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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 37mm

With 2022 being the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet has already launched a slew of new models barely a month into the year. While the headline watches are no doubt the Royal Oak “Jumbo” ref. 16202 and its skeletonised sibling, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 37 mm ref. 15550 is a more accessible watch, both in terms of price and availability. It too gets an upgrade for the 50th anniversary in the form of a new movement, the cal. 5900, along with a revamped case, dial, and bracelet.
As familiar as it might seem, the ref. 15550 received as complete a makeover as possible while still retaining the trademark design. Individually the changes are minor but together they create a watch that looks and feels better than the previous version of the mid-size Royal Oak.
The tweaks can be spotted even at arm’s length, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 37 mm including the streamlined dial that has been cleaned up to reduce the text, giving it a look similar to that found on the latest-generation Royal Oak 41 mm ref. 15500.

The newly minimalist dial works especially well with the mid-size case, with the empty space looking just right. In contrast, the dial style seems almost bland on its larger counterpart.
The case and bracelet also get their own nips and tucks, though the alterations are far more subtle. Amongst the changes are slightly wider bevels along the edge of the case, making it seem to taper more towards the lugs, emphasising the dial and bezel. This gives the watch tighter lines and leaves it looking slightly larger.

These changes are accompanied by new colours for the dial, including the currently fashionable dark green and light blue. While the “ice” blue has been found on other models in the past, the dark green dial is novel.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 37 mm new colours create a variety of choice that was absent in the past for the mid-sized Royal Oak (and also the larger models), which is a good thing.
At US$24,100 in steel, the ref. 15550 costs exactly the same as the outgoing ref. 15450 (though the price of the latter was increased by approximately 20% just recently). While that’s substantial, the price remains competitive in relative terms (compared to its rival from Geneva for instance).

And by today’s standards, that is pretty much a bargain not just any high-end sports watch, but the Royal Oak, with all the prestige, history, and quality that entails
Having gotten rid of most of the text on the dial, the focal point now turns to what remains, which is the applied logo under 12 o’clock. That has been upgraded from a mere printed logo to a solid-gold appliqué produced in a high-tech manner: thin layers of 24k gold are chemically deposited repeatedly to build up a three-dimensional structure in a process known as galvanic growth.
Like the dial, the case has been reduced to the essentials. While it retains the same 37 mm diameter as the earlier generation, it has been slimmed down from 9.8 mm to 9 mm.

The improvements to the design don’t stop at the case, but continue on to the bracelet. The pronounced taper of the lugs in turn result in a more tapered bracelet, making it slightly more elegant and definitely lighter in weight. The weight reduction will improve wearability, especially for the solid-gold model.
The thinner case is largely thanks to the cal. 5900, a movement that includes a full balance bridge that supports the free-sprung balance, just like in its predecessor. Like the cal. 5800 found in the Royal Oak 34 mm, the cal. 5900 is most probably produced by specialist, as opposed to being an in-house calibre.

Like Audemars Piguet’s own movements, the cal. 5900 bears features typical of a modern, high-quality movement designed to be produced in large numbers. As a result, it exhibits a neat, thorough decoration that is largely mechanically applied, instead of the artisanal finish found in the brand’s top-end watches (that have six figure price tags).

