Why The Speedmaster X-33 Matters

Three recent auctions show exactly why the Speedmaster X-33 matters, yet it is still relatively unloved by many Speedmaster enthusiasts.

The good thing about this? For starters, you can find a great bargain on the Speedmaster X-33. A watch with proven and significant space history, but under-appreciated because of the quartz crystal and digital display. Second, the Speedmaster X-33 has some cool functions on board that have been developed together with pilots and astronauts. First together with NASA, later on, with the X-33 Skywalker version, with the European Space Agency (ESA). Below, an early prototype of the Speedmaster X-33. Very early prototypes had ‘Flightmaster’ printed on the sapphire. The case shape and buttons of the X-33 prototype might remember you of the Seamaster 300M.

One of the X-33 Prototypes

Speedmaster X-33

I remember when the Speedmaster X-33 came out in 1998, it was an awkward looking watch that was introduced as Omega’s Mars watch. The presskit then included some printed photos with the Mars rover on there. The Speedmaster X-33 was also quite an expensive watch when it came out, especially compared to the prices of the Omega watches at the time. It was much more expensive than a regular hand-wound Moonwatch, while the current Speedmaster X-33 Skywalker is only a few hundred euro away from the Moonwatch today. In 1999, the X-33 was in the Omega catalogue for 5995,- Dutch Guilders while the Speedmaster Professional 3570.50 was priced at 3495,- Dutch Guilders. Although you might not be familiar with the currency value, it shows the big gap anyway. Today, the Speedmaster X-33 is priced at €4900,- and the Speedmaster Professional ‘Moonwatch’ (ref. 311.30.42.30.01.005) at €4600,-. Easily to explain because of the price of today’s technology: the X-33 is not a connected watch nor does it have functionality that is so special it wouldn’t work on a modern low-cost digital watch. But even today, the watch is super reliable and has exactly these functions that are of absolute use for astronauts, mainly because they can set several alarms to make them aware of the end (or start) of certain tasks. You have to understand that all time on board of the International Space Station, for example, is super precious and astronauts have to perform tasks and time-driven events all the time. The X-33 helps them by keeping track of (elapsed) time. We described a lot of the Speedmaster X-33 functionality in our Digital Revolution: Speedmaster X-33 Skywalker and earlier generations article. I recommend reading that article if you want to learn more about the Speedmaster X-33’s features. It was written by our contributor Paul Dezentjé, a huge fan of the X-33 (and all other things quirky).

The price of today’s Speedmaster X-33 mainly has to do with the quality and finish of the watch, rather than it’s technology, which is still spot-on, but perhaps not as high-tech anymore. That said, if you aren’t willing to spend €4900,- for a new Speedmaster X-33, the pre-owned market can be very interesting. You can pick up a first generation X-33 for under €2000,-, which buys you an interesting space watch, one that is still being used today.

Astronauts X-33

The fact that the watch is under-valued is shown in the results of recent space auctions. An X-33 that was shipped to NASA (with a NASA serial and product number engraved in the case back) fetched less than the price of a new ‘regular’ Speedmaster X-33 watch. At RR Auction, an official NASA used Speedmaster X-33 was sold for $3,630.- (including buyer’s premium). That could have been yours!

This NASA Speedmaster X-33 fetched just $3,630.- at auction

Two other Speedmaster X-33 watches that were auctioned fetched much more though. These watches were flown, one on the Space Shuttle and one was used on board of the ISS. The X-33 that was used on board of the Space Shuttle fetched $13,830.- (includes buyer’s premium) during an auction by RR Auction.

The X-33 Skywalker was on board of the ISS for 206 days. According to the auction house (Artcurial): “This watch travelled to the ISS aboard the Japanese freighter HTV-6 (launched on 9 December 2016), stayed on the International Space Station during ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet’s Proxima mission and returned to Earth on the SpaceX Dragon CRS-11, on 3 July 2017, shortly after the return of Pesquet. It has logged 206 days in space including 202 aboard the ISS.”. This watch has some more provenance there it seems, and the fact that the proceedings were going to a good cause perhaps, made this lot result in a €52.000,- sale.

An interesting fact to know (or be aware of), is that the first 100 of these watches (introduced in 2014) had a faulty engraving. It shows ‘Tested and Certified by ESA’ while – just like the Moonwatch – these watches are not certified by ESA (or NASA), but qualified. Qualifying a watch to be used in space is something different than certifying a watch, and both space agencies do not certify watches. After the batch of 100, Omega changed the engraving to Tested and Qualified by ESA. However, you can find a Speedmaster X-33 Skywalker with the first faulty engraving in the pre-owned market, they are often offered on Chrono24 example (make sure you are looking for real live images, not old stock images with the wrong text). It also leads to the thought that not many of these watches are being produced and sold, which to me, makes it even more interesting to own one.

What Makes It Awesome

One of the reasons that make the X-33 matter is that it is still being used by astronauts. And astronauts are cool. Although flying Ryanair can feel like living life on the edge, being in a rocket to the ISS is something else. Where the Speedmaster Professional is the watch to use for NASA astronauts during EVA, the Speedmaster X-33 is the choice for ESA and NASA astronauts as well as cosmonauts for onboard activities. Below, an image of NASA astronaut Nicole Stott during her Space Shuttle mission STS-133 in 2011 wearing her Speedmaster X-33.

