Gold’s Gym Japan is releasing a G-Shock DW-6900 collaboration commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of Gold’s Gym in the United States and the 30th anniversary of its opening in Japan. The black and yellow color scheme includes a Gold’s Gym logo on the face along with a 30th anniversary logo and a Gold’s […]
G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog
Baker Co. Leatherworks’ best-selling Derby Wallet w/Money Clip is a minimalist wallet with two outside card pockets and a centre pocket for cards, licenses or folded cash. It also includes a stainless-steel money clip for when you need access to more cash at quick notice. The Derby Wallet w/Money Clip is completely hand stitched and is made from elegant Italian Pueblo leather, which patinas beautifully and gets better with use. Baker Co. Leatherworks is based in West Virginia and has grown from the founder’s leatherworking hobby into a premium brand.
Available at Baker Co..
When you live life on the go, you don’t want to be held down by heavy, cumbersome bags, which is why the Batchel Mini from Cambridge Satchel Company is perfect. Made in England from 100% leather in a variety of colours, it makes for a practical day bag that you can quickly grab on the fly. This edition is the Oxblood variant in a rich brown colour but it’s also available in black, green, navy, grey, pink, blue, and even some multi-colour editions
Available at Cambridge Satchel Company.
Handmade in France by Jean Rousseau’s master artisans, the “Hipster” wallet offers slim practicality with three card slots and a slot for notes and receipts. Jean Rousseau are known for their bold use of colour when it comes to their leather watch straps and this wallet is no different, available in light teal green, taupe, royal blue, crimson red, and brown. In addition to their off the shelf range, Jean Rousseau also offer bespoke products including belts, wallets, watch straps and more
Available at Jean Rousseau.
Chester Mox hand craft their slim wallets from French chèvre leather in a rainbow of colours from striking green to vibrant red, and more classical browns and blacks. It uses traditional saddle stitching, which is hand sewn for a luxurious finish with nylon thread, which can be upgraded to linen for an additional £10. On top of the wallets, Chester Mox also produce bags, passport covers, key rings, belts, and a wide assortment of additional accessories.
Available at Chester Mox.
The Secrid Slimwallet Emboss Lines Cognac combines a compact size with a surprising amount of storage with room for four embossed cards, six standard cards, banknotes, business cards, and receipts. The sheepskin leather exterior is inspired by the interior of luxury cars with a tailored look. The cognac colour also leans into that classic elegance, though it’s also available in black for a sleeker, modern feel. While the leather may be Italian, the wallet is made in Holland, where Secrid has been producing their wares since 1995.
Available at Secrid.
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After sandbagging the ultra-thin competition out of nowhere with their last Ferrari partnership, the UP-01, Richard Mille is at it again with their second collaborative watch with the legendary Italian marque – and it’s a complicated one: the Richard Mille RM 43-01 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Ferrari.
A split-seconds chronograph – or a rattrapante as us pretentious purists put it – is one of the three high complications alongside minute repeaters and perpetual calendars. That goes to show just how intense a piece of mechanical ingenuity it is. Basically, you run the chronograph as normal, but can actually split the seconds hand, with one half staying in place, the other continuing to keep time. If two cars are racing, it means you can time when they each separately cross the finish line.
This being Ferrari, the racing angle is in their petrol-laced blood and it helps that their F1 team consists of two different drivers. This lets you time Hamilton and LeClerc both without needing to reset.
Obviously, this isn’t as ground-breaking as the UP-01, the world’s (temporarily) thinnest watch, given Richard Mille has produced tourbillon split-seconds chronographs in the past across various models. That shouldn’t detract from how impressive it is, but it’s a fair point. What’s new? Well, everything else, really.
The RM 43-01 has gone through three years of development and it shows. For a quick rundown of everything on this, for want of a better word, dial: running seconds are read off the five 12-second segment hands on the tourbillon in the bottom right, using the partial scale tucked right into the corner. The chronograph 30-minute counter is at 9 o’clock, with the power reserve indicator in the corner above that. The very Richard Mille torque indicator is in the top right corner and below that the crown function indicator (Winding, Neutral and Hacking). Running hours, running minutes and the twin chronograph hands are in the centre.
If this all seems like a lot then you’ve obviously not come across many Richard Milles. Sure, the previous Ferrari collab was pretty damn minimal by their standards, but they’ve pulled out all of the stops for the second album. Ferrari certainly had an impact, with design quirks like intake-shaped markers and a Ferrari plate in the bottom left corner the same shape as the wing of a 499P hypercar. The barrel jewel setting is inspired by the clutch of a V8 engine, the pushers echo the SF90 Stradale and the 30-minute chronograph counter is ripped from a Ferrari dashboard. There’s enough there to make Ferrari nuts squeal with delight.
