So many watches, so little time (and money duh). But seriously, what does a watch enthusiast have to do these days to avoid making the cardinal mistakes, when so many web reviews don’t offer much more than listicles and platitudes?
Let’s see: You like watches, have a decent amount of disposable income to shell out, and are informed enough to discern between brands. Maybe you also know the difference between a chronograph and a chronometer, a world timer and a dual timezoner…
If you don’t, no worries. Just keep reading.
Now, what would really serve you are the cold hard facts. You need the essentials filtered out from all the raw data and delivered to you in palatable bite sized portions, because you can draw your own conclusions and make your own decisions.
Is this watch worth its price tag? The answer is subjective—how much do you value handcraftsmanship? Should you pull the trigger on that watch? Again, the answer is quite subjective—spoiler alert, there are no easy answers here. But we can try.
Because there is no clear benchmark on what makes a good watch, we’ll have to establish our own. How do we do that? By comparing the novelty in question with an existing equal or something similar, so it’s being assessed on its home turf.
Makes sense? Yeah we think so too.
THIS WEEK WE ARE REVIEWING:
The Breitling Ref. 765 AVI 1953 Re-Edition
In A Nutshell:
Believe it or not, this is only the second modern re-edition watch to have ever come out of Breitling. AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-edition pays tribute to an historical model known as the Co-Pilot, but which was actually named Ref. 765 AVI, where AVI stood for aviation.
During the 1950s, Breitling drew a lot of inspiration from the onboard clocks and instruments, many of which were made by its Breitling Huit Aviation Department. And this faithfully reissued piece really takes us back.
In this piece, Breitling stayed close to the original, retaining even those slim syringe hands, domed hesalite crystal, and selecting a beige Superluminova, which is hand-applied for an extra touch of old world charm. Look at the dial up close, you’ll appreciate how the satiny matte finish reflects almost no light at all.
There are some key differences, though. The old ‘Geneve’ below the Breitling logo has been left out, since the company is no longer located in Geneva. And the chronograph pushers protrude just slightly more than the original. Fans of vintage Breitling watches have much to look forward to here.
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| Case material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Size | 41.1mm | 40.9mm |
| Bezel | Steel bi-directional 12-hour fluted bezel | Steel bi-directional beaded bezel with precisely 94 beads |
| Crystal | Domed hesalite | Acrylic |
| Dial | Black | Black |
| Hands | Thin syringe hands | Standard syringe hands |
| Movement | Manual winding COSC certified Calibre B09 | Manual winding COSC certified Calibre B09 |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | 70 hours |
| Case back | Screwed-down, stainless steel | Snap, stainless steel |
| Strap | Black vintage-inspired leather with pin buckle | Black vintage-inspired leather with pin buckle |
| Limited edition | 1,953 pieces | 1,959 pieces |
| Other notes | — | First re-edition made by Breitling |
| Price | $11,750 | $11,750 |
Our two cents:
Vintage Breitling is huge among watch collectors. This company has made so many different and amazing and interesting watches over the decades, it’s almost shocking that the Ref. 765 AVI 1953 Re-Edition is only the second Breitling tribute model ever made. Still, it’s always better late than never.
With this new limited edition, and also Ref. 806 of 2019, CEO Georges Kern and team show us how well they understand the quirks and eccentricities of the vintage watch market: it’s all about the details. To insist on hand painting the lume for these watches seems excessive but it yields just the perfect faux-tina effect which looks absolutely gorgeous up-close. And that is basically kryptonite to all watch lovers.
So. Which piece to get? Ref. 765 or Ref. 806? We'll lay it all out for you. If, like all seasoned watch collectors, you already have a Navitimer, then seriously consider the Ref. 765. But if you’re new to the brand, then it’s really hard to argue against the Navitimer as your first Breitling watch, especially one as collectible as the 806.
PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
The Rado Tradition Golden Horse Automatic
In A Nutshell:
The Golden Horse is Rado’s first watch—how about that! It goes back to 1957 which explains its 50s/60s vintage aesthetic. But this contemporary automatic model comes with updated proportions—a bigger case, bolder bezel, more distinctive crown—and cool dial colours. Being a leader in high-tech ceramic, the watches are crafted with innovative materials such as rose gold Ceramos and polished plasma high-tech ceramic. A pair of seahorses identify the collection as Rado’s classic icon, but this time it also comes with an interchangeable strap system so you can swap among a leather strap option, a three-link bracelet, or the very lovely rice grain style bracelet.
