The Superocean dates back to 1957, designed to be the ideal diver watch for recreational and professional people. Over the years there have been multiple varaitions and changes of designs to the Superocean model. Now we have a Superocean chronograph that not only helps drivers but also by helping clean out oceans from waste.

Watches that do itself good for the environment should really catch the attention of many. The watch itself is 44mm, in a black DLC-coated stainless steel case with the Outerknown logo engraved on the caseback. The COSC-certified chronometer features an ultra-hard scratch and shock-resistant unidirectional ceramic bezel with a luminescent central dot at the 12 o’clock position. It is also powered by the Breitling Caliber 13 mechanical chronograph movement.  The blue dial features great blue tones to underline the effort to help clean out oceans.

“By introducing the ECONYL yarn strap, we are taking another important step in our commitment to sustainability. We are looking forward to introducing other great watches equipped with these straps in the future,” said Breitling CEO Georges Kern at an event in London last week.

Recently the actor has been going through many ups and downs. He was once the highest paid actor on TV but has been going through his own problems such as his alcohol and drug addiction. Since then he has cleaned himself up. In an interview with Jansen YouTube Channel in 2017, he was seen wearing a Patek Philippe Ref. 5712 with a blue dial. This Patek is no ordinary watch and is highly prized timepiece with a price of $52,500.

In 2013 he was the lead actor in a Lance Armstrong movie that never came to be. The movie deal was reported by The Potato online site as being produced by JJ Abrams. A photograph from The Potato features Charlie Sheen wearing a Patek Ref. 5970/1p. This same exact watch was lost by him in a hotel room and it is not yet clear if he has gotten it returned.

Charlie has been known to have many more Pateks in his collection. It is known by close connections that Charlie Sheen has one of the largest and most impressive vintage Patek collections of any ‘celebrity’ collector and rarely buys any other brand.

He is spotted here in his 2012-2014 TV series: Anger Management episode “Charlie’s Dad Visits” with a Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox.

Grand Seiko Snowflake

We begin with perhaps the most popular watch within the Grand Seiko range. The Snowflake, originally the SBGA011, and now SBGA211 with the new GS livery. The watch sports a proprietary Spring Drive movement, and is finished to the high and exacting standards needed to make it a Grand Seiko.

The dial is a very special textured surface, and provides hours of fun watching it play with the light. Amazing watch, and represents a good introduction into the great horology world of Seiko.

Seiko Pressage 60th Anniversary Automatic Limited Edition with Urushi

Moving to a more affordable price,  priced at €,2,800 (about S,$4,500). This is the Pressage 60th Anniversary Limited Edition, and the one we picked is  presented with a traditional Japanese Urushi dial.

This Seiko features a fully in-house automatic chronograph movement and is limited to 1000 pieces. More than anything, the visual design is very appealing with a sleek curved case.  The black base is made from the application of numerous layers of sap from Japanese lacquer trees. This is done under the watchful eye of Mr Isshu Tamura who is a master of the art of Urushi lacquer techniques.

Seiko PADI Automatic Diver

With an even more affordable price, the Seiko Automatic Diver priced at a mere S$ 667.70. This watch features its very atrractive red and blue “Pepsi” styled bezel. The case is a tonneau shape, which in fact Seiko enthusiasts have named Turtle. It is rated for up to 200 meters and the indices on the dial are wonderfully large to allow good legibility under the dark conditions of the deep.

In the video below, NOMOS Glashütte shows how the master watchmaker creates the in-house movement. All of their movements are built in-house and by ourselves in Glashütte. This also applies to their watches—Tangente, Orion, Zürich and all the other models. This short film can give you a first impression of what they do.

The first BR-X1 Skeleton was released back in 2015, featuring a grade 5 titanium case with rubber protection around it. Push buttons of ceramic with rubber inserts were sturdy and ergonomic. The crystal dial also fascinated with a detailed view of the mechanical depth within the watch.

After four years into the collection, Bell & Ross has added many watches to the BR-X range. Each new watch sported a new color, material, or movement. The most popular being the BR-X1 Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire Black featuring a tourbillon encased in sapphire crystal. The BR-X1 Military is not as fascinating but still sports  the same cal. 313 self-winding chronograph movement, and the characteristics described above, except that the case is now fashioned from High Resistance Titanium (HRT) which has matte surface and is more resistant to scratches than titanium.

Timing scales and tachymeter can be found with a khaki color while the rest feature more of an olive accent. Added with the black ceramic and rubber really brings this watch together nicely. It has a tasteful aesthetic to it that has strong military and army feels to it.

The BR-X1 Military is a little too precious for the woods, but we love SUVs anyway. Available in a limited edition of 250 pieces, retailing at CHF 22,330.

James Stacey – A. Lange & Söhne (Germany)

A. Lange & Söhne doesn’t need much introduction but this small German watch manufacturer has been producing one of the finest watches over the years. Germany has been had a strong watchmaking history in the past and A. Lange & Söhne has paved a good part of it. Their watches are full of uniqueness while being gorgeous and distinctive. They focus on featuring watches that are beautifully subtle with complexity. A.Lange & Söhne is the heart of German watchmaking.