Otherwise, this is Richard Mille as usual, with an intensely skeletonised titanium movement finished to absolute perfection, big, weighty chronograph pushers and two different case variations, one in sandblasted titanium with a Carbon TPT mid-case or a full Carbon TPT version with orange or yellow highlights respectively.
As for availability, there are a surprisingly high number of pieces: 75 of each. That’s not huge of course, but it’s surprising given the price tag: CHF 1.15 million for the titanium version and CHF 1.35 million. So combined, this run of watches represents CHF 187.5 million – just shy of £165,000,000. Let that sink in for a moment.
Is it worth it? I’m certainly not the target market given my propensity for accessible British fare, but you are getting a lot of watch and, let’s be honest, this is Richard Mille and Ferrari. What else did you expect?
More details at Richard Mille.
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A few years back, we worked with watch artist Inkdial to create some iconic horological outlines of watches defined by one signature element. It was a cool, hand-drawn selection you can check out here. But ahead of his live appearance at Hands On Horology, we’ve decided to revisit the concept with a second octet of famous faces.
So, if you want to give yourself a little quiz, block out the names and see if you can guess what the watch is. And bear in mind we’ve picked some absolute icons, so if you can’t… well, you might need a bit of self-educating. I’m sure we have the right revision materials on here somewhere.
The pairing of a large, main dial and off-centre small seconds is already recognisable enough that you should be shouting the answer – ideally with a German accent – as soon as you see this one. But it’s the large date window that really hammers home A. Lange & Söhne’s refined Saxon style credentials. The Grande Lange 1 has become the definitive face of fine German watchmaking and long may it reign.
Now, this could apply to any of the 12 watches built for the Ministry of Defence during WWII. They all had the same small seconds layout and practical, field watch ruggedness. The reason you can tell any of them from your standard small seconds however is that little symbol at 12 o’clock: the broad arrow. You see that, it means MoD and in watch circles, that means the Dirty Dozen.
While it doesn’t fall into the blueprint of a classic pilots’ watch, the Cartier Santos did get there first and, in line with the Parisian giant’s propensity for unique silhouettes, has very much gone its own way. With the riveted, square case blending into the equally riveted bracelet, it might have its genesis way back in 1904 but it’s as modern as it’s ever been.
You could put this contraption in any case shape you can think of, but it will always remain the Freak. Ludwig Oeschlin’s opus combines indicator, movement and carousel into one haute horology icon, one that Ulysse Nardin have been riffing on ever since – and that’s all before we even get into the original’s ground-breaking use of silicon components.
Flat planes, notched bezel, a faceted, sporty look with an integrated bracelet… while I could be describing any number of 70s-style sports watches, the 222 breathes the rarefied air of prestige. Even if that signature bezel – the progenitor of the modern Overseas – doesn’t make the brand instantly recognisable for you, that inset Maltese cross is much less subtle of an indicator.
The Rolex Submariner laid the blueprint for 70% of dive watches in the world. But for the other, much more handsome 30%, there’s the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. It’s an elegant twist on rugged diver style, but the singular element that sets it apart is the bezel. The round, sapphire bezel is one of the most tactile (and hardwearing) around, oft copied, never equalled.
Sandwich dial, cushion case, Panerai. There doesn’t really need to be much more of a checklist than that. And while it could apply to the entire Panerai range (bar the niche Mare Nostrum), the crown protector-less Radiomir is the icon, heir to the legacy of the Italian Frogmen. These days it’s often as much a dress watch as a diver, but the military look is still unmistakable.
Tricompax chronographs are common enough that you could have some difficulty deciding which watch this particular layout actually belongs to. But between the dished subdials, that diamond-pointed second hand and perhaps most tellingly, the iron sights at 12 o’clock, this is firmly Omega’s Buzz Aldrin blessed Moonwatch. Ideally, you’d be looking at this under a hesalite crystal.
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Formex are one of the first brands that come to mind when I think of great value titanium field watches with the Formex Field and with the Essence Leggera they’ve also explored forged carbon. Now they’re pushing the boat even further by taking on the world of ceramic thanks to the new Formex Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC, which I’ve had on the wrist for the past week around the office.
One of the reasons I’ve been unable to put the watch down is that the bracelet fits really well. Which might sound like an odd thing to celebrate but it’s actually a core feature of the watch because the bracelet features the world’s first ceramic micro-adjustment system. It’s very simple to operate, just press the button in the exterior of the clasp and slide the bracelet until it reaches the perfect position – it gives you about 1cm leeway, which doesn’t sound like a lot but has a dramatic impact on how loose or tight it is on the wrist. The bracelet is also made really well in a chunky, H-link style with vertically brushed, ceramic links.