Nicole Stott and her Speedmaster X-33 (photo by NASA)

The looks of the X-33 are very particular and I have yet to come across someone who bought it because he thinks the watch is beautiful. It definitely looks different, and perhaps a bit ‘industrial’ or cool even, but beautiful is not the right word for sure. The functionality is mainly for pilots (and astronauts), but the most praised feature seems to be the programmable alarm(s). When I sat down last year with Cosmonaut Aleksandr Samokutyayev (Soyuz TMA-14M and TMA-21), he told me that he thinks it is the best watch ever. During his EVAs, he used the trusty hand-wound Speedmaster Professional, but on board of the ISS, it was the Speedmaster X-33 that served him as a companion during his tasks. An interesting anecdote he shared with me is how he lost the X-33 on board of ISS. He took it off during some activity and next moment he looked he realized it was gone. He searched for his Speedmaster X-33 but could not locate it. He searched for two days and at some point, they were searching with 6 people for his watch. On day 3, Aleksandr Samokutyayev suddenly heard the loud beeping of the alarm of his Speedmaster X-33. By following the sound of this watch, he was eventually able to locate it and found it floating somewhere. The alarm is super loud with its 80dB and it will get noticed.

Whether a programmable alarm is a reason for you to run to the boutique to get one is doubtful, but I find myself using it once in a while for sure. What makes the Speedmaster X-33 an attractive watch for me, besides the relationship with space, are the second timezone and the count-down timer. Besides normal time, date and the occasional use of the chronograph, the count-down timer comes in handy once in a while. The extra timezone makes it a perfect watch for the globetrotter.

Case and bracelet (if you opt for the bracelet that is) are made of Grade 2 titanium. A light-weight material, but has little to do with being scratch resistant (as some people think). I am personally not really a fan of titanium watches (due to the lightweight), but it suits this watch for sure.

Below, (left) the X-33 Skywalker and (right) the 1st Generation Speedmaster X-33 from my own collection. Important to note is that today’s 3rd generation of the Speedmaster X-33 measures 45mm in diameter, while the original X-33 (1st and 2nd generation) are 42.5mm in diameter. So the modern one is a bit larger on the wrist. The difference between the 1st and 2nd Gen Speedmaster X-33 are mainly: polished bezel vs brushed bezel and a different crown. The 2nd Gen Speedmaster X-33 also came with a newer type movement, but the movement in the 1st Gen Speedmaster X-33 also has likely been replaced if your watch ever went to Omega for a service.

What To Look For

I have a Speedmaster X-33 in my collection and had several before (and at the same time). Normally I am not keen on getting rid of watches, but I found myself selling a number of them to friends because they really liked the watch a lot. Although the X-33 I still own is a watch only, so no box or papers, I recommend you to look for a full set at all times. The difference in price is just a small amount of money and you will find yourself hunting eBay for that special white X-33 kevlar box anyway. So you better buy a Speedmaster X-33 that comes with the white kevlar box (some were delivered in the black leather box though), cardholder, warranty card, X-33 Mission instruction manual and outer cardboard box.

Image via Classicwatch.com

You will find different versions of the instructions manual and later models (X-33 Skywalker) have a different box/set at all. However, for the Skywalker I wouldn’t settle for a watch only anyway. These watches are too new/young to have the box and other things missing.

So, you might wonder why my own Speedmaster X-33 has nothing there. I had several complete sets (and sold them, as stated above), but kept only one. One that only had the kevlar strap as an extra (and a titanium bracelet). Well, although I never recommend buying one without all those things, my Speedmaster X-33 was owned by an astronaut. He received the watch in 1998, during the introduction, from Omega and just a few years ago I had the opportunity to buy this watch from his family. This astronaut was a childhood hero of mine, and the sensation I get when wearing his watch is hard to beat with any other watch. For me, there’s no real reason in obtaining an additional one that is complete with box and papers. I managed to get hold of an additional white kevlar box (as above) via eBay for a 200-300 Euros (if I am not mistaken), and that’s it. I occasionally wear it on a NASA strap via StrapsbyFleur and that gives it an awesome look.

As long as there’s no specific or special story to it, my preference would always be a full set. Also, have a close look at the differences between the Gen1 and Gen2. The Gen2 seems to be harder to find in the pre-owned market. A lot of people prefer the brushed bezel of the Speedmaster X-33 Gen2 and the different looking crown. For the current Speedmaster X-33 Skywalker, the 3rd generation, there’s the regular model as well as a Solar Impulse edition (different colors). Last but not least, in 2017 Omega did another special version of the X-33 for the Emirates Team New Zealand (America’s Cup) with a regatta countdown function. For the first two Speedmaster X-33 generations, there have been a few special versions as well, including for pilot teams. You sometimes come across those as well on Chrono24, eBay or OmegaForums.net for example. My personal preference would be one of the non-limited/special editions though.

Update: Right after publication, we received an email from Chris (a professional pilot). He confirms the functionality and usability for him being a pilot:

“I really enjoyed your article on the Omega X-33. I am the proud owner of a X-33 Gen 2. As a professional pilot, I can say that it’s probably the best “pilot” watch ever produced. For many years, I wore my Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch to work. However, since acquiring the X-33, it’s become my go-to flying watch. Your article was spot on. The combination of a chronograph, UTC time, calendar, backlight, and loud alarm make it perfectly suited for the cockpit. The astronaut pedigree just adds to the cool factor. Again, great article! Keep up the good work! Chris” 

from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2WjYjPW

Business News: Brexit Stockpiling Skews Swiss Watch Export Growth

One reason is that there are few global hot spots at the moment. Swiss watch executives cite two: China and the U.S., both of which have growing economies. “Outside of that, there are not a lot of markets with real growth potential,” says Flavio Pellegrini, president of Europe and the Middle East for the Movado Group. 

