour power reserves. It’s a very solid Japanese movement widely used by microbrands (and some not so micro brand) across the world, not just in Japan. It’s also nice and accessible resulting in prices of £505 for the steel models at both sizes and £535 for bronze.
My biggest takeaway from spending time with these watches is they seem really well built. The screw down crown is nice and tactile, as well as easy to use. Plus, it contributes to the solid 100m water resistance rating, which is about standard for a field watch – safe from puddles but not meant for ocean exploration. For the price, I really don’t see anything you could possibly dislike. Just as Kuoe Kyoto set out to achieve, it’s a very classical watch that makes good use of Japan’s continually grown horology scene.
More details at Kuoe.
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Titanium has had a bit of an ugly duckling style story in the watch industry. When the material started to first see consistent use, a lot of collector sentiment at the time was that the material feels cheap compared to steel due to its extreme lightweight properties. Today though, titanium has become so widely used that collectors are familiar with how it feels on the wrist and the quality of life it brings in terms of comfort and wearability, especially in the realm of large tool watches. Watches like the Alpina Alpiner Extreme, which is now available in a new Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic Titanium edition, the brand’s first ever full titanium wristwatch.
It’s almost surprising that Alpina haven’t created a full titanium watch in the past due to their commitment to versatile everyday beaters and robust outdoor watches. But they’ve finally taken the plunge and the Extreme is the perfect collection with which to do so. Its 39mm x 40.5mm cushion case with wide, flat, circular bezel featuring exposed screws suits titanium down to a tee. Building on the bold, quasi-industrial aesthetic of the model by employing a material that first made a name for itself in cutting edge industries like aeronautics.
The case is specifically made from Grade 2 titanium, which is the slightly more common and more accessible alloy. The other grade you often see in watchmaking is Grade 5, which is a bit harder meaning it can take more styles of finishing, which is why you see it more often from high end brands who want to get fancy with it. For the Alpiner Extreme Automatic Titanium though a bit of brushing on the flat surfaces and a bit of polishing on the bevelled edges is all you need to make it look great.
Naturally, as a full titanium watch with an integrated bracelet, that bracelet is made from titanium too. It’s a nice H link number with a folding clasp and push button release. Like the case it’s finished with vertical brushing.
Aside from the case and bracelet, the other key element of the Extreme is the dial and for this new edition they’ve stayed true to the signature design of the model. That means a tessellating pattern of triangles like the Alpina logo. It follows in the tradition of patterned, textured dials on integrated bracelet sports watches that’s most commonly associated with the legacy of designers like Gerald Genta, the man behind icons like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
Below the surface is the AL-525 calibre, which the Alpina variation of the Sellita SW200-1 with a custom rotor. It’s still based on the slightly older model with 38-hour power reserve and as I say every time, I can’t wait for brands to run out of those old stock movements and move on to the modern upgraded version. It’s just the inevitable industry lag that comes from bulk buying movements, something that’s often unavoidable due to manufacture minimum order requirements.
The Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic Titanium is priced at £2,195, making it a solid, mid-range wristwatch. If you want to get hands on with some of Alpina’s watches, I have some fantastic news for you. You can at Hands On Horology this June at London’s Protein Studios, tickets available now.
More details at Alpina.
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