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| Case material | Polished and brushed stainless steel | Matte stainless steel |
| Bezel | Polished plasma high-tech ceramic with engraved markers | — |
| Size | 42mm | 37mm |
| Dial | Dark grey with rose gold coloured indexes; blue or green with rhodium coloured indexes | Black to red ombre with rhodium coloured indexes |
| Hands | Rose gold coloured or rhodium coloured | Rhodium coloured |
| Movement | ETA C07.611 automatic with 80-hour power reserve | ETA C07.611 automatic with 80-hour power reserve |
| Crystal | Box-shaped sapphire crystal with AR coating on both sides | Box-shaped sapphire crystal with AR coating on both sides |
| Strap | Black calf leather with stamped crocodile print; seven-row rice grain-type bracelet; three-link bracelet | Black leather; seven-row rice grain-type bracelet |
| Other notes | Two-tone models with rose gold coloured Ceramos also available | Limited edition 1,957 pieces |
| Price | $2,690 on strap, $2,830 on bracelet | $2,410 on strap, $2,550 on bracelet |
Our two cents:
That smoky black-red dial on the limited edition piece is really hard to resist, especially if you're on the look-out for a 37mm timepiece, but the contemporary model offers nice colour options as well—look at that green! And sized at 42mm, you’ll get a more updated look which blends nicely with daily workwear. The bezel with engraved markers is a nice touch too. What else can we say? The watch looks really good on a bracelet and between the two designs, the rice grain one is an absolute winner (insert heart emoji). It’s so full-on Mad Men we can’t even.
PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
The Hamilton Khaki Pilot Pioneer
In A Nutshell:
We probably don’t say it enough but Hamilton makes some truly fine watches—and tagged to a price so virtuous it's like we don’t deserve them. Case in point: Last year’s big hit, the 38mm Khaki Field Mechanical which starts at a jaw-dropping $690. A-mah-zing! For 2019, Hamilton follows up with a vintage-style aviation model that’s a clear throwback to a 1970s watch called the W10. The Khaki Pilot Pioneer serves up just the right amount of good old-fashioned charm delivered via aged Superluminova hands, an historically accurate brand logo, and a strict military style dial. The 33mm case size is also fabulously on-point, which brings us to the best part: No date window. Huzzah!
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| Case material | Matte stainless steel | Matte stainless steel |
| Size | 33mm | 38mm |
| Dial | Black with grained finish | Black matte finish |
| Hands | Nickeled sword-shaped hour and minute hands with beige SuperLuminova, nickeled second hand | Syringe-shaped hour and minute hands filled with aged Superluminova, white lollipop second hand |
| Movement | H-50 hand winding movement with 80-hour power reserve | H-50 hand winding movement with 80-hour power reserve |
| Crystal | Hardened mineral crystal in box shape with double antireflective coating | Sapphire crystal |
| Strap | NATO in grey textile or brown calfskin leather | NATO in textile and leather with various finishes |
| Other notes | Distinct 70s style cushioned case shape; vintage logo | Special variations in earth-coloured PVD coating; contemporary logo |
| Price | From S$1,190 | From S$690 |
Our two cents:
A great brand plus a great history, authentic design coupled with an exclusive manually-wound mechanical movement, long power reserve, and a vintage aviation spirit. All this for a wallet-friendly S$1,190! While that’s not quite near the same ball park as the Khaki Field Mechanical, lots of brands would not hesitate to go upwards of five grand for something awesome like this. That alone is reason enough to pick up the Khaki Pilot Pioneer because it is definitely one of the most undervalued watches on the market right now.
PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
The IWC Big Pilot's Watch Edition 'Right-hander'
In A Nutshell:
A stalwart in the aviation universe and a must-have for a lot of watch enthusiasts, the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch comes from a long history of flight timekeeping going back to the 1940s. Throughout this time, it’s preserved its core aesthetics, retaining the oversized case, ultra-legible dial, oversized hands, the B-Uhren style triangle flanked by two dots at 12 o’clock, and the oversized conical crown. All in all, it’s a superbly functional watch that does a bang-up job telling the time. Yet due to its sheer size there’s also an undeniable sense of majesty here you don’t usually see in military style watches.