Jack Forster – Grand Seiko (Japan)

Grand Seiko is one of those brands that really shows you do no have to be a Swiss brand to succeed in the watchmaking world. The Japanese brand has been designing amazing watches since the start of the 20th century and since then has had a name for themselves. The philosophy of quality that informs them is so characteristically Japanese which makes it so incredible. Grand Seiko doesn’t aspire to resemble a great Swiss watch; instead, it strives to be the best possible Japanese watch. Grand Seiko has shown great evidence that you can be at any part of the world to create such a wonderful timepiece.

Stephen Pulvirent – Sarpaneva (Finland)

Many people would not think as Finland as a country for watchmaking rather one for hockey legends or  telecom companies like Nokia. Sarpaneva has been producing watches from the center of Helsinki. Their watches have a completely different feel to them having a rock n’ roll feeling to them. With the signature moon grinning back at you from the often layered dials. They also has a line of slightly lower priced pieces under the brand S.U.F that are intended for the Finnish domestic market and play off local culture and use local materials. It is very fascinating to see a watch brand like this using their own materials and building watches in their own turf while making watches that are nothing alike to the ‘Swiss’ style.

The models that used the Rubber B straps include various Panerai models (Luminor, 1950 & Submersible),  which feature a nice and elegant feel to it. The rugged Vulcanized Rubber strap that incorporates many Rubber B original patented technologies.

Each and every Rubber B strap includes solid carbon insert that has been micro-calibrated to provide a motionless, rotation-less, and gap-free mount to the 44mm Luminor case. This helps with the weight of the watch being too heavy making it balanced, secure, and comfortable.

All the products and straps produced by Rubber B is 100% manufactured and produced in Swiss horology specialized workshops. In the same factory as many independent luxury watch brand straps you know and trust. Rubber B straps are made of natural, supple, allergy free, lint free, and chemical free vulcanized rubber for a comfortable and reliable fit.

These inserts within the strap ensure a safe, dependable mount to its intended watch and clasp, along with ease of spring bar insertion. Most importantly, Rubber B is the only integrated strap company in the world which features the most respected and internationally regulated marking “Swiss Made” on the actual product bodies, so the purchasing value is very clear.

The main eye catcher in this watch is mainly the skull in the dial. A patented fluidic module and exclusive mechanical calibre bring this to life. The colored liquid brings reflection to the watch which is a main symbol.

The coolest part about this piece is the intimidating eyes. No matter what, just giving this watch a little stare will definitely intimidate you in some way. Behind the right eye is a rotating disc expressing the passing of each precious second as it fades from dark to pale.

Most importantly, light and color really brings this watch to life. The three versions each incorporate their colors respectively.

This deliberate tension fascinates the eye, as does the effect of light on the differently treated, unmistakably modern grey surfaces. The watches come equipped on grey fabric straps with accents that  matches each respective skull colours.

Basics:

• Mechanical with manual winding, exclusive HYT calibre
• 28,800 Vph, 4 Hz, 35 jewels
• Bridges hand-bevelled and adorned with Côtes de Genève, rhodium-plated bellows
• 65-hour power reserve

• Titanium, satin and sandblasted finishes
• Black rubber sheathed screw-in titanium crown
• Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the dial side
• Screw-on case back, sapphire crystal
• Water-resistant up to 100 metres

Mazzuoli wanted something other than conventional designs. Instead of the basic dials, he chose to draw inspiration from a pressure gauge. The word “manometro”, in fact, translates to pressure gauge in English. Although many collections such as the Contagiri, Manometro has always been the flagship collection.

The Manometro Camouflage is a time-only watch with three hands from the center. The watch features a chunky 45.5mm x 13.5mm case, offset winding crown at 2 o’clock,  and is powered using the trusty ETA 2824 movement. Hence the name, the “camouflage” pattern is available in four different colors – forest green, navy blue, desert beige and urban black. And equipped with the dial and strap of each matching and respective watch in a complementing colour.

Its case is made strictly in Italy, in Mazzuoli’s Florentine, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa laboratories using a composite material of coloured resin in a great labour-intensive process. These colors can be achieved by using pigments extracted from stones and minerals and have a high resistance to both light and heat.

The Queen of Naples played a big part in the history of women’s watches for Breguet. These fabulous wristwatches combine mechanical movements with an oval shaped case where the exquisite dial is seen as an eye-catcher. What makes this concept so important is that all these watches and timepieces are created specifically for ladies which no other watchmaker could do. They come equipped with a variety of  beautiful dial options all crafted with precise detail.

The fascinating part about Breguet’s watches is that their beauty doesn’t just lie on the outside but also in the inside. These watches are very serious mechanical creations. The timepiece that portrays this best is the Tradition Dame, which the mechanics can be seen through the dial. The mechanics are very intriguing on a elegant and feminine watch. What adds more beauty is the subtle details such as the diamonds set around the bezel.

Breguet’s traditional dial features a  guilloche design on the dial while many other Breguet timepieces also feature a mother-of-pearl dial. Breguet has become a master in working with this fragile material and can not only engrave it but also offer it with refined guilloche patterns. Given that, the exceptional is that they are all created by hand. The result is however of such a refined elegance that it without a doubt would have pleased Abraham-Louis Breguet himself.