In fact, the entire case is made from brushed ceramic with a diamond polished bezel and anglage facets along the edge of the round design. The finish has to be produced with diamond tools because it’s one of the few materials harder than ceramic once the zirconium oxide powder has been baked. Structurally, it measures 41mm in diameter with a thickness of 11.2mm, so it’s not a small watch. However, it feels proportional and thanks to ceramic being 30% lighter than steel, it’s really not that heavy to wear all day.
On an aesthetic level, it retains the quasi-industrial vibe of the Essence with its exposed screws in the shoulders of the case. That architectural vibe is matched by the skeletonised dial, which reveals the inner workings of the movement. An exposed framework like scaffolding around a futuristic building made of whirring gears.
One thing I haven’t touched on yet is there are actually four versions of the Formex Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC being produced, a GT edition and three versions of the Stradale. The version I have here is the GT, which means it has rose gold hands and hour markers. The Stradale variants instead have black with various colours of lume depending on the edition. I’m not completely sold on the use of luxurious gold accents in combination with the industrial style as they feel a bit out of place. However, the rosy colour does make them stand out against the grey metal of the movement, boosting legibility, which is often a complaint with skeleton displays.
The movement that’s on display is the SW200-1 SC, the skeletonized edition of a Swiss staple. As noted in the watch’s name, it’s also the COSC chronometer grade of the movement, meaning it has improved accuracy and has been tested in multiple positions to ensure reliability. It does look pretty spectacular in skeleton form, it’s very easy to distract yourself from any task by studying the depth of finish on display as well as the constant motion of the balance spring. I also particularly like the almost imperceptible unwinding of the main spring as the power reserve depletes, serving as an approximate power reserve indicator (41-hours if you’re wondering).
In terms of price, the Formex Essence Ceramica Skeleton COSC GT edition is £3,850, £100 more than the Stradale options. An over-reaction to that price would be to say, £4k for a Sellita movement is wild. However, between the COSC chronometer certification, skeleton display and more important than either of those, full ceramic case and bracelet, that’s a good price. Whether it suits your personal style is a decision that only you can make.
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Colour is one of the areas in which British watchmaking excel above all others. In fact, there are some colours that Britain is internationally famous for, such as the red, white and blue that was seen all over the place at British Watchmakers’ Day. And of course British Racing Green, which is the subject of Farer’s latest release, the new Moritz Green.
It’s a really nice chronograph with a 41mm diameter case in grade 2 titanium. Chronographs tend to be on the larger size in order to accommodate the various subdials required in a tricompax display without being too crowded. The downside to that is on paper it does seem quite thick at 12.9mm without crystal and 13.5mm including the crystal. Not egregious by any measure, but noticeable. However, it’s only a small thing and the extra thickness gives the dial room to have a layered structure.
Those layers are the recessed chronograph subdials at the bottom, then the sunray brushed green dial and lastly the old radium style lumicast numerals and hour markers. Lumicast is a solid block of Super-LumiNova that glows in its entirety in low-light conditions. It all makes for a really clean, legible display that Farer have managed to give a lot of character to with details such as the 6 o’clock numeral serving double duty as the 6 marker in the 12-hour chronograph counter. It’s also a big-eye display with an oversize 30-minute counter, a style that has become popular in British watchmaking likely due to the influence of Studio Underd0g.
Zooming out from the racing green dial, the anodised aluminium bezel is presented in the same colour. Interestingly it features a telemeter rather than the usual tackymeter you’d expect on a racing chronograph. Telemeters are a rarer scale to find on watches and are used to calculate the distance between yourself and something you can both see and hear.
Essentially you use the chronograph to count the time between when you see something happen and when the sound of it reaches you, which in combination with knowing the speed of sound lets you calculate the distance it has travelled – and the telemeter has already done that maths for you. In war it allows soldiers to calculate where an artillery placement is located after seeing it fire and then subsequently hearing the explosion. Or if you’re a sailor you can work out how far away a lightning storm is based on the thunder and after multiple readings you could calculate how fast the storm itself is moving.
Powering the Farer Moritz Green is the Sellita SW510M b manual-winding movement. It’s an elabore grade calibre with a 63-hour power reserve, making it one of Sellita’s more prestigious offerings. It’s also been adapted slightly with Farer’s signature arrow style finishing when viewed through the exhibition caseback. With a movement like this, it’s not terribly surprising that this is one of Farer’s pricier models at £1,775, which is still pretty reasonable value all things considered. If you’re on the hunt for a nice chronograph to accompany you in your vintage Jaguar, you can stop looking now.
