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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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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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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Swatch Bioreloaded: WATCHES

March 1st, 1983. A new player came into the watch world – Swatch and it quickly made waves in the industry. Releasing 12 colourful watches, each comprised of 51 individual parts, well made and at a reasonable price. The market went wild for them.

Now in 2020, Swatch is looking back at those original watches but with a new spin on materials. This new collection of six models offer reinterpretations of the first Swatch watches and feature bespoke typography as well as two newly introduced bio-source materials extracted from the seeds of a castor plant.

Even the packaging is made of paperfoam, consisting of an innovative mix based on potato and tapioca starch. The packaging made with an injection molding process is fully biodegradable and can be recycled with paper waste or even composted at home. Not many watch collectors will be doing that though.

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Unimatic x Mihara Yasuhiro II: WATCHES

Unimatic watches and Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro team up for a second collaboration of the Modello Uno, the brand’s first dive watch made in Italy.

For the collab, Unimatic and Yasuhiro worked together to create an all-white version of the Modello Uno, known as the U1-MY2, with a matte white dial and markers in white Superluminova lume matching the pearl on the Cerakote white minimal insert, with off-white dial trim and no rail.

The case is also completely white, treated to a stone wash to give it a distinctive look. As with Modello Unos, this model has a depth rating of 300m, the solid steel case is 40mm in diameter and the watch is powered by a Seiko NH35A automatic calibre movement. This limited edition is limited to 100 pieces worldwide each of them individually numbered on the caseback alongside an Unimatic x Mihara Yasuhiro custom engraving.

There is no word on price, however the first collaboration between these two companies cost $875 per watch so expect something along those lines when it is made available on September 19th.

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Rolex announces new collection for 2020

Any watch enthusiast knows and respects Rolex, in the car world it reminds me of Porsche. When you first start understanding and learning about the horology, Rolex feels like a boring, obvious choice. But once you realise why people choose it due to its rich history and strong model lines, you understand that it is the perfect watch for any activity.

For 2020, Rolex has released a number of new watches – Submariner, Datejust, Sky Dweller and Oyster Perpetual.

The Submariner now has a slightly larger case at 41mm, equipped with calibres 3230 and 3235 for no-date and time and date models with a power reserve of 70 hours and now fitted with a remodelled Oystersteel bracelet. The no-date is available as a traditional black dial, black Cerachrom bezel on stainless steel whilst the time and date models is where it gets interesting. There is the black on black on stainless steel, black dial with green Cerachrom bezel on stainless steel, black dial with blue Cerachrom bezel on 18ct white gold, blue dial with blue Cerachrom bezel on yellow gold, black dial with black bezel on yellow gold, black dial and black bezel on mixed gold and steel and the blue dial and blue bezel on mixed yellow gold and Oysterseel bracelet.

The Datejust in 31mm is getting four new Rolesor versions, that is mixing 18ct white gold with stainless steel fitted with calibre 2236 that has a 55 hour power reserve. The first is a stunning aubergine dial with roman numerals, the VI set with 11 diamonds and a bezel set with 46 diamonds. The other three with fluted bezels are mint green on an Oystersteel jubilee, white lacquered dial with roman numerals on an Oystersteel bracelet and a dark grey sunray dial on a jubilee Oystersteel bracelet.

The world’s first waterproof watch, the Oyster Perpetual is getting a new look and a new case size. Gone is the 39mm, replaced with a 41mm whilst the 36mm gets a collection of vibrant colours. The silver sunray 41mm reminds me of ‘white grape’. If you are up for something more subtle, a black dial is also available. The 36mm is where it gets quirky; candy pink, turquoise, yellow, coral red and green. Both the 36 and 41mm are equipped with calibre 3230, a movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex, launched by the brand this year.

The classically styled Sky Dweller is getting a sporty bracelet – an Oysterflex bracelet, a high performance elastomer. A watch built for those that are used to spending a lot of time in two time zones, the Sky Dweller displays the time of two time zones simultaneously on the dial with an annual calendar that differentiates between 30-day and 31-day months. It is an elegant timepiece with a black sunray dial, with a gold case and bezel on a black oysterflex bracelet.

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Nomos X Cool Hunting Club Campus 38

This isn’t the first time Nomos Glashutte has teamed up with a brand to create a special watch to support agencies fight for the greater good in the world. The first foray was the Nomos X Doctors without Borders. This new one is a collaboration with Cool Hunting to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

Six new colourways of the Club Campus 38 are available reflecting the colours of the rainbow – Life (red), Sunlight (yellow), Serenity (blue), Healing (orange), Nature (green), Spirit (violet), each limited to 22 units honouring the 22 years The Trevor Project has been in operation. Each time-only watch is fitted with a California dial, a mix of Roman and Arabic numerals and the 38.5mm case will suit all genders.

With each sale, Nomos will donate $100 to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth.

Prices for the watches are £1,200 and are available now.

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