17Sep 2015 by Martin Green 2 Comments
Dare to be different! Junghans Spektrum Automatic

Dare to be different! Junghans Spektrum Automatic

News
When shopping for a watch, many of us will go for the classics. This could actually be a Max Bill from Junghans, but when you dare to be different, and in the market for something more sporty you might want to check out the Junghans Spectrum automatic. The Spektrum automatic is honestly one of those watches that tics all the boxes. With a diameter of 42mm it is a substantial watch, exactly what most people are looking for. Legibility is high, with bold numerals, a slope ring around the dial with minute marks, and hands that really stand out. The use of enviromently friendly luminous paste also ensures great visibility at night. Luxury is in the details; so Junghans uses a date ring which features a white date on a…
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15Sep 2015 by Martin Green 2 Comments

Namaste, Swatch Exotic Charm, Namaste

News
Most people take off any timekeeper when performing Yoga, allowing them to float on the rhythm of their breathing and the motions of their body. But no yoga-session lasts all day long, and many of us have to return to rather hectic lives. To keep you centered all day long, Swatch has introduced the Exotic Charm-collection. [caption id="attachment_194" align="aligncenter" width="632"] Shantaram[/caption] Ultra-feminine, they are bound to direct new energy to your chakra's. The Shantaram does this with vibrant colors, and a stunningly textured strap. The Breathe is almost the opposite, where white is the base color. Here the symbols of the Chakra's are displayed, starting at the buckle and with the Anahata-symbol on the dial, which refers to love, compassion and self-esteem. [caption id="attachment_192" align="alignnone" width="632"] Blue Poetry[/caption] The Blue…
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14Sep 2015 by Martin Green 4 Comments
New Vintage Design by Björn Hendal with Early Bird special

New Vintage Design by Björn Hendal with Early Bird special

News
Inspired by watches from the 1940's, Björn Hendal's watches have that timeless look, that seems to suit any occasion at all times. They refer to this themselves as "New Vintage Design", inspired by the classics, with a dash of Swedish design to make it a bit more contemporary. But it is not only its design that makes Björn Hendal special. It seems that there really is a revolution going on when it comes to affordable watches. Kickstarter brands turn out watches that can easily compete with the watches from the well-known name brands, and also Björn Hendal is up for that challenge. Not a surprise when you know that the brand behind Björn Hendal, is Blancier! As a specialist in making high quality watches in low numbers they now used…
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07Sep 2015 by Jonathan Kopp No Comments
Antoine Tavan 1805 – Exceptional yet affordable

Antoine Tavan 1805 – Exceptional yet affordable

News
In 2008 Roger Zarzoso revived the name of the legendary 19th Century Swiss watchmaker Antoine Tavan and now he tries to honor the work of this incredible craftsman by producing his own range of fine timepieces. The brand creates different kind of watches, from high-end tourbillion to handmade skeleton watches. And that’s exactly their last offer, a pure beauty that one might contemplate for hours. Exclusivity does not necessarily have to be expensive. Antoine Tavan 1805 has always made their watches, like this stunning skeleton, in very limited quantities or sometimes only one in the world. This watch is a true work of art and perfectly illustrates how a real watchmaker and jeweler can enhance a Unitas 6497-1 movement. Visually this Skeleton watch has a really stylish and sophisticated appearance.…
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03Sep 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
Mühle-Glashütte; Beauties in Blue

Mühle-Glashütte; Beauties in Blue

News
Glashütte is home to many impressive brands, and amongst them is Mühle-Glashütte. This brand is a bit different from the usual suspects in this German town, because the brand is neither extremely classical in it's design, nor does its designs go into Bauhaus direction. They offer more a contemporary understatement, and stuff their watches with small details that make the watches very interesting.   Their Teutonia II is also available with a deep, dark blue dial, and actually that makes the watch even more interesting. The Tutonia II medium is a 34mm mid-size uni-sex watch in the form of a classic time only. The date is positioned at 6 o'clock and the date-wheel has a black background. This makes it easier to read, yet it still blends in with the…
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01Sep 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
Defakto nominee for German Design Award!

Defakto nominee for German Design Award!

News
Defakto has been nominated for the prestigious German Design Award 2016. This can not come as a complete surprise because with their "less-is-more"-design philosophy this was bound to happen. The nominee is the Akkord Modular Bronze, a watch that combines a black pvd coated bezel, with a bronze center part of the case. This contrast of colors is amazing by itself, and it makes you wonder why other manufacturers have not thought flocked to take over the idea. The dial of the Akkord Modular Bronze is elementary, my dear Watson. However as straight forward as it seems, it's the hands that makes all the difference. They offer a playful element, that makes all the difference! We, at Watchisthis?!, congratulate Defakto on being nominated and will keep our fingers crossed so…
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27Août 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
We live in a « Dog eat watch » world?!

We live in a « Dog eat watch » world?!

News
We are used to live in a dog-eat-dog world, but a dog eat watch? Meet Mocha, a dog with an appitite because a few months ago she ate three wristwatches, stap and all. Shocked owners took her immidiately to the vetrenarian, where they made X-ray's from here stomach, revealing the remains of the watches. She was actually able to chew the watches into tiny little pieces. At the animal hospital an lengthy and extensive endoscopic procedure had to be preformed to get all the tiny bits and pieces out of Mocha. Fortunately she made a full recovery. When Timex heard about the story they where very happy that Mocha made a full recovery, but being a watch company, they felt sorry for the watches that didn't made it. So to…
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24Août 2015 by Martin Green 1 Comment
Kickstarter keeps kicking @$$; Nezumi Voiture

Kickstarter keeps kicking @$$; Nezumi Voiture

News
We said it before, and we say it again; Kickstarter keep kicking @$$ when it comes to affordable watches that offer a great bang for your buck. Calvin Jr. recently completed a succesful campaign on Kickstarter and also Straton and Stuckx will be heading that way, since they already have reached their goals for succesful funding, several times over. Why they are such a success? Original designs combined with great build quality for prices that are hard to beat. Undoubtfully heading that same way is the Nezumi Voiture, which will be launched on Kickstarter this September. As the name already indicates is this watch inspired by (race) cars from the 1960's and 1970's. The result is a design that looks comfortably familiar. It is by no means an copy of…
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19Août 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
Pick a Mido, Win a Mido

Pick a Mido, Win a Mido

News
Three top watch designers going head-to-head in a contest about what should be the design for the new Mido limited edition, with the public picking the winner! Eric Giroud, Sebastien Perret and Lorenzo Vallone, made each a design inspired by the Big Ben in London. All designers took a radically different approach, with Perret combining elements from the Big Ben into what could very well be a vintage piece by Mido. Vallone comes with a design that holds the middle between a dress watch and a sports watch, while Giroud goes all in with a rectangular dress watch that seems to have come right out of one of the sides of the Big Ben. Voting is open for everybody until the 30th of September 2015, when the design with the…
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18Août 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
Certina DS Podium Big Size; Does size matters?

Certina DS Podium Big Size; Does size matters?

News, Opinion
Not too long ago watches seemed never to be big enough. Monstrous diameters were strapped around the wrists of men and women all around the world, yet the last few years people seem to have come to their senses and favor smaller, more sensible watch diameters, but does that mean the death of large diameter watches? Certina offers their DS Podium also in a "Big Size", meaning that it is "super sized" from 41mm to 44mm. This is quite a substantial increase in size, but what matters is what do you do with this extra space? It is going to be wasteland on the dial, a thicker bezel, or are you actually going to use it to enhance the looks of the watch? With the DS Podium Big Size Chronograph…
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