19Nov 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
Smart-Watch War; Frederique Constant vs Movado (with video’s)

Smart-Watch War; Frederique Constant vs Movado (with video’s)

News
Frederique Constant surprised the world with a different approach to smart watches. Not a digital display, but classic hands and a link to your smart phone. A clever concept that also made its way to the sisterbrand Alpina. Yet surprisingly this week Movado announced that they would launch smart watches as well. In true Movado fashion, they will be available for sale very soon, and two of the collections rely on the same technology as the Frederique Constant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3Vrf4gx5g0 Until now, most smart watches were based on different technology. The Pebble is different from the Apple watch, while Samsung has an approach of its own. Frederique Constant and Alpina have the same owners, so they can market their models in such a way that they won't bite each other. Movado…
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11Nov 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
Raymond Weil Celebrates Sinatra

Raymond Weil Celebrates Sinatra

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Arguably one of the most recognizable and respected entertainers of the last century, Frank Sinatra got famous by doing it his way. As son of Italian immigrants he sang his way up from the streets of Hoboken, New Jersey to become a world-wide phenomenon with over 150 million records sold. Yet he was not only a gifted singer and performer, most will also remember him from his acting career and of course as one of the ring-leaders of the Rat Pack. He was so famous that when he passed away on May 14th 1998 the lights on the Empire State Building in New York City were turned to blue, and the lights on the Las Vegas Strip were dimmed and the casinos stopped gambling for one minute to honor him.…
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10Nov 2015 by Martin Green 2 Comments
Mühle-Glashütte; Innovating by Regulating

Mühle-Glashütte; Innovating by Regulating

News
Especially with mechanical watches, it are the little things that count. Like the regulating mechanism of a watch. Mühle-Glashütte has significant experience with watches that are not afraid to get in harm's way. The best examples of this are the Mühle-Glashütte S.A.R. Flieger-Chronograph for navy rescue pilots, as well as the S.A.R. Rescue-Timer, which is on active duty with the rescue workers of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service. Watches that have to navigate rough seas, and get knocked around plenty by doing so. To maintain superior accuracy during all this Mühle-Glashütte developed the patented woodpecker neck regulation. Of course you guessed it correctly, its name comes from a part of the regulating organ that indeed looks a lot like the neck and head of a woodpecker. This so-called…
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05Nov 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
It’s almost that time of the year again! Swatch Christmas Special

It’s almost that time of the year again! Swatch Christmas Special

News
For such a young brand Swatch has a lot of traditions, and one of them is the Christmas Special. This year the Christmas Special is inspired by lights! And lights are usually not in short supply during this season. Especially those of you who have been able to visit a traditional Christmas market in Europe, will recognize the designs on the strap, as they often feature on the stalls that sell hot chocolate, gluhwein or other delicacies. But Christmas is often also the season in which less is not more. People dress up, enjoy good food and each others company near boldly decorated Christmas trees and cozy fireplaces. To highlight this, the dial, buckle and strap keeper are featured in gold! Hands as red a Rudolph's nose make sure that…
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03Nov 2015 by Martin Green 2 Comments
Hvitsten Christiania; Norwegian Elegance

Hvitsten Christiania; Norwegian Elegance

News
When traveling through the world of affordable watches you sometimes stand in disbelief, like with the Hvitsten Christiania. This watch should not be available for this price. In fact you might even suspect that the price-tag of the Christiania is the result of some market penetration scheme, where the owners have to add 100 euro's of their own money for every watch they sell. The truth is far from that, and actually a clever mix of skilled entrepreneurship, a generous dose of passion, and a clear mind when it comes profit-marigins. That clear mind is probably thanks to the clean and clear air in Hvitsten, Norway. Yes, the brand is named after one of the smallest towns in Norway, but what a town it is. Located by the fjord it…
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29Oct 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
New Classics Index Automatic GMT by Frederique Constant

New Classics Index Automatic GMT by Frederique Constant

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In a time when the world is a global village people travel for many reasons all over the globe. Frederique Constant has just released a watch to accompany you on your travels. The Classics Index Automatic GMT is the type of watch that Frederique Constant always does so well; not a crazy design breakthrough, but a solid, well made watch with a classical touch and an affordable price tag. As straight forward as the design of the New Classics Index Automatic GMT may be, it is far from boring. The dial features silver-colored (of rose gold for the rose gold-plated version) Roman numerals that are sandwiched between printed minute dashes and the 24 hour scale for the second time zone. Stunning leaf-shaped hands give the watch a slightly more classic…
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28Oct 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
New Raymond Weil Freelancer; The Elegance of an Independent

New Raymond Weil Freelancer; The Elegance of an Independent

News
The Freelancer collection stands actually for what Raymond Weil really is. You might not think of the brand as such, because of its success and scale, but Raymond Weil is still a family owned and operated watch brand. When the current CEO, and grandson of Raymond Weil, Elie Bernheim joined the company in 2006, the freelancer collection was his first creation. Almost a decade later the Freelancer collection has lost none of its appeal. And the latest addition is the perfect example of Urban Chique. 42mm in diameter is still a nice size for a chronograph; easy to read and operate yet not to bulky to interfere with the movements of your wrist. The high polished steel of the case is a nice contrast with the slate grey dial, that…
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27Oct 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
Rock solid; The Americana Project by Brillier

Rock solid; The Americana Project by Brillier

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Stone dials; often only the creme de la creme of the watchmaking world produces them, and even those in very limited quantities. Yet that is about to change, thanks to the Americana collection by Brillier. Available through Kickstarter the Americana goes even the extra mile by utilizing stone marquetry for their watches. This means that several different types of stone form a mosaic of color and texture. To accomplish this the Americana features a dial that is made from Turquoise, Tiger's eye, Unakite, Blue vain stone and Beige marble. The contrast of colors is absolutely stunning and even highlighted by the silver framing on the dial. In all honest, we also would love to see the watch without, simply because it is quite difficult to cut stone this thin and…
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22Oct 2015 by Martin Green No Comments
Start your Engines! The 3rd edition of the Raidillon Rally!

Start your Engines! The 3rd edition of the Raidillon Rally!

News
Roaring engines, beautiful cars, taking that corner at just the right speed, with your chronograph ticking away the seconds; that is the Raidillon Rally! Belgiums premiere watch brand, with a Swiss heart, was named after the most famous section of the Spa-Francorchamps race track. Unfortunately not all of us drive professional race cars, but Raidillon also knows how to have a whole lot of fun on public roads! No, not the highway from Brussels to Antwerp, but the winding roads through the Belgium Ardennes. A place where the scenery alternates between thick forests and glowing meadows. It was here that 55 pre-1975 cars set off for a casual, yet still competitive, rally. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-51qwfZ7eo Their first goal was to reach the Château de Froidcourt in Stoumont. A unique place in more…
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21Oct 2015 by Martin Green No Comments

Itero; Putting Time back in your Hands

News
Most of us live a hectic life and during the day we usually glance at our watches, barely long enough to check the time. Itero wants to change this and put time back into your hands. Quite literally because Itero comes with a pocket watch! With a pocket watch you are forced to stand still, reach in your pocket and hold the watch to check the time. This is a far more deliberate effort, and with that also comes the actual realization of time. Something from yester year? Perhaps, but Itero's styling has that classic looks that always seems to be contemporary on which Italian designs usually have a patent. Yes, you can easily combine it with your tweed suit, but also casual with some khaki's and a casual shirt…
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