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38mm

While most of the attention surrounding Audemars Piguet is being paid to the brand new CODE 11.59 collection, that’s not all that AP is releasing at SIHH 2019. In fact, there are some downright killer new variations on the Royal Oak that you’ll definitely want to know about. Chief among these? The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph in a new 38mm size! Yes, you read that right: the simple F. Piguet-powered Royal Oak Chrono is available in a smaller size, sitting comfortably between the “Jumbo” and the 37mm Royal Oak models. Recently, this watch was only available in the 41mm size, which replaced the old 39mm models back in 2012. There are four versions of the new watch, two in steel and two in rose gold, with variations on white/grey/silver dials throughout. These are going to be a new mainstay in the AP collection and I would expect that these four references are just the beginning of a very popular new sub-collection.
I’m going to go ahead and call it now: These watches are one of the sleeper hits of SIHH 2019. Sure, they’re not revolutionary and they don’t introduce any new movements or materials to the mix, but they take a classic model with an iconic movement and offer a meaningful update that makes the watch more contemporary and wearable (in my not-so-humble opinion). Plus, chronographs! Who doesn’t love a good chrono these days? Of the bunch, I think it’s the steel model with the silver and blue dial that I’m most excited to see in the metal, but honestly all four look damn good from the early images. You can bet we’ll have tons of hands-on coverage of these coming to you soon, so stay tuned!
While it’s safe to say that Audemars Piguet’s SIHH was somewhat tumultuous, it wasn’t without its more crowd-pleasing fare. Among a handful of new Royal Oak expressions, we find what might be the most well balanced and sweet-on-wrist of the lot, the new 38mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph. While perhaps not a surprise offering from the house of the Royal Oak, this all-new model retains the charm of the standard Royal Oak while adding an automatic chronograph in a trio of colorways that sing on wrist.
I think that, provided you’re into the general vibe of a Royal Oak, these new 38mm chronographs are really really good. Offered in pink gold with a silver-white dial or steel in either a silver-on-grey dial or a blue-on-white/white panda dial, the three combinations offer something a bit sporty, a bit more reserved, or a bit more boss (ok, a lot more boss).

At 38mm across with screw-down pushers, 50m water resistance, and an automatic movement, the case is only 11mm thick and the whole package feels solid, thoughtful, and undeniably fun. Also available in a 41mm version that has been around for some time, while 41mm isn’t exactly large in the modern watch game, these new models err closer to the Royal Oak’s spiritual home of 39mm and, for my wrist and eyes, feel better proportioned than the larger version.
Despite dropping those three millimeters, the new 38mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chrono still employs the same movement that is used in the larger RO chronograph (and also many past models), the Selfwinding Caliber 2385. Based on the Frédéric Piguet 1185, this column-wheel chronograph movement features an integrated design, a rate of 3 Hz, and 40 hours of power reserve. For those reading this and finding it hard to see the appeal, there is something so special, so right, about a Royal Oak on wrist. If you can, swing by an AP boutique and try on a few examples. I honestly didn’t fully understand the draw until I tried on a solid gold 5402 (now it’s a grail). And while I’m not at all a chronograph guy, the chrono display nestles so nicely into the “Grande Tapisserie” dial on these 38mm chronographs that I almost don’t mind the date at 4:30. Almost.

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 41mm

Audemars Piguet unveils a new evolution of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding Chronograph, upholding the Manufacture’s forward-thinking spirit while keeping with traditions.

Housed within a 41mm 18-carat pink gold case, this model is equipped for the first time with the latest generation chronograph movement, the Self-winding Manufacture Calibre 4401, visible through the watch’s sapphire caseback. Two dial options are available, executed in blue or brown hues.
For the first time, the self-winding Manufacture integrated chronograph, Calibre 4401, launched in 2019 within the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet, appears in the Royal Oak collection. This movement features a column wheel and the flyback function that enables to restart the chronograph without stopping or resetting it first.
The column wheel works in collaboration with a vertical clutch system. When the chronograph is started or stopped, the hands respond accordingly without any hint of jumping. Furthermore, the push-pieces feel smoother when pressed. A patented zero resetting mechanism ensures that each one of the counter hands instantaneously resets to zero.
For the first time, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding Chronograph has been fitted with a sapphire caseback, affording sight of the integrated chronograph’s column wheel mechanism in action. Moreover, the wearer can admire the views of the 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight and refined finishing, including “Côtes de Genève,” circular graining, circular satin and polished chamfers throughout. The case, which has been modified to accommodate the new movement, now has a slightly thicker height of 12.4mm.
The dial features a “Grande Tapisserie” pattern and pairs blue or brown hues with pink gold-toned counters, pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating. The Manufacture has subtly updated the dial design. The positions of the minute counter and hour counter have been reversed, augmenting readability, while the date disc is located closer to the inner bezel. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding Chronograph model is available with a matching 18-carat pink gold bracelet or a colour-coordinated alligator strap.