Nor is either of the hot spots exactly on fire, watch-wise. There is growing concern in some Swiss circles about China. The Chinese economy is slowing down, noted one Swiss watch executive, who requested anonymity. “Chinese consumers account for more than half the purchases of Swiss watches by value,” he said. “The Chinese government wants to repatriate that money. They want consumers to buy at home. That has hurt the watch business in Europe.” And in other markets where Chinese travel. 

Pellegrini agrees. “Europe is still working on the China cylinder,” he told HODINKEE at the Movado Group Summit in Davos in March. “The last few years showed that the Chinese tourist is a very risky customer to bank on. Depending on the exchange rate, maybe they decide to go to Dubai or the U.S. or to the UK because the pound was down due to Brexit. So, it’s not a sustainable business for [local] retailers.” 

As for the U.S., no sell-through data for the first quarter was available. However, most retailers HODINKEE talked to at Baselworld indicated that they were satisfied with first-quarter sales. The 2.6% rise in exports for the first quarter, against a very strong Q1 in 2018, indicated that the U.S. market was on track to expand after a strong 2018 (+8.2%). That was the first increase since 2014.

from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2IPlz5j

A Blue Addition For One Of Steve McQueen’s Favourite Watch Brands

The Hanhart Pioneer One collection just got better, with this new blue version of their military-inspired watches.

If you are a friend of the brand that resides in the Black Forrest, you are probably familiar with the Pioneer models. They are the most authentic in looks as far as the history of Hanhart is concerned. Hanhart was among the brands who supplied chronographs for the German Air Force during World War II. Those vintage pieces are very sought after and hard to come by these days. Partly because they are military timepieces, partly because the king of cool, Steve McQueen also wore one.

Steve McQueen and his Hanhart 417ES

Hanhart has three major collections, but the military-inspired one, named Pioneer takes inspiration from these 1940s chronographs. I reviewed the Pioneer Monoscope a while ago. This time I’m going to look at another Pioneer, a time-only version.

Hanhart Pioneer One

For a small company like Hanhart, its Pioneer collection is rather big. You can choose from a number of watches both chronograph and time-only pieces. You have 45mm two-pusher (Pioneer TwinDicator) and single pusher (MonoScope) chronographs. The same 2 chronograph types in a smaller 42mm (TwinControl and MonoControl) and an even smaller 40mm (Pioneer Mk I, Mk II and TachyTele) case all with a vast variety of dials. Then you can find some time only pieces, like the Preventor 9 or, the subject of this article, the Pioneer One family. To me, this is the simplest Hanhart out there, a really cool watch with a vintage vibe in a modern interpretation. The Pioneer One collection comes in 4 dial colors; black, grey, white and blue. While some, like the black or white, look more vintage, the blue is actually a pretty modern-looking timepiece. Despite its many vintage design elements.

Fluted bezel

The case looks just like the chronograph versions minus the pushers. It is 42.5mm wide and 12.5mm thick albeit it says 42 and 12 on Hanhart’s site. No big difference but it’s worth mentioning. The case is mostly brushed, as you’d have with a military (- inspired) watch, only the underside of the case has shiny, polished surfaces. It is steel, as all Pioneer One watches are. The two most prominent features of the case are obviously the large crown and the fluted rotatable bezel with the red marking. Needless to say, both features are nods to the vintage chronographs. Not sure why a time-only watch has a bi-directional bezel it has no use other than being a design element. It does no harm to the watch though, actually even ads some character to it. The large crown isn’t disturbing unless you wear your watch further down on your wrist.

The back of the Pioneer One just as simple as the front of the timepiece. There’s a crystal in the middle through which you can admire the movement and the black Hanhart rotor, a feature of most of their timepieces. The back is screw-in making sure no water gets into the case, which is water resistant to 100 meters. Unlike many other brands, the Hanhart Pioneer One does not have the whole technical sheet engraved on the back. One feature is worth mentioning though, and that is the inscription “Made in Germany”. It proudly proclaims that the watch is coming from Germany, as it has been the case with Hanhart since 1902 when the then-Swiss brand was relocated to Germany.

Blue is the new black

It seems that nowadays more and more brands use blue as their dials’ base colors. Whether it is a trend that will die out or a way to replace black I’m not sure. I love the looks of deep blue dials; they have a special shine that black hardly does. But of course, black dial watches are and have always been the first and only versions for most brands. Either way, the blue on this Pioneer One is a truly magnificent tone. It is deep enough to look black from certain angles. However, when the light shines on it, that’s when its true deep blue color is revealed. As far as the design goes, the layout is rather simple; large Super-LumiNova coated Arabic numerals all around, small printed minute track and a date aperture at 3 o’clock. White pencil hands make the watch easily readable also with lume coating.

