Unimatic X Norwegian Rain limited edition watches

Norwegian Rain, a clothes company started by two entrepreneurs focused their energy on the humble raincoat. Based in Bergen, the rainiest city in Europe Based on traditional tailoring techniques, ‘Japanese sensibilities’ and high tech innovative solutions you can understand why that was the choice of garment.

Last year they reached their ten year anniversary and wanted to collaborate with a watch company. Talking to Unimatic, they wanted to show that you can neither capture time nor tame the weather as well wanting to etch a mark in time as their belief is that time weathers everything. 

Creating two styles based off Unimatic’s Modello Uno, both feature a minimal black bezel and a first of its kind double layer dial composed of an individually oxidised solid copper gradating to one of a kind green hue with cutout markers showing through a brushed copper base. The dial is sealed with proprietary technique to preserve the unique process in time. Time is indicated thanks to the skeleton brushed copper ladder phantom H+M, reverse lollipop S with gloss tip.

To mark the ten year anniversary, the team highlighted the ten on the watch face with an X. Powered by a Seiko automatic calibre with a 41 hour reserve, it is water resistant to 300m.

The caseback features the Unimatic x Norwegian Rain 10 years anniversary engraving and the individual progressive number. The watch is part of a unique edition of 39 pieces.

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MB&F HM9 Sapphire vision

MB&F has created a number of fantastically intricate horological masterpieces, always looking to push the boundaries further and further. The MB&F Horological Machine No.9 or HM9 for short is one of those masterpieces.

Inspired by the automotive and aviation designs of the 1940s and 50s creating a case like none other that has been seen before. To take it one step further, Maximilian Büsser decided to encase the movement in a sapphire case.

An outer hull of sapphire crystal and precious metal, curved and bubbled and precisely fitted together in three parts, is sealed with a proprietary combination of patented three-dimensional gasket and high-tech compound bonding process to elegantly show off the 301 piece movement inside. It uses two independent cantilevered balances to channel data into a differential that turns two heartbeats into one coherent time-pulse. Ultra-precise conical gears efficiently turn the engine’s energy and information current through a 90° angle to feed the time display on a sapphire crystal dial, marked with Super-LumiNova.

On the back of the case, co-axial beneath each of the balances are propellers: twin turbines that spin freely as an element of pure visual interest.

Limited to five pieces per edition, there is the choice 18K 5N+ red gold frame, combined with a NAC-coated black or PVD-coated blue engine, and two editions with 18K white gold frame, featuring a PVD-coated purple or red gold-plated engine. Each model costs 420,000 CHF which equates to £346,779.

Oris Carl Brashear Caliber 401 Limited Edition

Oris has recently revealed its third watch made in partnership with the Carl Brashear foundation. For those that don’t know who Carl Brashear was, he was the first African-American to become a diver for the US Navy but also an amputee Master Diver as well as one of America’s most celebrated military heroes. His life story was poignantly told in the film Men of Honour with Cuba Gooding Jr.

This is the first watch to be built with Oris’ new in-house calibre 401 with a five day power reserve, sitting in a 40mm bronze case and with a deep blue dial – symbolising the helmets of divers during Carl Brashear’s career and naval tradition. The watch face has no date window, but has a small second hand at the six o’clock.

It is powered by Oris’ in-house calibre 401. As well as being more accurate than a chronometer (to within -3 to +5 seconds a day), it solves many of the mechanical movement problems of our time by offering heightened levels of anti-magnetism and a 10-year extended warranty.

The watch is limited to 2,000 pieces, comes on a custom-designed, hand-crafted, moisture- wicking woven elastic nylon webbing strap produced by Erika’s Originals. The watch is available now and costs £3,350.

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Bravur X Wingårdh Limited Edition watches

Swedish father son duo Gert Wingårdh and his son Rasmus Wingårdh both famous architect and award winning designer teamed up with Bravur to interpret Bravur’s Scandinavia model, resulting in a watch inspired by the Swedish west coast and the Scandinavian light.