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Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding

To say that CODE 11.59 debuted to mixed reviews is to say nothing at all. While many enthusiasts were impressed by the technical firepower on display – the collection featured a host of new movements, including AP’s first in-house self-winding chronograph movement – as well as the elaborate case construction and obviously high level of craftsmanship throughout, the dials, especially in the simpler models, were very divisive. However, the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding collection isn’t going anywhere. Audemars Piguet has committed itself to the collection for the long haul, and both as a token of that commitment and as an indication that the collection will continue to evolve, AP has just released the latest versions of the CODE 11.59 Selfwinding and Selfwinding Chronograph models. These feature five new sunburst lacquer dials, as well as a quite striking new version of the case, in white gold, with a pink gold case middle.
The manufacture of two-tone cases using two gold alloys is a relative rarity at Audemars Piguet in terms of the historical production (although, of course, we have seen a more frequent use of two-tone construction in the Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore, including the reference 5402SA and the reference 15400). According to AP’s archives, of the 550 complicated watches the firm produced between 1882 and 1969 (a number whose relative minuteness bears considering; the company’s total number of employees did not exceed 30 until the year 1950, and did not exceed 100 until the 1970s), there are only eight which combined two types of gold. There were, of course, two-tone watches which combined gold and steel, including the ref. 1533 which was the basis for this year’s [Re]Master chronograph, but using two different kinds of gold was much more unusual. In AP’s entire production prior to 1970, there is only a single watch which combines white and pink gold.
When Audemars Piguet launched the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding collection in 2019, there were a total of 13 models in six families – time and date; selfwinding chronograph; perpetual calendar; flying tourbillon; openworked flying tourbillon; and a minute repeater (the latter built on the Supersonnerie principles, which were first introduced publicly in the Royal Oak Concept RD#1 in 2015, and a year later, as the Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie). The two flying tourbillons are part of a very long history of wristwatch tourbillon development at AP, which goes all the way back to the first series-produced automatic tourbillon wristwatch, the caliber 2870. That watch debuted in 1986 and featured a number of technical innovations, including the use of the caseback itself as the movement plate, and an exceedingly minute titanium tourbillon cage. Notably, the first Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding tourbillons are hand-wound; however, Audemars Piguet today has announced an automatic version of the hand-wound caliber 2950, which is the caliber 2952 – and the 2952 includes a flyback chronograph as well.
The whole idea of a tourbillon chronograph is not, of course, a new one for Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding; as a matter of fact, the first tourbillon chronograph from the company was introduced back in 2003. That watch was the Royal Oak Chronograph Tourbillon Ref. 25977, with the caliber 2889, running at 21,600 vph in 28 jewels. Interestingly, the ref. 25977, while obviously not an ultra-thin watch like the 2870, did share with its predecessor a somewhat unusual v-shaped upper tourbillon bridge (it was, however, a much larger watch, at 44mm x 12.9mm).

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon

In order to fit the tourbillon cage into a Jumbo case, AP had to change several elements of the tourbillon cage from the classic version used in the caliber 2950 in the standard Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding tourbillons. The caliber 2950 has an overcoil balance spring, while the newer caliber 2968 has a flat balance spring (most ultra-thin watches don’t have overcoil balance springs as the overcoil adds height). The balance in the 2968 has timing weights on the inside of the balance rim (in the 2950 they’re traditional weights on the outside of the rim) set flush with the rim. The balance arms have steps milled into them, which form a sort of recess that lets the balance spring sit closer to the balance – another height-saving measure.
One other notable difference is that while the 2950 uses conventional screws to fix the upper part of the tourbillon cage in place, the 2968 uses spline bolts, which usually take up less room than screws (although I’m not sure if this is the purpose here as I don’t have the dimensions for the bolts vs. the screws available). There are also cut-outs in the pillars of the tourbillon cage, which provide extra clearance for the balance rim, allowing AP to use a larger balance (this is also one of the benefits of the internal flat-rim weights). Finally, the tourbillon cage is driven via gear teeth on its outer edge. This is a so-called peripherally driven tourbillon. A traditional tourbillon carriage is driven via a pinion on the underside of the cage. Driving the cage directly from its edge produces a savings in height as well.
As we’ve said, the caliber 2968 is not the world’s flattest automatic tourbillon, but at 3.4mm thick, it’s pretty damned flat for a full rotor automatic tourbillon – to get any thinner than that you have to start using either a micro-rotor or a peripheral rotor. Before Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo automatic tourbillon came along, the thinnest automatic tourbillon (after the AP 2870) was the Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Thin Automatic 5377, whose movement has a peripheral rotor and is 3mm thick (and again, it’s very wide at 36.10mm). Looked at in context, AP’s ability to make a full rotor automatic flying tourbillon which is only 0.4mm thicker than a much wider recent record-holder with a peripheral rotor starts to look a lot more interesting.
And aesthetically? What can I tell you, it’s a Jumbo, 39mm x 8.1mm, with that lovely Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 dial. The only classic Jumbo element missing from the RD#3 Jumbo Tourbillon is the AP logo at six o’clock, but it seems a reasonable thing to lose if you’re going to have an open dial flying tourbillon. If you like the Jumbo, you’re probably going to like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin RD#3, unless the idea of an open dial flying tourbillon is just not your brand of vodka. Comparing Audemars Piguet ultra-thin automatic tourbillons can be a little tricky – it helps to know the history of the complication and it also helps to understand that a full rotor movement compared to a peripheral rotor movement is fair on one hand, but on the other hand it’s also a little bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison. Seen from that perspective, RD#3 is a beautiful, very well-thought-out piece of contemporary watchmaking.