The tip of the second hand has the same red paint as you’d find on the bezel. Needles to some also connect this to the vintage models. While I have seen many chronographs from that 40s and 50s with a red marker on the bezel, none (or I should say 95% of them) came with a red tip second hand. It is a design feature on the modern timepieces. A subtle detail that gives a tiny splash of color to the watch. The logo is Hanhart’s vintage font version with the year of establishment (1882) underneath it. just like on the back of the case, at the 6 you can also see the Made in Germany marking. The watches come from a small town in the Black Forrest, where the Hanhart headquarters is. I visited them a while ago, you can read all about that trip here.

Movement

Albeit the Pioneer One comes from Germany, the movement inside is Swiss. Hanhart assembles each and every watch in their factory in Gütenbach. However, their movement supplier is Sellita, in Switzerland. The caliber inside the Pioneer One (blue) is the SW 200. It is a 26-Jewel self-winding movement with about 38 hours of power reserve and 28,800 Vph. Obviously, it is a time-only caliber with a date feature something that many brands don’t use. As the Pioneer One is a vintage-inspired but modern timepiece they kept the date. If we take a closer look at the dial, we can see that there is a step, a larger circle in the middle of the dial. The date window aperture cuts right into this round raised surface.

Conclusion

The Pioneer One comes on a 22mm deep blue calf leather strap even though a steel bracelet is also available. It was a bit stiff at first like most leather, but I’m sure with time it would soften up. The leather strap has a brushed Hanhart steel buckle. As the brand’s position is on the affordable range the price of the Pioneer One is also relatively low. It starts at only €890 for the leather version, which is a competitive price in this segment. Due to the large selection of Pioneer One color choosing one that fits your liking isn’t hard to do.

If you would like to visit Hanhart’s website, please click here.

Watch specifications

Model

Pioneer One in blue

Case Material

Stainless Steel

Case Dimensions

Diameter: 42.5mm, Height: 12mm

Crystal

Sapphire

Case Back

Transparent case back

Movement

Caliber Sellita SW-200, Power Reserve: 38 hours, Ticking Speed: 28800vph, Jewels: 26

Water Resistance

100 Meters

Strap

Leather calf with steel buckle.

Functions

Time, Date

Price

€890

from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2J20sMs

Hands-On: The De Bethune DB28GS Grand Bleu

Lume on lume – I love it. The DB28GS Grand Bleu is powered by De Bethune’s DB2080 hand-wound movement. Offering time, a power reserve (dial edge between nine and 10), and that manual dial lighting system, the 4 Hz DB2080 has over 400 pieces and a power reserve of five days.  On wrist, the DB28GS Grand Bleu wear like any other DB28 I’ve ever tried on. Visually it is large, but the centrally hinged and spring mounted lug design ensures that it sits flat and, at only 12.8mm thick, the Grand Bleu is entirely wearable. Nothing wears like a De Bethune, even when they go extra sporty.

from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2URykO5

This Week in Watches – April 28, 2019

Hey, hey, hey, it’s This Week in Watches for April 28, 2019.

For many out there, you’re coming off of school holidays surrounding last week’s Easter Weekend.  That meant egg hunts, chocolate (I used to like those Cadbury Eggs – one of them was enough for me), candy, environmentally unfriendly green plastic grass to line those Easter baskets, and food.  If forced to rank the big holidays in terms of food, I’d put Easter dead last.  No matter where in the world I’ve been, it’s always full of things like ham, smoked fish, and other things that make me feel pretty damn unhealthy.  Anyhow, one thing I do like about Easter are the colors.  Pastels rock!  But getting back to the matter at hand, let’s see if we have any lovely new “eggs” for This Week in Watches.

The Swatch Group Celebrates Summer 

I’ve mentioned it before within This Week in Watches that we receive a lot of mail from brands here at Fratello.  Some of it is interesting, while some isn’t.  Generally, the type of seasonal celebration email I received the other day from the Swatch Group wouldn’t qualify as newsworthy, but I decided to click on the wetransfer link anyhow – and I’m glad I did! The email was all about colorful watches for the Summer and it delivered.  There were examples from every brand within the Group that met the definition, but I decided to show you just a few.  First, there is a bright yellow Swatch called the Limoncello in the normal 34mm, 60 Euro configuration.  There’s nothing tremendously special or different about this Swatch versus any other, but it takes me back to my high school days when I collected Swatches and, at times, opted for these brightly hued models.  They’re fun, ridiculously sturdy (no matter what us watch geeks tell you, you can easily wear a Swatch in a pool or to your snorkeling adventure without fear), and cheap!  When you step back and look at how much creativity lies within each and every Swatch, it’s pretty astounding and explains why they’re still so popular 35+ years on…I just tend to think that these bright one’s exhibit that difference best.

Rado Golden Horse – Who Knew?

Most interestingly, though, I sifted though the pictures and came upon a couple new Rado pieces under the Golden Horse moniker.  We’ve never covered a vintage Golden Horse here on Fratello, but during our coverage of other models, I kept coming across this once popular line on eBay searches and the like.  The Golden Horse was a dressy model from Rado, but it featured the same robust “Super Sealed” case with seahorses on its back like the Captain Cook diver.  Inside, the same Schild automatics were employed.

I know nothing about these new Golden Horse models as there’s truly nothing on the Rado site (it’s one page within the Swatch Group that could use more timely updates in my opinion).  I don’t know the size, price, whether an automatic will be inside or quartz, but I like what I see from these PR pics.  There’s the brightly colored piece with ridged bezel and the black to maroon gradient dial edition – really nice.  We’ll report back with more once we get additional information.

