Complications

Patek Philippe Aquanaut - The Quintesential Warm Weather Watch

There's a lot to like about the Patek Philippe Aquanaut.  For me, it's the perfect fusion of dress watch and sports watch.  Introduced in 1997 and now offered in two sizes (ref. 5165 is 38mm and ref. 5167 is 40mm), the case design and striking dial of the Aquanaut make it a stand out in a crowd.

I prefer the size and wrist presence of the ref. 5167.  I normally wear big watches and really like the fact that the large Aquanaut doesn't feel or look small on my wrist.

Perfectly suited for a day on the water or post links cocktails, the Aquanaut is one of those watches that will rarely leave your wrist.  Although its lack of a rotating bezel might disqualify it from actual diving, it is waterproof to 12 ATM's and entirely at home in the open water.

Inside the Patek Aquanaut 5167 is the Patek Philippe Caliber 315 SC automatic movement - it has 30 jewels, is decorated with the Seal of Geneva, boasts a 46 hour power reserve and beats at 21,600 vph.

The Patek Philippe Aquanaut is shod in a black tropical rubber strap that's secured with a deployant buckle.  It's super comfortable and perfect for long hot days that extend into interesting late nights. 

The MSRP of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5167 is $13,900 USD.   

Pierre DeRoche GrandCliff Double Retrograde Skyscrapers - A Unique Take on the Retrograde Concept

Pierre Dubois brings to his Pierre DeRoche brand not only the legacy of watchmaking excellence that he inherited from his family, the founders and operators of the world renowned movement house Dubois Depraz; but the experience that he gained as the Chief Financial Officer of Audemars Piguet.  Pierre's family history gives him a distinct advantage over many of the other independent houses in Switzerland but, more importantly, the passion that he has for creating exceptional and unique watches is evident throughout the Pierre DeRoche line. 

The Pierre DeRoche GrandCliff Double Retrograde Skyscrapers is an extremely compelling take on the illustration of time en retrograde.  Unique to the Skyscrapers is the central point of origin for both the hour and minute retrograde display - the result being what might appear, at first glance, to be a traditional arrangement but instead has the hour hand moving between an arc of three dimensional rhodium plated markers on the left side of the dial while the minute hand ticks off the passage of time over a necessarily larger arc on the right side.  Seconds are displayed in a 360 degree fashion in a subdial just right of center. 

A single screw down crown on the right side of the 42.5mm brushed stainless steel case controls the setting functions of the GrandCliff Double Retrograde Skyscrapers. 

Inside the Skyscrapers is the Dubois Depraz caliber automatic movement - a flawless execution from a house at the pinnacle of the Swiss interpretation of the art of watchmaking. 

The Pierre DeRoche GrandCliff Double Retrograde Skyscrapers has gotten the attention of many collectors who appreciate the attention to detail and creative license inherit to an independent brand and demand a superior level of quality in the watches that they own.  MSRP is 16,100 CHF. 

Oris Carlos Coste Chronograph - A Free Diving Phenom

Carlos Coste, a native of Caracas Venezuela, can attest to the forces that wreak havoc on things submerged 140 meters below the surface - he's been there - without an auxiliary air source - a feat that secured his status as the world record holder for Variable Weight Free-Diving (AIDA - International Association for the Development of Apnea).  Free-Diving is diving in its most basic form - there's no need for tanks - just the ability to hold your breath for a ridiculous amount of time and maintain orientation and survival instincts as the lights start to go out.  A word to the wise - don't try this at home!

The Oris Carlos Coste Chronograph is clearly a watch worthy of the achievements of its namesake.  Although my breath holding skills are limited to about the time that it takes for a well hit drive to settle onto the fairway - and I'm much more comfortable with the idea of breathing underwater than I am at having to hold my breath, it's easy for me to imagine the capabilities that a free diver would be looking for when selecting a watch: 

First of course, as with any diving watch, the water needs to stay on the outside of the case - the Carlos Coste Chronograph is waterproof to 1000 meters. 

Then there's the size of the watch and the dial arrangement - as the amount of oxygen in your blood begins to wane, your ability to focus clearly on small things diminishes - as things get a bit murky, the hands and markers of your watch must be large and legible for there to be any chance of you being able to read them - the Oris Carlos Coste is a huge watch (47mm) with a large and uncluttered dial - its contrasting orange hands and indexes are easy to read in low light conditions. 

And finally, there needs to be a seconds hand since, unlike SCUBA diving, seconds are important in Free-Diving.  The Carlos Coste Chrono has one - it's subdialed at 3 o'clock and it too features a bright orange arrow-tipped hand. 

