07Déc 2016 by Martin Green No Comments
Boston & Stewill Tourer: British Understatement

Boston & Stewill Tourer: British Understatement

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Boston & Stewill is putting the final touches on their latest model, the Tourer. Sounds familiar? Yes indeed, in 2015 they successfully funded the Tourer II on Kickstarter. Originally this model would have come out first, but the tides in micro brand world sometimes force you to make a different decision. Good call on the part of Boston & Stewill, because the Tourer II was quite a success and the new Tourer seems to have more than enough potential to live up to the same expectations. The key to that potential is the movement. Typically we find in watches at this price point Miyota and Seiko movements. Fine and reliable choices, but not Swiss. The Tourer is actually fitted with ETA's 2895-2. A rare movement to find in a micro…
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06Déc 2016 by Martin Green No Comments
Limes Introduces The New NightFlight

Limes Introduces The New NightFlight

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Fliegeruhren, or pilots watches, Limes has always had its own perspective on them. When they introduced their first pilots watch in the early 2000's they did something just a bit different. Stil very recognizable as nothing but a pilot watch, yet with a distinct signature of its own. This is a tradition that Limes continues now with their latest version of the Nightflight!   At first glance, this NightFlight might seem to be more in line with what one expect from a pilots watch than the previous versions. However, closer examination will proof that this is not at all the case. Indeed the sword hands seem to be slightly more elegant. The dial has two levels and features bold applique numerals, but the secret is the chapter ring. It goes…
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05Déc 2016 by Martin Green 3 Comments
Unit 7: A Solid Diver

Unit 7: A Solid Diver

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What happens when you put a group of watch industry professionals together to create a dive watch? You get a real solid product like the diver Unit 7 has created. In fact, they were probably so busy with all the technical and cosmetic specs that they even apparently forgot to give the actual watch a name. And that is okay because that seems to be the only flaw of this diver. With a diameter of 45.5mm, it is a substantial watch, but the designers of Unit 7 went for a more cushion shaped case which keeps the watch wearable, even when you have a smaller wrist. It also gives them the real estate to underscore some of the details on the watch, such as the lugs or the polished edge…
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04Déc 2016 by Martin Green No Comments
Undone Urban Chronograph: Customizable Retro

Undone Urban Chronograph: Customizable Retro

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It seems to become a trend on crowd funding: customizable watches. Not too long ago Memomem introduced their concept of it, and now it is time for Undone to show theirs. With their Urban Chronograph, they focus on the great watches on the past and offer you the opportunity to recreate a vintage styled chronograph. That is of course if you want to since there are enough customization options to also create quite a modern chronograph or some with a crazy color dial. In fact, it is all up to you but to help some indecisive customers a bit they also made a collection of pre-composed watches. These carry names like "Speedy," "Navi" and "Killy" making it quite obvious to see where their inspiration comes from. It is important to…
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29Nov 2016 by Martin Green 1 Comment
Minus-8 Titanium Diver: Industrial Delight

Minus-8 Titanium Diver: Industrial Delight

News
Divers are among the most popular types of watches. Perhaps it is because even without visiting the gym, they make you look good. Of course, not all dive watches are created equal, but the majority of them is a good looking bunch and among them is the Minus-8 Titanium Diver, now available on Indiegogo. The name of the brand refers to the time zone in which they live and develop their watches: -8 GMT, making it the west coast of the United States. One of the things that I truly appreciate about this diver is that they are very straightforward in their communication. There is very little fuzz, and the watch is served straight up. It is powered by a Seiko NE15 automatic movement, and even says on the dial…
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28Nov 2016 by Martin Green No Comments
X-Frame Seer Chronograph: A Bold Statement

X-Frame Seer Chronograph: A Bold Statement

News
On of the great things about microbrands is that they have much more artistic freedom than more established brands. Their design language is often more fluid, and there is also room for this. They are far more customer involved, and many of them have daily contact with people who wear their watches or are just watch enthusiasts. This is also what the people at X-Frame did when they developed the Seer Chronograph. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48w0iCZtVY4 https://vimeo.com/183590770/c8abfd8e21 X-Frame already had a nice run on Kickstarter with the X-Frame Vulcan, so they have some experience in making successful watches. This shows in the Seer Chronograph. It is a large watch, and weighing 179 grams, you do have something substantial around your wrist. Some might argue that the Seer Chronograph has some design cues from…
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27Nov 2016 by Martin Green No Comments
Don Kylne: The Extraordinairy Chaplin Special Edition

Don Kylne: The Extraordinairy Chaplin Special Edition

News
We have already discussed the Chaplin by Don Kylne here before. In fact, we are actually featuring one in the upcoming version of Watchisthis?! Magazine. So why write about it once more? Because the brand just released a special edition that it too good to pass up. Special editions are not uncommon among microbrands anymore. A lot of them use them as a tool to commemorate a special occasion, often turning them into limited editions as well. This makes their niche watches even rarer. Although that is true, they also accomplish something else, they increase the pride of ownership with the watch collectors and connoisseurs that buy them. Where most established and larger brands add hunderds and sometimes even thousands of dollars to the price tag when they make a…
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23Nov 2016 by Martin Green No Comments
P-51 Mustang RSC: Modern Homage To Vintage Plane

P-51 Mustang RSC: Modern Homage To Vintage Plane

News
Dedicated to putting the world of aviation around your wrist, Belgium brand RSC watches introduced their latest model, the P-51 Mustang on Kickstarter. Inspired by one of WWII most legendary fighter planes, the watch is more than an homage and bound to delight also those who are simply looking for a good looking sports watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdXotUXxgJU The designer of RSC is Ronald Steffen (RSC stands for Ronald Steffen Creations), and he is not exactly what you would call a rookie! Some might have heard of his other brand Steffen which is known for its high-quality watches in a unique Belgium style. With the P-51 Mustang, you can also see this, for example with the uniquely designed crown at two o'clock and the lugs with the oversized screws on the side.…
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22Nov 2016 by Martin Green No Comments
Ball Engineer III Silver & Bronze Star: Rugged Quality

Ball Engineer III Silver & Bronze Star: Rugged Quality

News
With the introduction of the Ball Engineer III Silver Star and Bronze Star the American brand shows that it can make a mean pilot watch. Their latest addition to the collection might be called Engineer, but perhaps Aviator would have been a better name. This might seem like a criticism but is, in fact, a compliment because Ball makes one amazing pilot's watch! The design approach Ball took was to look primarily at the purpose of this watch. Legibility scores then very high and that is the well-known terrain for Ball with their tritium gas tube technology which doesn't need to be exposed to the light to be visible in darker conditions. Set in the hands and on the hour markers they aid the bold Arabic numerals which are filled…
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21Nov 2016 by Martin Green No Comments
Zinvo Rose Gold Blade: Limited Edition Delight

Zinvo Rose Gold Blade: Limited Edition Delight

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The Blade by Zinvo is already an eye-catching watch in its regular form, but with a rose gold plated finish even more so. Limited to 100 pieces Zinvo combines the rose gold plated case with a black dial and strap. This gives a pleasant contrast and makes the watch pop even more. Not that it needs it because the case is very well crafted and has some subtle details such as the screwed in lugs, and a rigged side of the case. Unfortunately, it is not the case its fault that the dial is the true center of attention of the Blade. Here a circle of fan-shaped hands gives the impression that you are looking into the blade of a jet engine. They cover most of the center of the…
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