Certina DS Action Day Date

Certina brought us news of a pretty cool “field watch” piece called the DS Action Day Date that’s marketed to handle all of life’s adventures.  In a 41mm stainless case, the watch is available on a steel bracelet (695 Euros) or leather strap (665 Euros) with a black, silver or blue dial.  With 200M of water resistance, a sapphire crystal, and screw-down crown, it’s fully featured.  Inside, we get the Powermatic 80 automatic with 80 hours of power reserve.  Not bad, not bad at all.  Head here for more.

Rado x Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

In celebration of its “official match timer” position within the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix tournament, Rado has debuted a few new Hyperchrome Chronographs.  There are three different watches, all featuring a 45mm monobloc case in Plasma Hightech Ceramic and an ETA 2894-2 automatic chronograph movement.

Both the blue and brown versions will come on leather while the green dialed edition comes on a ceramic bracelet.  Each will be limited to 999 pieces and pricing ranges from 4,450 Euros (strap) to 4,750 Euros (bracelet).  These aren’t small, but they offer a nice clean look – especially those on the leather.

If you’re one for advanced materials but can’t splurge up to the Omega level, then Rado may be for you as this clearly costs a lot less than, say, a ceramic Speedmaster.

The Blancpain Villeret Quantième Perpétuel

We’ve been fairly reasonable on this edition of This Week in Watches, but all that changes with the Blancpain Villeret Quantième Perpétuel – a limited edition of 88 pieces to be sold exclusively at the brand’s boutiques for 61,360 Euros.  In platinum with a blue dial (seemingly THE color a limited dress watch must come in these days) and at an attractive diameter of 40mm, this automatic-powered (cal. 5954) piece comes with some serious complications.  If a perpetual calendar, moon phase, and leap year indicator are what you’re looking for, you’d be wise to take a look at the newest Blancpain.  A cool little tidbit is that the push button correctors, that normally populate the case sides, are found under the lugs.  Hey, for over 60K, no one likes unsightly correctors!  It’s well-known that these types of watches aren’t in my proverbial break basket, but I’m beginning to appreciate them more and more.  I suppose that those who shop these types of watches often own many and they look at these much like I look at a $5,000 and below acquisition.  So, I’d be interested to hear what they have to say about this Blancpain, but in my eyes, it’s quite attractive.  I like the colors in use, the size, and the symmetry.  Head here for more info.

Lange & Söhne Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

Lange has been affiliated with the Concorso held on Lake Como, Italy for several years now and they always produce a special watch for the “best in show” winner and this week, it makes our header.  This watch features the Coat of Arms from the family owning the Villa on its hinged case back.  In white gold, the Lange 1 Time Zone “Como Edition” is only given to the winner, which is a pretty cool prize indeed (honestly, how many trophies do you need?).  Lange produces a “regular” version of this watch without the hinged case back in white gold, pink gold and platinum.  It features the brand’s in-house manually wound cal. L031.1 and contains a day/night indicator for both time zones.  I know that none of the folks who show their cars at various global shows need a watch, but if I were in the position, I think I’d be heading to Italy with my best set of wheels for a chance at this lovely piece.

This Bud’s for You Buzz

Ah, the nonsense portion of This Week in Watches.  Budweiser, a name that really gets my European colleagues going when they yammer on about how bad American beer is and how superior (read: boring) German beer tends to be.  And then there’s the whole on and on commentary about how the name steals from a brewery in the Czech Republic.  Get over it!  Now, wherever the complainers live, folks do have a point about Budweiser being a bit watery, but that’s kind of the point.  I’m a massive IPA nut, but that’s not exactly the brew I desire when finishing some yard work in the heat or if I don’t want to get a case of the stumbles after just a pint.  But, we’re not here to talk about regular Bud or my consumption habits.  We’re here to talk about the brand’s newest limited time only brew, Discovery Reserve American Red Lager, and it’s coming your way this Summer right on time for the 50^th Anniversary of the Moon Landing.  The packaging will contain some cool things such as 11 stars to signify the Apollo 11 mission and the the recipe is apparently a historic one from the archives from roughly 50 years ago.  Finally, the reddish color of the beer (and the planet on the label) refers to Mars, which is the next target for a landing.  I will be trying some of these when I make my way back to the US of A for a visit later in the year.  If my Fratello team mates are nice to me, they just might get a bottle in return.  Check out that bottle cap!  Oh, and for every case sold, $1 will be donated to Folds of Honor, an organization that assists with scholarships to family of former military members who have fallen or were disabled during duty.

And folks, for all you do, that’s This Week in Watches for you – enjoy the rest of your weekend!

from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2V0rLhq

Sunday Rewind: Going Deep With The Doxa SUB 200 T-Graph Searambler

Heaton’s loving look at his silver-dialed Searambler digs into the model’s past and uncovers some of the world surrounding Doxa in the late ’60s. It was a golden age for both SCUBA diving and dive watch design, and the SUB 200 T-Graph was meant as an actual tool for the sport. Packed full of gorgeous details captured by Gishani Ratnayake’s careful camera work, this is a look at an uncommon but entirely fascinating 50-year-old dive watch. 

Read the full original story here.

from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2PCvPP2

Robert Downey Jr Moves from Urwerk to De Bethune?