Much of the practice that Free-Divers do consists of extended breath holding exercises done topside - for those, the chronograph functions of this gigantic Oris will come in handy.  There's a 'destro' orientation to the crown and pushers - they're on the left side of the case instead of the right - some think it's a better arrangement for the activation of the chronograph functions and it's certainly more comfortable to wear. 

There is a date and day display side-by-side in the 9 o'clock space.  A uni-directional bezel provides a 60 minute scale for the bottom time tracking important to SCUBA divers.  There's also a screw down helium escape valve at 2 o'clock on the off chance that a commercial diver takes the plunge with an Oris Carlos Coste on his or her wrist. 

The case and bracelet are titanium and the bracelet has the requisite wet suit extension.  The caseback is vault-like and engraved with the limited edition information (#xxxx/2000).  It's also a bit convex and very comfortable up against your wrist.  Inside is the Oris 678 Automatic Movement - it's based on the ETA 7750, has a 42 hour power reserve, 25 jewels and beats at 28,800 vph.  Most obvious in the Oris re-work of the ETA workhorse 7750 is the brilliant red rotor that has become an Oris tradition. 

The Oris Carlos Coste Chronograph is part of the Oris Divers Series.  It's a limited production piece (2000 examples) and has a MSRP of $3195. USD.  Whether or not you aspire to visit the depths sans tank, this is a striking watch with a great deal of functionality and many very well thought out details.       

 

Edox Class-1 GMT Automatic Titanium - Equally at Home Across the Oceans or in Them

Edox is a great independent Swiss watch house with a history dating back to the late 1800s when Christian Ruefli-Flury registered the Edox name and opened a workshop that specialized in refining and decorating base movements.  Acquired in 1973 by ASUAG, the predecessor of today's Swatch Group; the brand languished until Victor Strambini, the current President, took it private again in 1983.  Since then, Edox has been steadily increasing its sales and re-affirming its reputation as a high quality old-line Swiss brand.

The Edox Class-1 GMT Titanium is a tough-as-nails oversized (45mm) travel timer that's just as comfortable swimming in the open water as it is hurling through timezones at 39,000 feet. 

To track the time in a second zone, there's a center mounted orange tipped GMT hand that makes one revolution around the dial every 24 hours.  Between the luminous markers on the inner track are the orange arabic numerals that the GMT hand targets.  The ceramic 24-hour bezel provides a way to either indicate the current time in a third zone or monitor elapsed time in the second one.  Rounding out the dial display is an  expanded date window at 3 o'clock.

While it's 24 hour bezel won't appeal to divers who need their watch to track bottom time, those who rely on their dive computer for that function will appreciate the 50 atm depth rating of the Class-1 GMT.  If mixed gas is your bag, there's even a screw-in helium escape valve at 10 o'clock to keep things working when bottom time and depth exceeds sport diving parameters. 

Inside the Edox Class-1 GMT is the Edox Caliber 93 automatic movement - using 49 jewels and beating at 28,800 vph it's based on the ETA 2893.

Supplied with a really comfortable and versatile rubber strap that's secured by a deployant buckle, the Edox Class-1 GMT Titanium can be found here in the US for less than $2,000 - it's easily comparable to watches costing thrice that much.   

            

Schaumburg Watch Aquamatic No. 3 - A Diver for Insiders

In Lower Saxony in the Schaumburg region of Germany is Schaumburg Watch, a small workshop that's producing some fantastic watches in very limited numbers.  Propelled by a proud team of creative designers and talented watchmakers, Schaumburg Watch has gotten the attention of a small but growing group of watch collectors who appreciate the allure of a watch that's both exceptional and a bit obscure.

The Schaumburg Watch Aquamatic No. 3 is a blue dialed version of Schaumburg's Aquamatic model.  Designed to accept the generous dose of banging around that comes with underwater operations, the Aquamatic No. 3 has a robust stainless steel case (42mm in diameter - almost 17mm thick) and a substantial and well protected screw down crown.   The unidirectional bezel of the Aquamatic provides a reliable indication of bottom time and is easily manipulated with neoprene gloves.  For mixed gas / commercial divers, there's a helium escape valve and a waterproof rating of 3000 ft.  Other than the inclusion of a date in the 6 o'clock space - a nice feature since even the watch of the most prolific underwater adventurer will spend much more time topside than below the surface, the Aquamatic is about as no-nonsense a diving watch as can be had.

Inside of the Schaumburg Aquamatic is the Caliber SW 20A - it's based on the ETA 2824 - a solid choice since reliability in adverse conditions is a design requirement and service needs to be simple and easy to find. 

Besides the allure of knowing that you're wearing a watch that very few people will recognize but most will wonder about, there's another benefit in acquiring a Schaumburg Watch - the value equation.  A small and carefully executed advertising strategy means that you'll be paying for the materials intrinsic to the watch and the time of the skilled master watchmaker who made it and not the Madison Avenue fluff that's built into the price of most big production fine watches.  If you can do without a COSC (you can - this is a tool watch remember!), the Schaumburg Watch Aquamatic can be had for $1400 US  (COSC'd version is $1940) - a bargain!  Buy one now before the world gets wind of what's going on at that small workshop in Schaumburg.   

