Complications

OCEAN7 LM-6 - A Top Sub $1000 Diver

Mitch Feig and his crew at OCEAN7 seem to have found the perfect blend of rugged tool watch design, flawless operation and wrist impact with the OCEAN7 LM-6.  While the ranking officers at most watch companies are content with making an appearance at the awards ceremony of a sponsored event or doing the meet and greet at the shows, Mitch seems to be most interested in interacting with his customers - getting their feedback, answering their questions and even seeking their advice.  He actively participates in the OCEAN7 forum where you can ask him a question or pass along your opinions. 

On to the LM-6.  As many of you know, I'm somewhat obsessed with tool watches - more specifically dive watches.  I'm always on the lookout for a watch that's heavy in function and brings just the right amount of form to the equation too.  The 'perfect' dive watch to me is one that looks much more at home kicking the silt up at 90 feet than it does tucked beneath a french cuff (not that I don't advocate defying convention a bit and wearing a no-nonsense tool watch with a suit).  It also needs to feel like it will stand up to just about anything - and then deliver on that promise.  The OCEAN7 LM-6 handily meets all of these requirements and there's more.  The more is the fact that you can buy one for $799. USD - directly from the manufacturer (roughly four for the price of one Omega or six for the price of one Rolex) and then there's the exceptional camaraderie of the owners group you can interact with on the aforementioned forum... Oceanisti anyone?

The LM-6 is a big watch by any standard - it's 44mm diameter and 16mm thickness are a testament to the vault-like nature of the case that keeps the works dry down to 500 meters and protected from anything you are likely to encounter beneath the surface or on terra firma.  It has a great wrist presence with just enough clunk to remind you that you are wearing it.  The bezel has 120-clicks and is uni-directional and is easy to manipulate when it's wet and you are wearing gloves.  The elapsed time markers on the bezel are deeply engraved and easy to read - the orange minutes hand of the LM-6 makes for a perfect low-light indication of bottom time.  The crown of the LM-6 is robust, easy to unscrew and manipulate and protected by some serious steel. 

While there's a lot to like about the LM-6, if I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be the dial.  It's simple and uncluttered and just perfect to my eye.  Even the date window at 6 o'clock is designed to avoid distracting from the much more important work at hand.

The OCEAN7 LM-6 is available in black, blue, yellow and orange dials and with a variety of straps or a stainless steel bracelet.  It's 24mm lugs make it a perfect target for all sorts of interesting strap combinations.  Even with a lot of other options in the stable, this is a watch that will spend a lot of time on your wrist!

This is the part where I usually say that if you are looking for this or that then maybe you should consider the watch that I'm reviewing - I need to go a few steps beyond that with the LM-6!  If you like watches enough to be reading this blog - BUY THIS WATCH!          

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.   

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.

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.      

 

Jaeger-Le Coultre Memovox Tribute to Polaris - A Must Have Re-Edition of a Classic

There are good looking watches and great looking watches and then there are a few watches that it's tough to imagine ever taking off of your wrist - the huge (for its time) JLC Memovox Polaris, manufactured by Jaeger-Le Coultre from 1965-1970 is definitely one of just a handful of watches that makes it into the latter column in my book.  Technically the first watch designed for diving that featured an alarm, its real appeal back then most likely rested in the fact that it was, as a result of its size, extraordinarily easy to read.   

A target of collectors since production stopped in 1970, an original Memovox Polaris is almost impossible to find now.  Anyone who has one won't part with it easily - that's for sure.

Luckily though, for 768 lucky watch aficionados, Jaeger is offering a re-edition of the celebrated Jaeger-Le Coultre Memovox Polaris this year.  It is undoubtedly the one new watch to buy this year if you are buying only one. 

The new Memovox Polaris, as you might imagine since it is a re-edition, is a very faithful replica of its predecessor.  Jaeger has even abandoned the now ubiquitous sapphire crystal in favor of a domed synthetic glass that's accurate to the original design specifications.

The dial of the Polaris is perfection - there's plenty of room for all of the indicators, nothing is superfluous and everything is just where you'd want it to be.  Conspicuous in its absence is an external bezel of any sort (the internal bezel rotates to log bottom time) to take the focus away from the important stuff.  A hallmark of the original version, the triangle that marks the alarm time is there too - it's subtle but spot on.

Inside of the Jaeger-Le Coultre Memovox Polaris (2008) is the Jaeger Calibre 956 manually wound movement.  It should be even more reliable (and accurate) than the original powerplant with the modern technology it incorporates but it still features a suspended gong - the feature that made the alarm of the original audible underwater and the subject of much of the advertising for the Polaris back in the late 60s. 

On the wrist, the look and even the feel of the 42mm Polaris is like no other watch you've ever worn.  It isn't often that you find a watch without a single design element that couldn't use some tweaking - the Jaeger-Le Coultre Memovox Polaris is one of those watches!

Jaeger is making 768 of these in stainless steel - fly don't drive to your JLC authorized dealer!

 

Seasonal Strap Switcheroo - Ditch the Leather - Summer is Here!

It's Memorial Day weekend here in the US - the unofficial start of summer.  For me one of the rituals that comes with the warmer weather is picking out a few watches that will be my summer standards and then fitting them up with straps that are waterproof and can't be damaged by the ocean, swimming pool, or generous doses of perspiration. 

Besides the durability factor, a nice silicon rubber strap can make any watch more comfortable to wear and give it a sporty look that works well with the more laid back pace of a hot summer day.  The whole 'personality' of a watch can be changed by simply changing a strap.  Even with a suit, the case of a stainless steel watch shod in a black rubber dive strap definitely conveys the message that there's another side of you that isn't at all uptight.   