Robert Downey Jr (RDJ) is famous for his colourful film career, and wacky persona on and off screen.

But, did you know he has also made a name for himself among the inner watch community? Yes, since he flaunted his epic watch collection with a hilarious ramble in a feature video by GQ in 2016 (yeah, including this “questionable” Speedmaster).

As “Avengers: Endgame,” the big-budget megawatt superhero saga opens worldwide with much fanfare and fireworks, I can’t seem to escape the influx of social media images of RDJ’s wrist game. That says a lot given that I am not a WIS. Within the space of a couple of weeks, he has been seen wearing two watches made by De Bethune whilst hanging out with his fellow Avengers during the global press tour. Then at the world premiere in Los Angeles, he swapped it back to his old favourite Urwerk, donning the UR-111C Black Cobra.

Urwerk and De Bethune! RDJ’s taste has certainly evolved and refined since 2016

I can see the connection. Both are independent brands thriving at the cutting-edge of fine watchmaking. They are the mutants with off-the-chart watchmaking prowess. They make next level space-age watches without selling hypes and sending prices soaring into space (nothing wrong even if they did…ahem Richard Mille). Although their appearance may seem ‘out there’, very little is apportioned to non-functional elements. These are intelligent and incredibly serious timepieces. Bravo, RDJ!

Now, let’s start with the story behind Robert Downey Jr’s association with Urwerk. Previously, RDJ was known for wearing an Urwerk UR-110 for the duration of Spiderman: Homecoming. As you’re probably aware, the actor’s most famous character of recent years is Iron Man a.k.a. Tony Stark. Tony Stark is a genius mechanic. His house talks to him. He’s that kind of guy. He’s also pretty attractive; thanks to the heady combination of his beautiful face/renowned status as a billionaire. Legend has it RDJ models the character on real-life billionaire Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX fame.

Unfortunately or otherwise, Robert Downey Jr knows it. It stands to reason that his watch would be similarly brazen and confident. The Urwerk UR-110 – with its lightweight, blackened titanium case body and rose gold bezel – was always the perfect choice for Iron Man. But without the actor’s own initiative, it never would have made its way onto the character’s wrist. RDJ asked his outfitters to reach out to the Switzerland-based brand and request a loaner for the duration of filming.

So unlikely seemed the request, that the communications department of Urwerk initially dismissed the request as a hoax. Were it not for the persistence of Marvel film studios, this marriage may have dissolved before it occurred. At the end of filming, Urwerk were so enamoured with the project (and RDJ himself), they made him his very own UR-110 to keep (a watch that was auctioned off last year for $150,000 which was donated to the Manusodany organization, benefitting disadvantaged children in Haiti).

As faithful a servant as the Urwerk UR-110 was, it was clearly time for an update. De Bethune is a brand that has always pushed boundaries. It is one of a handful of brands that perfectly suits the de facto leader of the Avengers, with its trailblazing aesthetic and enthralling technology, implemented in endlessly beguiling ways.

Two De Bethune watches have been chosen by RDJ together with his stylist. Both models come from the DB28 collection. References DB28TIS8C6PN/S and DB28TRS8ZN/S (boasting moon phase and tourbillon complications respectively) are perfect examples of the brand, and both housed in the flexi-case of De Bethune, that enables rather large watches (that would be quite uncompromising on the wrist were they fitted with fixed lugs) to be worn by the brand’s more diminutive fans. Remember, although both the Urwerk and these De Bethune watches look very comfortable on RDJr’s wrist, the man himself is only around 174cm tall.

The Urwerk UR-110, for example, uses Urwerk’s famous satellitic time-telling system, which although initially appears complex, is surprisingly simple. And that is really the key to good design. To take something complicated, and make it understandable, and even intuitive. The time display of the Urwerk UR-110 looks unintelligible at first. After a week on the wrist, you start to wonder why you ever bothered reading time in a different way.

The housing of the UR-100 is the kind of luxurious futurism rarely seen, and ever less commonly executed so well. When you look at an Urwerk, probably the first thing you notice is how different they are. But because that difference is not born of error, rather a very deliberate design remit that is akin to an entirely separate branch of evolution to our own, these pieces end up looking more alien than they do off-base.

De Bethune presents a slightly different prospect as a brand, and their watches show this entirely. Yes, these are objects of the future, but they are not examples of a craft reimagined. Rather, they are extremely refined examples of extending and stretching what already exists. If we were to imagine that the Urwerk UR-110 and the D28 series are both run-of-the-mill watches in the year 2100, De Bethune would be that era’s equivalent of steampunk design.

De Bethune DB28GS Grand Bleu

Polished cases, precious metals, seemingly flawless displays, but still with an emphasis on wheels and pinions, on jewels and teeth, on mechanical elements quite okay with shouldering the grunt-work of time-keeping. That’s what De Bethune gives us. And it’s especially notable when these elements are displayed alongside beautifully executed complicated elements such as the polished 3D moon phase at six o’clock on the DB28TIS8C6PN/S.

It’s a reflection of our time as celebrity champions with such high profile as Robert Downey Jr, are actively seeking out and making ‘independent’ choices, above all others. No talk of bribery or nepotism here. No sir, this is genuine appreciation, and that really counts for something.