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph

The Royal Oak is Audemars Piguet’s most well-known collection. In fact, it’s pretty much all the brand is known for since it bases nearly all of its watches within that iconic octagonal case (and when it doesn’t, they tend to be poorly received, I’m looking at you Code 11:59). The Royal Oak Offshore was introduced in the 1990s and became perhaps Audemars Piguet’s most popular model range. It was bigger and more muscular, with expanded cases and bigger details meant for new and excessive tastes. Gerald Genta hated it, but the audience proved that the Offshore was just what it wanted and bought them in their thousands.
These days, we don’t tend to hear about the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph collection as much. Perhaps that’s because of all the talk about the massively inflated Patek Philippe and Rolex prices. Even the Royal Oak Offshore’s older brother, the classic Royal Oak, has the potential to double its value on the grey market. The Royal Oak Offshore doesn’t tend to, although it doesn’t seem to lose much value either.
The Offshore collection features several models, but the two that stand taller than the others are the 42mm and 44mm chronograph models, distinguished easily by their pushers’ shape. Both of these are sporty and masculine pieces, and both wear larger than their dimensions suggest. The new models bridge the gap at 43mm and come in either gold, titanium or stainless steel. The characteristic octagonal bezels come in either black or grey ceramic, or titanium, depending on the case. Audemars Piguet says it has slightly reworked the styling and finishing of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph, but it’s not very obvious. They also say they’ve updated the Mega Tapisserie dial, and they have, there are now crosses on the corners of every block, and the Audemars Piguet script has been removed. That’s it.
The new range comes with some classic dial and strap colours, my favourite remains the classic blue dial with a blue strap, but all of them look excellent. All are water-resistant to 100m.
Perhaps the most contentious part of the Offshore range has always been the movement, an Audemars Piguet base with an off-the-shelf Dubois Depraz chronograph module. There’s nothing wrong with Dubois Depraz modules, but people paying big bucks for their watches tend to like it when their watches are unique from the ground up. Luckily, Audemars Piguet was aware of that and released an in-house chronograph movement in 2019. Unfortunately, it went in the wrong watch first, the Code 11:59. Now, the Royal Oak Offshore has received the in-house movement treatment.

The calibre 4401 inside the new Royal Oak collection is an integrated chronograph movement now, instead of modular. So, instead of a base movement having an extra part bolted on, it’s all one design; if there’s no chronograph, there’s no movement at all. Fortunately, the 4401 is being made, and it comes with a 70-hour power reserve and a 22k gold automatic rotor. There’s a flyback function too, and it’s all on display through a sapphire crystal caseback.
The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph collection doesn’t have a released price yet. Luckily, none of these are limited in production, and they’re all coming in September.