How do you change a watch strap?  The process is simple:  measure the strap you have at the lugs of your watch (mm's please) - the strap sizes are shown as width at lugs / width at buckle (some silicon straps come with a buckle so this measurement doesn't matter) and then length of long side / length of short side (most rubber straps will fit any adult wrist), find a quality silicon strap that will fit your watch, remove the strap that's there now (a simple process requiring either a watchmakers screwdriver or a springbar tool) and install the new strap by just reversing the process.  10 minutes if you've never done it before and aren't particularly good with tools - 2 minutes if you're an old pro.  The reward is what will look and feel like a brand new watch.   

Marathon TSAR Dive Watch - Perfection Government Style?

I've known for a few months that the Marathon TSAR is pretty damn close to perfect as dive watches go.  It's constructed to endure all sorts of abuse. It's uni-directional bezel and crown are easy to grab on to and designed to integrate with big hands and/or neoprene gloves.  Instead of the normal painted on luminous markers and hands, there are Tritium vials that produce an intense amount of light.  There's even a date wheel at 4:30 to make the TSAR topside friendly as well.  True to it's 'Government' designation, the TSAR features military time references inside of it's marker track. 

The final test, of course, for any dive watch is what happens when it's in the drink.  I've tested many dive watches that looked great on terra firma but fell apart quickly when they got wet.  The Marathon TSAR comes to the dance in the actual diving department.  For a dive watch to pass muster, it needs to do four things in my book: remain waterproof in actual diving conditions, have an elapsed time bezel that stays where you put it, be easy to read in all light conditions, and stand up to the brushes and bangs that are inherent to diving.  On all counts, the Marathon TSAR is top notch! 

I do a lot of diving and usually wear a Seiko Orange Monster for my underwater exploits - with the Marathon in my stable, it's now tough to decide which watch to wear!  They're both really perfect.

The TSAR is a quartz watch (Swiss movement), a choice that I think has a lot of merit for a watch that you probably won't wear everyday.  No worries about 'power failure' since I'll change the battery every year when I pressure test the TSAR. 

The bezel of the TSAR is just over 41mm and the watch is almost 14mm thick.  If you intend to have the TSAR double as a 'desk diver', you'll want to be sure that you wear shirts with some room in the cuff area - it's a little bit thicker than most owing to the block-like construction of the stainless steel case and its chunky bezel. 

Much more of an instrument company than a marketing machine, Marathon is seriously immersed in the government contract business.  The TSAR is currently on the wrists of Canadian SAR operatives and NASA divers.  Luckily, unlike a lot of government-specific products, the TSAR is very reasonably priced - under $500 US currently.  County Comm is the US-based Distributor - they are a great group of people and have all sorts of interesting stuff besides watches - buy there with confidence.

As an aside, if you wind up getting a TSAR, add a few of the ZULU nylon straps to your order.... the TSAR looks great when it's wearing one. 

      

Ernst Benz Mario Batali Great Circle Automatic Limited Edition - Great Watch - Great Cause

What happens when a great watchmaker joins forces with a superstar chef to help out a worthy cause?  Let me introduce the cast of characters:  The watchmaker is Leonid Khankin, Ernst Benz's 'chief creative officer' and managing director.  The chef, of course, is Mario Batali, a world renowned chef who owns no-less than 11 restaurants, has several award winning culinary TV shows, and is a star on the Iron Chef America series.  The 'worthy cause' is Food Bank For New York City, a non-profit that feeds over a quarter of a million hungry New Yorkers each day.  It's mission statement is to end hunger by organizing food, information and support for community survival and dignity. 

Khankin and Batali worked together to design the Ernst Benz Mario Batali Great Circle Automatic. 

A fantastic timepiece based on the Benz Great Circle Automatic Chronograph.  Uniquely Batali, the watch features orange arabic numerals, hands, and tachymeter track on its dial and orange stitching on its strap that match the orange Crocs that have become synonymous with Mario. 

As a chronograph, it's available in two sizes; 40mm for $4,100 and 47mm for $4,500 (huge and awesome).  Also available is a 36mm non-chrono version for $2,500. 

Each version is limited to 250 pieces.  Fifteen percent of the retail price of these watches goes to Food Bank For New York City.  Buy one!  You'll own a great watch and you'll be helping a great cause.       

Wear Your Sunglasses at Night - TAG Heuer Style

It's easy to draw some not-so-flattering conclusions when you see someone who, 'no matter if it's day or night', is perpetually hiding behind dark lenses. 

TAG Heuer, a Goliath in sports watches, has just introduced a new lens for it's steadily expanding line of sunglasses that's specifically designed to be worn after the sun goes down. 

Originally designed for and distributed only to drivers in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, these 'Night Vision' glasses have quickly become favorites of F1 drivers (Sebastien Bourdais) and Indy 500 racers (Sarah Fisher).  The reception has been so uniformly positive that TAG has quickly made plans to offer these lenses to high-end consumer buyers in titanium frames of both Wide and Panorama configurations.  While a release date for 'operation night vision' is mysteriously missing in the press release from TAG HQ, industry insiders expect to see 'product on the shelves' by early May 2008.

The technology is surprisingly simple; use a pale yellow lens to contrast the dark blue and green surroundings that are the mainstay of night driving.  The result is a remarkable enhancement of perception and contrast, a dramatic reduction in glare, and a much more comfortable nighttime driving experience.

Never satisfied with just great, the design crew at TAG added their trademark 'reflex-type flexible temples' that adjust easily and fit comfortably under racing (and motorcycle) helmets. 

The next time you're driving after dusk and glance over to the high speed lane and see a driver wearing sunglasses... you'll have to decide whether he's on something or on to something!