*Header image courtesy of AP

from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2DzTxqk

Weekend Round-Up: Robotic Three-Pointers, llmatic Turns 25, And Couches For Wes Anderson

Nas’s Illmatic 25th Anniversary Mixtape By Chris Read – Wax Poetics

April 19, 1994, Nas released Illmatic, which I’ll go ahead and say is the best hip-hop album ever made. It’s not a fact, I know, but whether you’re a fan of the genre or not or have a difference of opinion, it is the quintessential New York album. Nas was 20 years old when the album came out. Years later, Illmatic has gone on to influence some equally seminal albums along the way as well as be performed by the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. I could go on about all its reverence but for me, the album is all about the jazz samples and the cohort of hungry, young producers who came together out of recognition of the skill of the young poet savant. So in the spirit of the music and journalistic unearthing of great work, I recommend you take a listen to this mixtape by Chris Read who seamlessly combines interviews, original samples, and key tracks from Nas’ 39-minute masterpiece.

– David Aujero, Digital Producer 

from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2LbvSma

Seiko’s First Diver – The Seiko SilverWave J13082

Today, we take a look at the Seiko SilverWave J13082, the very first dive watch from the celebrated Japanese brand.

I was recently on my way back from a long Easter weekend in Bordeaux (where, surprisingly, I’ll long remember the world-beating experience of ingesting crustaceans and shellfish over drinking wine), when I stumbled upon a review of the new Alpine A110 sports car on one of my favorite sites: Jalopnik.  I’m used to witty, entertaining articles on the site, but this one truly struck me.  First off, the A110, from everything I’ve seen and read, looks to be an outright winner and one that comes from left field as most have their eyes on the Germans or Italians when it comes to lightweight, tossable cars.  Secondarily, and also oddly (although we know that Renault and Nissan are linked), the review took place in Japan around some of the lakes near Mount Fuji.  And this article about a French car in Japan, strangely, provided the inspiration for today’s look at the Seiko SilverWave J13082.

Seiko SilverWave J13082

A Simple Watch = The Best Watch

You see, I’d contend that the Seiko SilverWave J13082 – like several other early attempts at divers by Japanese brands that I’ve reviewed – is about as good as it gets when it comes to wearing a watch.  Like the aforementioned A110, (and I’ll ease off from the automotive comparisons shortly) it contains little that’s superfluous, it’s light, functional, relatively practical, and there’s a link to Japan.  To me, that makes it nearly perfect.

Another “Light” Early 60’s Japanese Diver

I never quite know how successful I am in convincing you that something previously unheralded or undiscussed is worth a look.  Our readers are, if nothing else, a bit unpredictable and you often comment when we least expect it while saying nothing when the topic seems rife for opinion.  So, when it comes to early 60’s Japanese light divers, I have no idea if you like them nearly as much as I do, but I’ll keep showing them as long as I find them.  Before we get into the Seiko SilverWave J13082, though, let’s recap where we’ve been on this strange little sub-genre journey within #TBT.

Divers Reviewed Thus Far…

It’s hard to believe that I covered the Seiko SilverWave ref.697990 more than four years ago here.  In an odd move for Seiko, this watch was actually produced after today’s Seiko SilverWave J13082 (post 1964) and exhibits cost-cutting moves such as reduced 30M water resistance and a snap-close case back.  Still, it’s one of my favorites due to its perfect sizing and clean looks.  Then, roughly a year ago, I got my hands on a very rare Citizen Auto Dater Uni ref.ADUS31201-T.  This 40M diver is one solid watch and, wait for it, just might be the favorite Japanese watch in my entire collection – which then puts it in the top tier of most-loved pieces overall.  It’s so beautifully detailed and feels far more expensive than it is.  And finally, this last piece doesn’t really qualify as practical, but the massive Weekly Auto Orient King Diver was reviewed with its serious 42mm case, but laughable 50M of water resistance.  The watches contain a lot of similarities – aside from the silly water resistance levels – such as applied indices and crown-actuated internal rotating bezels.  Seiko, it seems, was the lone brand to forego the typical Super Compressor style of using twin crowns and opted, instead, for a lone implement to do all the work.  Perhaps that’s due to the fact that they used movements that can’t be hand wound.

The Seiko SilverWave J13082, unequivocally, is the brand’s first attempt at a dive watch…

The Seiko SilverWave J13082 – A First

The Seiko SilverWave J13082, unequivocally, is the brand’s first attempt at a dive watch and for a brand that’s arguably better known for its divers than any other class of watch, that makes this reference significant.  Throughout its relatively brief production run from 1961 to 1964, the original SilverWave was offered with a variety of dials.  Black dials, white/silver dials, dials with a unique set of sunburst lines (referred to as Mark 1’s), and font changes highlight some of the changes that occurred.  Also, as depicted in today’s article, Seiko offered different color internal bezels.  Regarding the other externals and the movements, Seiko left these things consistent for the 4 years.

The Debut of the Tsunami Case Back

While the Seiko SilverWave J13082 was the first dive-intended piece with a rotating bezel, the watch did share at least one characteristic with another model in the Seikomatic lineup.  Specifically, I found examples of the SilverWave’s 2-piece screw-down case back on an earlier restrained but sporty model called the Cronos.  (You can see examples here within this informative article.)  Where the SilverWave differs from the more staid Cronos, though, is in its debut of the now-famous Tsunami motif.  Yes, this hallmark of Seiko divers has been around for nearly 60 years!  Unlike current Prospex models with this symbol cast in relief, it seems that Seiko chose to use something akin to the silver wax found on scratch-off lottery tickets.  It’s exceedingly delicate and, therefore, relatively rare to find an early SilverWave with a minty case back.  You can see that one of mine is in really nice shape and that the reference number can be read along its edge.  As per typical in the early 60’s with Seiko, no serial number is found on the outside case back of the watch – they’re on the inside and I’ve not taken this one apart quite yet.