Kobold Large Soarway Diver - A Perfect Dive Watch?

Kobold, a watch company that began in the college dorm room (Carnegie Mellon) of its founder Michael Kobold, is, just a decade later, known throughout the world as a manufacturer of exceptional watches for adventurers.  While much of the success of the brand might be attributed to Kobold's philosophy of enlisting the guidance of professionals in the field for which a watch is being designed to assist with its development; stellar customer service combined with a strictly controlled annual production that allows Kobold to maintain a high level of connection with his customers has surely made a significant contribution to the reputation that Kobold enjoys - a Kobold watch is among the best of the best.

Like a lot of our regular readers, I do a lot of diving.  While arguably my dive watches spend much more time on a dry wrist, all of them have gotten wet at one point or another and some have accumulated some serious bottom time.  For diving, I prefer a rugged tool watch with basic and reliable functionality to some gee-whiz chronograph that can be operated 3000 feet below the surface and compute split times. 

I gravitate to watches like the Kobold Large Soarway Diver with it's huge (45mm+) and robust case, easy to see and grab bezel and clean simple dial.  It's obvious that someone who spends a lot of time underwater had a great deal of input into the design of this watch - that someone is Philippe Cousteau, the grandson of world famous underwater adventurer Jacques Yves Cousteau and the co-founder (along with his sister Alexandra) of Earth Echo International, a conservation organization to which Kobold has pledged the proceeds from the sale of the Large Soarway Diver.

The Kobold Large Soarway Diver is waterproof to 500 meters, anti-magnetic (thanks to an inner soft iron case) and shock resistant.  Inside the vault-like stainless steel case is an ETA 2824-A2 that has a Glucydur balance, a Nivarox 1 mainspring and INCABLOC shock protection.  Kobold includes a waterproof nylon strap for underwater missions and a nice leather strap for topside pursuits.

If you are a tool watch purist and want a robust no-frills dive watch that will surely survive anything that you or many future generations may be able to throw at it, you'll find a lot to like about the Kobold Large Soarway Diver.

MSRP is $4250 and production is limited to 150 pieces.

JeanRichard 2 Time Zones - An Easy Traveler

The JeanRichard 2 Time Zones is one of those watches that you just can't stop looking at.  The large (43mm) and symmetrical case provides the perfect frame for the simple yet compelling dial arrangement.

Unique to the 2 Time Zone is the display of the second zone in a 24 hour format (AM/PM) just below 12 o'clock.  The corresponding world reference city is illustrated in a window that replaces the 6 o'clock marker.  There's a date display at 3 o'clock that occupies the inner half of the marker there - perfectly preserving the balance between the right and left sides of the dial.

To adjust the 2nd time zone display, there's a second crown on the left side of the case.  Pushers next to the left hand crown provide both a quick adjustment (in +1 and -1 hour increments) for the second zone and a symmetric answer to the guards that surround the main crown.

Inside the JeanRichard 2 Time Zones is the JR Caliber 1060 automatic movement.  It's based on the JR Caliber 1000 - a Sowind Group exclusive for JeanRichard.

The JeanRichard 2 Time Zones is shod in a crocodile strap that's secured with a deployant buckle.  MSRP is $7650 US.

      

Arnold & Son True North Perpetual - Astronomy 201

Arnold & Son, one of the very early and very influential firms in the history of British watchmaking has been revitalized with the help of The British Masters - a Swiss firm with lofty goals along with the experience and dedication to achieve them. 

John Arnold, the patriarch of the brand was a contemporary of Abraham-Louis Breguet.  Arnold crafted the chronometer that Breguet mounted his first tourbillon onto.  Arnold chronometers were omnipresent among members of the British Royal Navy and also, more famously, the timepiece of choice for many noted explorers - Sir Ernest Shackleton and Captain Cook among them.

Today Arnold & Son maintains its ties to early navigation with many complications that center on the relationship between the time and astronomy and their correlation with navigation.

The Arnold & Son True North Perpetual is a compilation of astronomical complications that's very unique.  Besides its perpetual calendar functions that include displays for date, month, moon phase and leap year; the True North Perpetual displays a double equation of time (the difference between the apparent solar time (sundial) and the mean solar time (clock)), apparent solar time, true North and its power in reserve.

