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.

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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Seiko Astron X Honda e: WATCHES

The Honda e is a quirky city car, the brand’s first mass-produced EV and one that seems to be impressing journalists the world over, is now getting a special edition watch with only 300 to be made.

Seiko teamed up with Honda to create a watch that truly represents the ethos of the Honda e. Using Seiko’s Astron series, the GPS Solar watch connects to reset the time if needed to an accuracy of 1 second to every 100,000 years as well as offering the ‘Time Transfer’ function that allows the wearer to instantly switch from home and destination times between the main and sub dial at the touch of a button.

Unlike any other special edition watches made for car launches, the Seiko Astron X Honda e is very minimalistic. In the design of this edition, the circle has been used giving a clean aesthetic as seen in the Honda e. The only time someone will know it is truly a special edition is when they flip the watch over to look at the case back where they will be met with a titanium back cover that looks like a Honda e wheel with the limited number.

Due to be released on September 26th, the Astron has a 45.3mm ceramic and titanium case with a Nakadome strap as well as a replacement fabric strap that reflects the interior of the Honda e. It is set to cost 540,000 Yen plus tax so expect it to cost £3,830 plus VAT in the UK.

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Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight “Navy Blue”

The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight was and still is one of the best looking watches released in the past few years and now Tudor has extended the family with a new “Navy Blue” version. Getting its name from its coloured dial and bezel and the year the first Tudor divers’ watch certified to 200m was presented.

If you are familiar with the Black Bay 58 family, it will be all a familiar recipe, the 39mm case that harks back to the classic proportions of the 1950s, stunning snowflake hands first seen in 1969 and a Manufacture Calibre MT5402. The calibre is considered weekend proof, with a reserve of about 70 hours so wearers can take it off on Friday night, put it back on Monday and not worry about having to reset it.

When Tudor first introduced a blue dial and bezel diver’s watch in 1969 it soon became known by aficionados as ‘Tudor Blue’. The colour was soon adopted by the French Navy or Marine Nationale and the Black Bay Fifty Eight Navy Blue follows this tradition. As with most Tudor Black Bay watches, this is offered on a steel bracelet, a synthetic soft touch strap and a woven fabric strap with a distinctive central line running through it.

If you want to stay true to the history of the Navy Blue, the woven strap is the one to go for. Matching the dial, the straps are a thing of beauty in themselves. Woven in France on 19th century Jacquard looms by the Julien Faure company in the St-Etienne region, its manufacturing quality and comfort on the wrist are unique and it is the perfect watch for Tudor and the Julien Faure company to celebrate a 10-year partnership.

The MT5402 calibre in the Black Bay Fifty Eight Navy Blue is a fairly simple complication displaying hours, minutes and seconds, built specifically for robustness, longevity, reliability and precision in this 200m certified dive watch. Calibre MT5402 is chronometer-certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), with its performance going beyond the standards set by this independent institute. The COSC normally allows for an average variation of -4 to +6 seconds per day, but Tudor did one better and fixed a tolerance of -2 to +4 seconds per day. It might not seem much to the average person on the street but these tolerances can make all the difference 200m below the surface.

The Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight is available now from all good watch retailers at a starting price of £2,520 on the fabric or synthetic strap whilst it costs a little more at £2,760 for the steel bracelet.

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TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Montreal Limited Edition

TAG Heuer has been celebrating its 160th anniversary with some absolute gems – first it released the 160 Years Silver Dial Limited Edition at the start of 2020 and now the second release is this TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Montreal Limited Edition. Limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide, it is going to be a highly sought after timepiece.

The scope behind this watch was to combine the design and DNA of two iconic TAG Heuer watches – the White Heuer Montreal launched in 1972 and the Carrera in 1963. For this anniversary model, the team borrowed the original, balanced red, yellow and blue palettes of the White Heuer Montreal which is emblematic of the 1970s where watch designers were able to use coloured luminescent materials.

The story of the Carrera is something that intrigues and inspires – Jack Heuer, the CEO at the time got wind of the Carrera Panamericana, a road race that is considered one of the most treacherous in the world and has been compared to the likes of the Targa Florio and the Mille Miglia. The word Carrera in Spanish means road, race, career or course was the perfect name for a new timepieces.

The matte white dial of the Carrera 160 Years Montreal Limited Edition merges the best elements of the two historic watches – hosting three blue ‘azurage’ counters. The chronograph minute counter at 3 o’clock stands out with three yellow Super-LumiNova curved lines which are also found on the central minute and hour hands whilst the central chronograph features a stunning, bold red lacquer.

The dial is hosted in a 39mm polished steel case protected by a domed ‘glass box’ sapphire crystal and is fitted with TAG Heuer’s Calibre Heuer 02 manufacture movement. It carries a power reserve of 80 hours, which is an increase of 30 hours compared to Calibre Heuer 01 and it is considerably thinner too, at 6.95mm, meaning it sits beautifully on the wrist. The calibre carries a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and is fitted with a column wheel to provide more accurate and precise functionality.

The watch is paired with a blue alligator leather strap and is packaged in a special box that highlights the heritage of this prominent timepiece. It will be made available exclusively at TAG Heuer boutiques and online for £5,550.

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Longines Heritage Classic – Tuxedo

Longines has been dusting off the old catalogues and recreating some of the greats. There have many over the past few years and now the company has revealed its homage to the 1940s with the Heritage Classic – Tuxedo version with two timepieces inspired by pieces released in the late 1940s. The first, a three hand model and secondly a chronograph version.

The three-hand ‘tuxedo’ as coined by collectors for its black and white dial is reminiscent of the suits worn during elegant and festive evenings. To remain faithful to the original, the dial does not include the word ‘automatic’ or a date window.

The case measures an elegant 38.5mm housing the exclusive L893.5 movement with a silicon balance spring and a power reserve of 64 hours, fitted to a lovely black leather strap. The dial features a silver opaline centre with a black ring hosting the Arabic numerals. The small second dial at 6 o’clock has a visual grooving effect making it stand out compared to the rest of the dial which is smooth and round the back, the casebook is closed so the movement isn’t visible, which could be due to the original being hand-wound.

It carries a depth rating of 30m but I don’t think that will be too important to many people as I doubt they will be wearing it to the beach anytime soon. It is available to order now from all top watch retailers for £1,480.

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