I’ll agree that reviewing the Seiko SilverWave J13082 after taking a look at its successor, is a bit backwards, but it took me some real time to track one of these – and then they came in multiples.  Still, it’s worth going through the details.  Similar to the later model, the 50M edition contains a big ridged crown meant to be used in either slippery (wet) conditions or possibly with gloves.  It contrasts nicely with the svelte all-stainless case that comes in at 37mm and gives the watch a bit more visual heft than, say, a normal three-hand Seiko of the time.  (Of note, perhaps it was a bit harder to turn that bezel when the watch was new, but you’d be foolhardy for using this for more than an egg timer now.  The crown rotates very easily and, therefore, turns the bi-directional bezel.)  You’ll also find applied silver markers with lumed rectangles at the inside edge of each.  Lume wasn’t a common thing for Seiko at the time, so when we see it on the triangular hands and at the top marker of the internal bezel, it’s a sure sign that you’re viewing a watch with sporty intentions.  Another desirable trait of all early SilverWaves is the use of some lovely script on the dial.  I’m usually not an admirer of so much writing, but it’s nicely done here with a real mixture of styles and even a dash of blue color to denote the water resistance.

The Cal.603 Became the 62xx

Inside the Seiko SilverWave J13082, we find the Seikosha Seikomatic cal. 603 automatic.  It’s nothing uber fancy with its 20 jewels and 18,000 bph frequency, but it was later renamed as the 6201 and it’s the basis of all 62xx movements we know and love from watches such as the 62MAS and early 6215 300 meter diver.  Like with most Seiko’s it cannot be hand wound, but as is also the case with most movements from this period, one only has to pick them up to get them moving.  That’s pretty impressive, but it does make keeping the watch at a photogenic 10:10 quite difficult – a first world problem indeed.

37mm – And Perfect

The Seiko SilverWave J13082 comes in at 37mm in diameter and roughly 44mm in length, so it’s an extremely comfortable wear.  Whether on a strap or on the lovely original stainless bracelet with spring loaded clasp (why don’t companies make these today?), it’s a good look – and drilled lugs make changes simple.  It looks a bit smaller than its similarly sized 30M successor due to a number of factors.  I measure the lug width at 18mm versus the later model’s 19mm, but it’s more than that.  A tall acrylic crystal with angled sides and a flat top bring in the size of the dial.  Plus, the internal rotating bezel slopes downward sharply towards the dial and this makes things look smaller.  Finally, the lugs themselves are artfully sculpted – there’s no doubt that this watch was a more expensive piece to manufacture than the later version – and somewhat thin.  There are no negatives here, just stylistic differences that add up to a more expensive looking watch in the 50M variant than what would come later with the 30M.

Clean Pieces are Hard to Find

Hunting an early piece like the Seiko SilverWave J13082 can be challenging.  I saw so few for sale over the past 5-6 years, but then a few popped up and I was fortunate enough to win them.  The piece on the bracelet arrived as is and was apparently a one-owner watch from Japan, while the other came with a shattered crystal and refused to run.  A third piece is still in the spa, so let’s see how that looks when finished.  You’ll note that each of these has some dial staining and that’s not uncommon.  The seals for these watches – especially at the crown – deteriorated over time and it’s not hard to imagine that daily moves in and out of cool indoor spaces to the hot and humid let in some moisture.  Plus, let’s be honest, they weren’t overly water resistant to begin with.  So, if you’re out for a perfect piece, they’re out there but you’ll need loads of patience.  There are other things to watch out for on these watches such as the case back condition.  Also, original crystals come up, but rarely.  One of these pieces has an original and the other has an aftermarket substitute that does a decent job.  Also, if an internal rotating bezel no longer rotates, it’s likely shot.  On the positive front, the movements are highly serviceable as there are plenty of donors in existence on less desirable watches.

Final Thoughts

With pricing in the $500 – 1000 range (and creeping upwards steadily), the Seiko SilverWave J13082 represents an important milestone in Seiko history as the first diver-like watch.  More than that, though, it’s so wearable as an everyday watch and exemplifies a watch that could be worn with about anything and, in its day (with a fresh set of seals), could do about anything.  Perhaps that’s why I liken it to a simple, sporty 4-cylinder sports car that feels good to use.  If that comparison doesn’t work for you, then just trust me that this would be one of the more satisfying, and practical, vintage buys for your collection.

Watch specifications

Model

SilverWave

Reference

J13082

Case Material

Stainless Steel

Case Dimensions

37mm Diameter, 44mm Length

Crystal

Acrylic

Case Back

Two-piece screw down

Movement

Cal. 603 Automatic, 18,000 bph, 20 jewels, non hand winding

Water Resistance

50 meters

Strap

Stainless Steel Bracelet (originally)

Functions

Time with rotating bi-directional internal dive bezel (crown actuated)

Special Note(s)

Produced from 1961-1964

from Best Watches For Men http://bit.ly/2VrLXIl