More details at Farer.
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Residents of Canada can enter a random drawing giveaway for the sold out Casio CRW-001-1 ring watch and a copy of the G-Shock-produced ThisTime magazine. Entering requires registering for the Casio Canada email list and confirming your email address, and the registration period ends on March 30, 2025. It sounds like there will be only […]
G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog
Watchmaking is famously a slow industry. We are after all using technology that was developed, in many cases, centuries ago. Using designs that are decades old. Horage though make watchmaking feel like the bleeding edge with their enthusiastic and open approach to innovation and development. With movements like the Tourbillon 2 and MicroReg Concept they’re a small, independent brand taking on some of watchmaking’s biggest challenges. Now though, they want to tackle the other end of the spectrum, revitalising time only displays with a fresh approach. The result is the new K3 Calibre, which is making its debut in the Horage DecaFlux watch.
The idea for the K3 calibre is actually a direct result of Horage’s success as an independent brand. They have been approached many, many times by other independents wanting to be let in at the ground floor with Horage’s technology. Rather than open the vaults, they’ve developed a new movement expressly built for the purpose of sharing and developing with other brands. So don’t be surprised in future to find the Horage calibres in watches that don’t have the Horage name on the dial.
In order to accommodate the wide variety of concepts and ideas that other designers might call upon the K3 to achieve, it has to be an incredibly strong foundation. As such, they’ve built it as a 3-hand base that can easily be adapted with modules for small seconds, date and power reserve indicator. They’ve also developed a 96-hour power reserve, outperforming virtually every third-party or off-the-shelf movement in the industry – though like the ETA Powermatic, they’ve had to reduce the frequency to 3.5 Hz in order to achieve that. Plus, it’s COSC chronometer certified to boot.
However, the most significant feature of the K3 movement is its use of silicon components, with a silicon escapement. Silicon has typically been the exclusive preserve of big brands and corporations, not independents, due to the exclusivity of production. Yet, the chronometric benefits of the material are plain to see with great friction reduction and anti-magnetic properties. As such, while it’s not necessarily new technology, Horage say that it is a horological innovation to see it in presented in an independent movement.
The idea of anti-magnetic silicon components also brings us to the DecaFlux, Horage’s debut timepiece housing the K3. It’s unapologetically styled after the Rolex Milgauss, arguably the most famous anti-magnetic watch of all time. Rolex discontinued the model in 2023 due to the perception that the collection had lost its relevance – after all, it was initially designed for scientists working at CERN, which is an incredibly niche audience and many other watches not marketed as anti-magnetic overtook it as well. However, Horage believe that anti-magnetic watches aren’t just more relevant than ever, but essential for everyone. In a world where we’re constantly connected to our phones, laptops, headphones and countless other electronic devices, magnetic fields are all around us.
As such, the DecaFlux has a Milgauss style round case in steel measuring 40mm in diameter with a dial that also pays tribute to the discontinued watch. It also has a height of 9.98mm, sliding in just under the 10mm mark, which was one of Horage’s goals. It has very legible baton and wedge indexes as well as broad, lumed, hour and minutes hands and a lightning bolt shaped seconds hand. That seconds hand is split between red and blue, the signature colours representing the poles in a magnetic field. The dial below is available in two variants, black or vibrant blue.
Priced at CHF 2,500 (approx. £2,185), it’s also a new entry level price for Horage – around half that of the next most accessible model, introducing a huge new audience to the brand. It’s not as instantly accessible as movements from the likes of Sellita, ETA, Seiko/NH or Swatch’s Powermatics, but it’s produced independently with a superb power reserve and silicon components, so it’s not really a fair comparison. Also, considering the prices some brands charge for a Sellita movement… It’s pretty great value.
More details at Horage.
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The G-Shock GW5000U-1 ($300) is back in stock at Casio America and is also available from authorized dealer Arizona Fine Time. Previously a Japan-only series in the 2010s with the exception of some limited anniversary models, the GW-5000 features a stainless steel screw-back case with a DLC coating, Tough Solar power, and Multi-Band 6 auto […]
G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog
G-Shock U.S. is currently offering a free GM-B2100 pin with the purchase of qualifying full metal GM-B2100 and GMW-B5000 models. The GM-B2100 and GMW-B5000 series feature stainless steel construction with a screw-back case, Tough Solar power, and Bluetooth smartphone link. View all Full Metal G-Shock models at casio.com/us The qualifying models include the following: GMB2100D-1A […]
G-Central G-Shock Watch Fan Blog