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Breitling Superocean Heritage II B20 Automatic 44

In 2022, Swiss brand Breitling finally updated its best-selling Superocean Heritage collection with the Breitling Superocean Heritage II family, which arrived in a few case sizes, movement options and, of course, color and material choices. At the time, I wrote this aBlogtoWatch review comparing the first generation Breitling Superocean Heritage with the Superocean Heritage II. Today, I take a more specific look at the Breitling Superocean Heritage II B20 Automatic 42 ref. AB2010161C1A1 timepiece. A few years ago, I would have nodded with approval to a timepiece such as this, but not chosen it for myself. Now, after having spent many months rotating the Superocean Heritage II B20 Automatic 42 (in steel with a blue dial and mesh metal steel bracelet) in my regular wear cycle, it’s hard to imagine being without it.
On a simple level, this is an acknowledgment of why blue-dialed watches are so popular. I wear a lot of blue colors and have found that having a blue-dialed — and otherwise simple and universally accepted steel — sports watch fits my needs so very often. I also typically opt for the larger 46mm-wide version of the Superocean Heritage II, but actually found that this 42mm-wide model is better suited to my wrist. There is perhaps no one area in which the Superocean Heritage II B20 Automatic 42 timepiece excels, other than offering the right blend of style, poise, comfort, legibility, and sheer utility so much of the time. Other people have clearly caught on to this fact, as well, which helps explain why the Superocean Heritage has, for so many years, been a top-seller for the brand (at least in the United States).
Breitling’s Superocean family began in 1957 and, while this timepiece isn’t an exact replica (a good thing), the Superocean Heritage II returned the original style-hands. I wasn’t super into the hand-set at first, but while wearing the watch I found them to be legible and not the cause of any distractions. Luminant is not where the Superocean Heritage II collection excels — which is its weakest point as a “serious dive watch.” Lume quality is good, but if you look at the dial, the hands and, to a greater extent the small lume dots, eight of the 12-hour markers will not compete with other sports watches that are more lume-heavy. For most situations (especially urban-dwelling), this isn’t an issue. But given that this is still a diver’s watch, it’s worth pointing out.
This is one of the first-generation Breitling watches to have the new (again) Breitling logo without the aviator wings. The dial is symmetrical with applied, polished hour markers and a date window located at 6 o’clock. Overall dial refinement is high, and the polished elements on the dial work well because the slightly domed sapphire crystal over the dial is so well AR-coated that it does not commonly have glare. If the crystal were not so well-adapted to this particular dial, then we’d have double the glare situation, which would have resulted in a cheaper look. I’m sure watch collectors can imagine such watches in their minds (many of which are much more expensive than this Superocean Heritage II B20 Automatic 42).
Among the more important updates included in the Superocean Heritage II collection is the use of a ceramic (rather than aluminum) bezel insert. The polished bezel insert has minimalist timing markers and finally a real lume pip at the 60-minute marker. The high-gloss look of the ceramic is quite well done and, if you didn’t know this was ceramic, you might mistake it for the attractive look of polished metal.
Speaking of polished metal, that is how the entire steel case is finished — in true Breitling style. I’ve always admired Breitling’s case-maker because other sports watches that also have all-polished cases can look cheap. Not all polishing is the same, and I feel that Breitling did exactly what was necessary to make an all-polished case look attractive. That little bit of “wrist sparkle” helps give some luxury status-symbol messaging (jewelry), which is clearly part of the experience when owning a several-thousand-dollar timepiece.
While there are various strap options for the Superocean Heritage II watches, this watch has Breitling’s steel “Ocean Classic” mesh-metal bracelet that I ended up really liking. My initial hesitation with mesh-metal bracelets is the following: First, they are often uncomfortable to wear if you happen to have arm hair. Second, they can be finicky to size, resulting in a bracelet that is either too long or too short. Third, they simply don’t always go with the style of the watch. All mesh-metal bracelets have flat end bars that often do not gracefully flow with the design of the case. That said, when a high-quality mesh-metal bracelet is effectively matched to a case, then the results are good.