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| Case material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Size | 46.2mm | 46.2mm |
| Dial | Slate grey with sunburst finish | Blue with sunburst finish |
| Sub-dials | Black with white hands | Blue with white hand |
| Hands | Black with luminescent white paint | Steel with luminescent white paint |
| Case back | Solid, with standard Junkers JU-52 engraving | Solid, with Little Prince engraving |
| Movement | Calibre 52010 with seven-day power reserve | Calibre 52110 with seven-day power reserve |
| Strap | Black calfskin | Brown Santoni calfskin |
| Other notes | Left-hand crown; additional sub-dial for small seconds | White sweeping seconds hand |
| Limited edition | 250 pieces | Limited production |
| Price | S$21,700 | S$19,700 |
Our two cents:
IWC has been making the Big Pilot’s Watch for decades but this is the first time it’s done a left-crown version. Interesting fact: While only about 10 per cent of people are left-handed, the number goes up to almost 40 per cent when it comes to pilots. So the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition 'Right-hander' is made expressly for this special group—and/or people who just prefer wearing their watches on the right hand.
Between this and the beautiful blue Le Petit Prince model, though, it’s a fairly tough choice. However, if you’ve always wanted a classic Big Pilot’s Watch without the sweeping seconds hand, there is no better choice than the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition 'Right-hander'.
PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
The Omega Speedmaster Moon Watch 321 Platinum
In A Nutshell:
The Speedmaster Moon Watch is more than an Omega icon; it is a cultural icon. It represents that one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. Born in 1957 and intended for the racing circuit rather than outer space, the Speedmaster has evolved into countless forms, each one significant in its own way.
2019 is a particularly big year for the Speedmaster Moon Watch because this is the 50thanniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Two limited editions were made and launched in May. And this would be the third special piece Omega has made, although strictly speaking it doesn’t commemorate Apollo 11. Rather, it honours the movement in the Speedmasters of the 1960s, which made all the difference for Omega.
Calibre 321 went out of production as early as in the mid 1960s. But it was the very movement tested by NASA to qualify the Speedmaster as worthy of space travel. Incidentally, the Speedmaster was up against a Rolex pre-Daytona chronograph and a Longines-Wittnauer chronograph. Both these watches functioned on a Valjoux 72, while the Omega was powered by… You guessed it, Calibre 321.
So the Speedmaster Moon Watch 321 Platinum is the first watch after more than 50 years to feature this legendary movement. Take a good look at it in the gallery above. Stunning isn’t it?
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| Speedmaster Moon Watch 321 Platinum | Speedmaster Moon Watch Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition | |
| Case material | Platinum-gold alloy | Moonshine gold |
| Case size | 42mm | 42mm |
| Dial | Black onyx | Vertically brushed Moonshine gold with faceted onyx hour markers |
| Sub-dials | Moon meteorite | Moonshine gold |
| Hands | White gold | Moonshine gold |
| Case back | Sapphire crystal | Sapphire crystal; partial world map and domed meteorite inlay representing Moon |
| Movement | Calibre 321 manual winding chronograph | Calibre 3861 manual winding chronograph |
| Strap | Black leather with platinum buckle | Moonshine gold bracelet |
| Other notes | Not a tribute to Apollo 11; first watch with the rebooted Calibre 321 | A tribute to Apollo 11; commemorates the astronauts and key NASA personnel |
| Limited edition | Not a limited edition | 1,014 pieces |
| Price | S$82,500 | S$48,000 |
Our two cents:
Not Omega’s first Apollo 11 commemoration piece, the Speedmaster Moon Watch 321 Platinum will also not be its last. What it is, however, is a tribute to one of the most beautiful manual-winding movements Omega has ever made. Not only that. Omega made it even better than the original, updating it to modern standards. In fact, before the manufacture unveiled this watch, they’d launched the movement first, showing how important Calibre 321 is to the Omega.
In comparison with the Apollo 11 50thAnniversary Limited Edition in Moonshine gold, the Speedmaster Moon Watch 321 Platinum seems like a completely different watch. But as one is a limited edition and the other is not, we may not be comparing apples with apples here. Despite that, we’ll leave you with this: The non-limited edition will very likely end up being even more exclusive than the limited edition. Think about it.
PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
The TAG Heuer Monaco 1979-1989 Limited Edition
In A Nutshell:
No other square cased watch rivals the TAG Heuer Monaco in fame and distinction. Born in 1969, it was—as most icons somehow are—not an immediate success, even though it did bring the world one of its very first self-winding chronographs. The archetypal Monaco look is never without the nine o’clock crown, square sub-dials in white, and a perforated strap reminiscent of motor racing. And when screen legend Steve McQueen wore it in the 1971 film Le Mans, that was when the Monaco became much more than just a watch.
