The Revival Of Swiss Mechanical Watch Brand Votum

The Revival Of Swiss Mechanical Watch Brand Votum

News
When you want to start a watch brand there are two roads that you can take: you can start from scratch, or find a historic brand that is available. That is the route Votum took, and although they start from scratch as well, they have the brands history as inspiration. [caption id="attachment_1791" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Vintage Votum Divimat[/caption] The original Votum did not make it past adolescence. It was founded in 1962, but did not survive the quartz crisis of the 1970's. However, in that short period of time, it did create watches impressive enough to make an impression on Rolf Bodmer, a designer and graphic artist from Zurich, and François Zahnd, a watch manufacturer and industry expert from Biel. The combined forces and revived Votum. I would have said to its…
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Alpina Introduces Alpiner GMT Business Timer

Alpina Introduces Alpiner GMT Business Timer

News
GMT watches are a Watchisthis?! favorite, so when Alpina announced the Alpiner GMT Business Timer this got our attention. Now, the Alpiner GMT already exists. It is part of Alpina's "4" collection. The principles of this collection date back to 1938 when Alpina founder Gottlieb Hauser introduced the first "Alpina 4". In order to handle the extreme conditions of all the Alpine sports, from high altitude mountain climbing to alpine lake diving, he set out four criteria to which all his watches needed to stand up to: Anti-shock Water-resistant Anti-magnetic Stainless steel The Alpined GMT meets them all, but is especially handy when you travel with the watch. Alpina redesigned the 24-hour ring, and indicated standard business hours on it in red. This makes it that when ever you are…
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Anonimo Nautilo: Blue Works For You

Anonimo Nautilo: Blue Works For You

News
Blue is the color of this summer, and I don't mind that at all! Actually, blue is one of my favorite colors when it comes to watches, especially on dials, and especially with diving watches, let alone blue dialed diving watches that come on a blue rubber strap. In that case Anonimo is already ahead of the game before we even get started with the Nautilo! The Nautilo is actually a Watchisthis?! favorite. What I like about the Nautilo, apart from the blue, is that it is still very much an Anonimo! The case is an unapologetic 44.4mm, and being cushion-shaped, that makes it a serious watch. But as intimidating as its size sounds, the watch is actually more like a friendly giant. The case is well-rounded for wearing comfort,…
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New Riveted Bracelet For Oris Sixty-Five

New Riveted Bracelet For Oris Sixty-Five

News
The Oris Divers Sixty-Five is one of those watches that offers a lot to love. It's the type of retro that we really like, A. because Oris made the original, and B. because the original is so cool, yet so hard to find these days. Oris introduced the Sixty-Five in 2015 with a rubber strap, and earlier this year this version got company of a collection of fabric straps. Now Oris introduces a third option: a riveted bracelet! Should we really get excited about a bracelet? YES! Nobody would have blamed Oris if they simply took a regular bracelet, perhaps even one already used on one of their other watches, and introduce it on the Sixty-Five. But Oris decided to take a different route and created a bracelet especially for…
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Archimede Expands The Outdoor

Archimede Expands The Outdoor

News
No, the people at Archimede are not getting a bigger yard, but they did expand their Outdoor collection with two new watches: the Schwarzwald and the Kalahari. As their names might already indicate: they are referring to dial colors, a deep green for the Schwarzwald and a sandy beige for the Kalahari. They join the white dialed K2, red dialed Stromboli, and the classic black dial, which Archimede strangely didn't gave another name. The cool thing about the Outdoor collection it that it really seems to be a watch made for the outdoors. It is really a mechanical watch that can accompany you on your hikes. The case is part 70's styled, part sports watch, which results into something unique. It is not an attention magnet, unless you go perhaps…
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Edmond Pole Guardian: Thinking Outside The Box

Edmond Pole Guardian: Thinking Outside The Box

News
You are a small watch brand, you have a background in industrial design and you are facing the challenge of competing against some well established brands: how do you compete? By thinking outside the box. That is what Jean-Pierre Edmond did when he created the Pole Guardian. Being a small watch brand often means that you don't have a huge R&D budget. Complications are usually off the table due to the cost aspect of developing them, unless you can buy movements already with them. Edmond took another route, and did develop a complication. A complication that is so clever, it makes the watch stand out, and bound to interest watch connoisseurs. The complication he developed is a am/pm indicator that switches the numbers on the dial around. He achieves this…
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Mühle Launches The ProMare Lady

Mühle Launches The ProMare Lady

News
The Mühle ProMare is a very serious watch for those who lead an active life (and who doesn't in today's world?). Recently the watch company from Glashütte introduced the ProMare Chronograph, on which we reported here, but now its time for yet another addition to the line-up: the ProMare Lady. With a diameter of 39 mm and a height of 10.6 mm the ProMare Lady is a substantial ladies watch. But in a time where many ladies prefer to even wear men's watches, it makes absolute sense. Also because the ProMare wasn't designed to be a fashion statement, but more so to accompany a lady through everyday life. But that doesn't mean that the ProMare is completely without sense of style or fashion. The dial is white mother-of-pearl, which is…
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Auguste Reymond Back in North-America!

Auguste Reymond Back in North-America!

Advertorial, News
For a long time Auguste Reymond has been an insiders tip for people who liked value for money watches from a small, independent brand. Few people will know the brand, even fewer will recognize the brand, but that is part of the appeal. Crafted still largely by hand in the village of Tramelan, Auguste Reymond is still independent. Because of this their yearly production is actually quite limited. Since it doesn't have huge add campaigns or believes in celebrity ambassadors, these watches ended up on the wrists of people fortunate enough to know of the brand and to have a dealer at hand. That is why its especially good news that this group of people will be expanded now that Auguste Reymond is back on the market in North-America! With…
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