The watch comes in a Light and Dark version, limited to only 50 pieces. It is characterized by a geometric fish scale pattern on the dial, backside and leather strap, inspired by the west coast with its fishing and seafood culture.

The recessed pattern in the middle of the dial creates a beautiful texture. The minimalistic print and the inverted date dial, gives the watch a graphical look. The team came up with a fantastic idea to represent the limited number on the watch face. Each individual number is represented as a dot on the minute track dial from 1-50.

With a case diameter of 37 mm the size works well for both men and women. It has a polished bezel and a brushed mid case side surface as well as Bravur’s signature recessed mid surface logo on the crown. The watch is powered by a Swiss made automatic movement from Sellita, caliber SW300-1.

Available in either white with blue hands or blue with brushed steel hands, both are priced well at £1,135 and come in a traditional watch box and an exclusive leather case that can be used for travelling.

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Tag Heuer Aquaracer x Bamford Watch Department

TAG Heuer and Bamford Watch Department have joined forces yet again to create a special, limited edition timepiece. In 2018, they joined forces to create a special version of the Monaco timepiece.

Based on the Aquaracer, this limited edition tool watch has been crafted with titanium and features bold orange details. It is a exciting expression of the two brands pursuing their approach to design.

Limited to 1,500 pieces, the 43mm case is ultra lightweight with both Tag Heuer and Bamford Watch Department stamped at both the 12 and 6 o’clock markers. The limited-edition number is marked on the grade 2 titanium screw-down case back. The case is sand-blasted Titanium to give it a textured feel and look on a titanium folding clasp band. The black face has hints of playful orange highlights seen around the outside of the dial as well as on the hands.

It has a 38 hour power reserve powered by Tag Heuer’s Calibre 5 Automatic movement and has a water resistance of 300m. It costs £3,250 and is available now.

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Breitling to introduce folding watchbox made of recycled bottles

Sustainability initiatives are everywhere and the likes of conglomerates pushing out their own green initiatives paves the way for sustainability to form part of everyday life. Breitling watches has pushing for new ways of reducing the environmental footprint of its packaging and the company had reduced the size of its boxes and reduced the number of elements in the packaging.

This is the next step. Breitling has announced its new foldable, reusable watch box made entirely from recycled bottles. It isn’t just the fact that the box can be reused and recycled once users are done with it, but, it can be shipped to retailers flat meaning a reduction in transport-related CO2 emissions of over 60% compared to those generated by the shipment of its original watch box. Another added benefit is that, the pillow inside the box has been given a second purpose with a design that allows it to be used as a travel pouch

The sustainable packaging has already been awarded the Efficient Solution Label, given by the Solar Impulse Foundation to solutions that have a positive impact on the environment and the economy. Expect to see Breitling watches to be packaged in these new sustainable boxes early 2021.

If as a Breitling customer you still would like the old-fashioned heavy box, it can be requested but customers will be asked to offset the environmental impact of their choice by making a voluntary contribution to SUGi.

Hodinkee x Grand Seiko

When Hodinkee lines up to collaborate with a major watch manufacturer, rest assured the team are going to hit it out of the park with every detail meticulously pored over to create the best watch watch possible, true to the brand’s history. And this is no different.

Teamed up with Grand Seiko, the teams have spent three years perfecting this – Grand Seiko Automatic GMT SBGM239 Limited Edition for HODINKEE. Only 500 are to be made and unfortunately for some, only available in the US market.

Fitted to a stainless steel bracelet, a first for the SBGM series – since Grand Seiko became its own independent brand in 2017 – and to U.S.-based collectors, the 39.5mm case features an achingly beautiful dial in a shade of twilight blue that was partially inspired by the daily transition from day to night – the hours that comprise dusk in English, or Yūgure in Japanese. Powered by the self-winding 9S66 caliber, the watch features GMT functionality and a 72-hour power reserve.

Unfortunately to those who don’t live in the US, it will prove difficult to get your hands on one new, with over half of the allocation ready for immediate delivery and the remainder shipping in February 2021. The price for this limited Grand Seiko? $5,400.

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