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| Monaco 1979-1989 Limited Edition | Monaco Calibre 11 | |
| Case material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Case size | 39mm X 39mm | 39mm X 39mm |
| Dial | Red with sunray finishing; special serif font for the word 'Monaco' | Matte blue |
| Sub-dials | Cushion-shaped, rhodium-plated | Square-shaped, white |
| Hands | Black and white | Red |
| Case back | Solid with special engraving | Sapphire crystal |
| Movement | Calibre 11 self-winding chronograph | Calibre 11 self-winding chronograph |
| Strap | Black perforated calfskin with red underlining | Black perforated calfskin |
| Other special features | Special 1980s inspired box in dark blue decorated with horizontal chequered stripes | –– |
| Limited edition | 169 pieces | –– |
| Price | S$9,250 | S$8,250 |
Our two cents:
A red Monaco Calibre 11 sounds like an amazing idea on paper, and TAG Heuer certainly delivered the goods there. Sunray finish makes the dial extra appealing. Priced just one grand above the classic, this ultra-collectible piece is a tempting offer, even if cushion-shaped sub-dials and that new Monaco typeface might take a little getting used to. If you’re not a fan, don’t worry. TAG Heuer still has three other commemorative editions to roll out till the end of the year. But if you’re one of those self-confessed Monaco diehards, GET IT!
PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
The Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Néry PAM983
In A Nutshell:
Mare Nostrum. These two words may only be found on some of the rarest Panerai special models, but it forms the linchpin of this Italian manufacture and its single strongest source of creative inspiration. In Latin it means ‘our sea’ and as a pioneer of early dive instruments, Panerai has always regarded the sea as a natural habitat, so to speak.
PAM983 and PAM982 are two Submersible models dedicated to and designed with champion free diver Guillaume Néry, who was with us at the world’s first Panerai Hub in Shanghai. Both are chronographs with the same movement, but why does one cost almost twice as much?
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| Case material | Brushed titanium | Titanium DLC |
| Case size | 47mm | 47mm |
| Dial design | Shark grey with a unique texturised effect | Turquoise dégradé with unique texturised effect |
| Movement | Calibre P.9100 with flyback chronograph and three-day power reserve | Calibre P.9100 with flyback chronograph and three-day power reserve |
| Hands | Silver and blue | Silver and turquoise |
| Bezel | Titanium with blue ceramic insert | Titanium DLC with black ceramic insert |
| Case back | Solid brushed titanium with special engraving | Solid titanium DLC with special engraving |
| Other features | –– | Boutique edition; includes a trip to dive among whales in the French Polynesia with Néry |
| Limited edition | –– | 15 pieces |
| Price | S$27,800 | S$57,200 |
Our two cents:
They’re both Submersibles and made for the same guy but these two watches cannot be more different. One has a superb matte blue on titanium aesthetic and the other rocks an all-black ensemble that highlights a turquoise dial reminiscent of a blue lagoon. For those who love to lament that all Panerais look alike, PAM983 is something that will definitely float your boat. Most importantly, with it comes a special holiday to paradise. Sure, it costs quite a bit more but there’s an experience money cannot buy, and that’s only IF you can land one of those beauties. Mind, there are only 15 in the world.
PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
The A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “25thAnniversary”
In A Nutshell:
An anniversary is always a good time for watch brands to release special editions, some more interesting than others. The Lange 1 is of course A. Lange & Sohne’s most emblematic timepiece and this variation is the most complicated model in the Lange 1 family. Particularly notable is how the movement displays the perpetual calendar with indicators that do not disturb the iconic off-centred dial design. But is it much better than the non-anniversary model and therefore worth the extra €2,000?
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| Case material | White gold | White gold or pink gold |
| Case size | 41.9mm | 41.9mm |
| Dial | Solid silver, argenté | Solid silver, light grey or argenté |
| Movement | Calibre L082.1 | Calibre L082.1 |
| Hands | Blued steel | Rhodiumed gold or pink gold |
| Hour markers | Blue printed | Solid white or pink gold appliques |
| Moon phase | White gold with hand-engraved stars | Standard blued steel moon disc with gold moon and stars |
| Other features | Special blue lacquer, engraved balance bridges | — |
| Limited edition | 25 | — |
| Price | €321,100 (approximately S$488,900) | €319,100 (approximately S$485,900) |
Our two cents:
You're trading gold appliqués for a gold moon phase disc with hand-engraved stars. Also you're getting extra hand-engraving on the balance bridge, topped off with blue lacquer. Seems like a pretty decent offer already. Most importantly, it's a 25-piece limited edition so it's super exclusive—hello bragging rights. If money were no object, we'd love for it to be cased in platinum but then again, we're just talking.