To legibly convey all of this information, the True North Perpetual uses a 45mm bezel-less case.  The moonphase display is between 9 and 10 o'clock, there's a power reserve display at 11, date at 4, months and leap year at 1 and equation of time (in minutes) at 7.  The internal bi-directionally rotating bezel indicates solar time as well as the equation of time.  There's a 24 hour hand to indicate local solar time that can also display the time in a second zone against the 24 hour scale.  Despite the comprehensive nature of the display, it is surprisingly easy to interpret and logically arranged.

The heart of the Arnold & Son True North Perpetual is Arnold & Son's manually wound Caliber 1794 movement - it has 41 jewels, a 168-hour power reserve and, at 40mm, is huge by most standards.  A sapphire crystal display back offers a glimpse into the works.

As shown in 18K white gold and fitted with a crocodile strap and deployant buckle, the MSRP of the Arnold & Son True North Perpetual is $70,900 - money well spent if you appreciate grand complications and stellar watchmaking.

Patek Philippe Calatrava 5127 - The Perfect Legacy Watch

If one watch had to be chosen as the epitome of classic fine mechanical timepieces, it would be easy to make the argument that the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5127 is without equal. 

The 5127, with its perfectly simple dial and traditional case design is about as classically Patek Philippe as any watch in the current collection of the house that many in the know point to as the pinnacle of luxury watch manufacturers. 

At 37mm in diameter and 8.5mm thick, the Patek 5127 will feel small if you're accustomed to wearing one of the 44 or 47mm monsters that are de regur in most collections today - but a Patek is supposed to feel refined and a bit old school - always current in a classic sort of way - and the 5127 does. 

Inside the Calatrava 5127 is the Patek Philippe Caliber 315 SC, a 29 jewel automatic movement that beats at 21,600 vph and is adorned with the Seal of Geneva as a proud testament to its pedigree.  A stunning example of the quality of the work that the master watchmakers at the Patek workshop produce, this simple yet exceptional powerplant can be viewed through the exhibition caseback.

The Patek Calatrava is supplied with a crocodile strap that's secured by a classic Patek Philippe signature buckle.

The current price of the Patek Philippe 5127 is $17,950 US in yellow gold.  White and rose gold versions are $19,500 US.

The legacy aspect of owning a Patek Philippe has been the focus of much of Patek's advertising efforts and certainly something that many collectors consider when investing in a top tier timepiece.  The Patek Calatrava 5127 is, in so many ways, the perfect watch to pass on to future generations.      

Vogard Super Traveler - The Ultimate Multi-Zoner

When Michael Vogt founded Vogard, he had a singular goal in mind - to produce the 'best travelers watch ever'.  With the help of Thomas Prescher, an independent master watchmaker from Switzerland, the Timezoner system was developed.  Currently awaiting patent, it integrates elements of the bezel, case and movement to produce an easy to activate and fool proof way of determining the time in multiple time zones around the world.

Vogard's Timezoner system is the first to display corrections for Daylight Savings Time automatically - an important consideration if you travel widely and throughout the year.

The Vogard Super Traveler is the flagship of the Vogard collection and an advanced version of their very popular Vogard Business Officer watch.  It is the only multi-zone watch to feature an indication of the local time in 36 seperate locations and to provide correction in all zones for Daylight Savings Time if it's appropriate. 

To activate the Timezoner system and determine a local time, you first unlock the bezel by way of the lever on the right side of the case.  Then the bezel is rotated (it's bi-directional) to align the city in question with the 12 o'clock marker - if the city is one that observes Daylight Savings Time there will be a line extending from its name out to an 's' - line up on the 's' instead to account for the time difference.  As you rotate the bezel, the hour hand along with the 24 hour hand rotate in unison to display local time in the city indicated and, in the case of the 24 hour hand, indicate the time of day.

Inside the Super Traveler, and visible through its sapphire crystal display back, is the Vogard Cailber Timezoner 01 automatic movement.  It's a base ETA 2892-A2 that's been modified to couple the crown wheel with the rotating bezel - an innovation that dramatically simplifies the calculation of the local time in multiple zones.

The crown is at 2 o'clock to account for the large and easy to deploy bezel release lever on the right side of the case.  There's a date indication between 4 and 5 o'clock and a center mounted seconds hand.  The dial arrangement is nice and clean with a very logical and easy to read presentation. 

The case of the Vogard Super Traveler is stainless steel and 43mm in diameter.  On the wrist it's both comfortable and high scoring in the presence category - choose the yellow strap option to really make it stand out or the black strap if you'd rather not draw attention to yourself.  In either case, there's a deployant buckle to secure the crocodile strap to your wrist.

The MSRP of the Vogard Super Traveler is $6,700 US - an excellent value for an extremely well constructed Swiss travelers watch with a very high degree of unique technical capabilities.

If you can own only one multi-timezone travelers watch - I'd say that this is the one to buy!

Be sure to check out the Vogard website where you'll find a great animation of the Super Traveler.