Browsing: Watches

Frederique Constant introduces the revolutionary monolithic oscillator

Watches whose sales contribute to conservation are usually a far cry from my bed show; they involve conservation projects on the other side of the world. So not with this Dat Watt Limited Edition from Oris.

OK, you want your watch to keep ticking, even when you don't wear it for a few days. And you also want no one to dare touch it, without your explicit permission. So how about a poisonous snake, as a treasure guard.

In the category of indestructible solidity, this special edition from German company Sinn scores high marks. The U1 DS is a diving watch that has been verified and certified to a diving depth of no less than 1,000 metres.

If there is one watch with a face of its own, it is Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso. Always recognisable by its distinctive flip-over case, once devised to protect the watch from the rigours of a rough game of polo.

Some partnerships are so obvious that you wonder why they were not started much earlier. Like the one between Porsche and TAG Heuer. They are both directly linked to motorsport, love speed, are innovative and also have a product in their portfolio that bears the same name: Carrera, named after one of the world's most dangerous open road races that was run between 1950 and 1954 in Mexico.

MeisterSinger is treading a smart path. By consistently sticking to the one-hand philosophy, they kill two birds with one stone: the watches -and thus the brand DNA- are super recognisable and appeal to a very clear target group, namely people who hate feeling rushed. MeisterSingers radiate tranquillity through their minimised timekeeping.

You've probably never heard of this French brand. Not surprisingly, as the classic Airain Watches was only recently awoken from its deep sleep by Tom van Wijlick, the same Dutchman who also energetically revived the Lebois & Co. brand. The first watches that Airain 2.0 is sending out into the world are very promising. Namely, these are reissues of the illustrious Type 20 watch , a 1950 vintage model in military style.

The first thing you notice about this elegant watch is the dial. It particularly captures the atmosphere of the white birch forests so characteristic of region where Studio Shizukuishi, the place where all Grand Seiko mechanical watches are manufactured, is located. Indeed, in both summer and winter, the long, slender trunks and white bark of the birch trees here form a shimmering vista that is at once beautiful and mysterious.