I am happy to say that the Breitling Superocean Heritage II is among the few watches I find goes really well with the bracelet. Breitling uses a thick-gauge steel for the mesh, and the bracelet has discreet links that can be taken out to size the bracelet. Additional micro-adjusting for the bracelet length can be done via the spring bar holes in the deployant clasp. More so, I didn’t experience any hair pulling issues – which is really a testament to the overall bracelet construction.
As a diver’s style watch, the Superocean Heritage II is water resistant to 200 meters and has a screw-down crown. I have a feeling Breitling could squeeze 300 meters out of it, but that goes against their marketing approach, which is to position the Superocean (not Heritage) models as the more “serious” diving timepieces. For the vast majority of daily wear and recreational diving purposes, 200 meters of water resistance is entirely adequate.
As I said above, this Superocean Heritage II model is in steel and 42mm-wide. The case is 14.35mm-thick and has a roughly 50mm lug-to-lug distance. According to Breitling, the watch (without the strap) weighs 91.5 grams. The curved lugs help the case sit on the top of your wrist, which appreciably helps wearing comfort, in my experience. The screw-down caseback of the watch is nothing fancy, but it helps the watch retain a tool-style personality that I think benefits its character.
Once of the most interesting stories with regard to this watch is mostly unknown outside of watch nerd circles — and not mentioned on Breitling’s own website. The caliber B20 automatic movement inside the Breitling Superocean Heritage II B20 Automatic 42 is not produced by Breitling or ETA, but rather Tudor (a sister company to Rolex). The Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chronograph contains a Breitling-made movement, and this Superocean Heritage II contains a Tudor-made movement. I mused that this was part of a “movement exchange program.” I didn’t find anything particularly noteworthy about the movement during the review — but that is how it should be. The 4Hz automatic movement has a power reserve of 70 hours and apparently edges out the ETA on chronometric performance.
As a daily wear for a variety of people and lifestyles, the Breitling Superocean Heritage II B20 (in blue or otherwise) is an excellent choice. It isn’t alone, but watches like this that are wearable with sportier or fancier outfits can be hard to find. Some people love the idea of having the correct watch for the correct situation, but many prefer versatile designs that are satisfying even when you only have time to grab-and-go with your favorite timepiece. Moving forward, I fully expect the Superocean Heritage II to continue to be one of the brand’s bestsellers.

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Hublot Big Bang All Black

Hublot’s new release is inspired by the Matterhorn, one of the most well-known of all the Alps. When I had a look, I was wondering what I was meant to say about these watches, and it got me thinking. There’s a really great program on the BBC’s iPlayer right now called Around the World in 80 Days and, no, it’s not just another interpretation of Jules Verne’s classic novel. Well, it technically is that, but it’s split into eight-hour-long episodes which gives it plenty of time to dwell on the details. I haven’t gotten all the way through it yet, in fact, as I’m writing this I’ve just finished watching the episode set in India and it was a cracker.
The story is set in the 19th century and features everyone’s favourite iteration of Doctor Who’s The Doctor play the role of Phileas Fogg. The story so far is rather excellent, as I mentioned, because this is an episodic set rather than a movie there’s plenty of time to get acclimated with each of the major stops that Fogg and his friends are travelling through. Not to give it away too much, but all sorts of events have taken place in England, France, Italy, Egypt and now India. One of the most defining features of Verne’s story is of Fogg taking a hot air balloon over the Alps. And so in comes our tie into the watches.
The new Hublot Big Bang All Black watches Zermatt watches pay tribute to the Matterhorn in their own way. According to my quick search of Googlepedia (or is it Wiki-oogle?), the Matterhorn is the 12th tallest of the Alps, although its near perfectly symmetrical outline makes it one of the most recognisable alongside Mont Blanc. Both watches feature the Matterhorn on their dials, in fact, that’s about the only thing that really stands out on the dials as the rest is matte black. It appears as though there is lume on the hands, although I’m not sure how brightly black-coloured lume shines.
Nevertheless, both Hublot Big Bang All Black watches are black as you like, which is becoming a more popular trend. The larger of the two has a 44mm x 14.1mm case made of matte black ceramic, while the smaller features a 41mm x 12.75mm case. That one also has eight black diamonds set on the dial with more within the bezel. Both are water-resistant to 100m.
Inside the larger is the calibre HUB4100 which is based on the ETA 7753 calibre and has a 42-hour power reserve. The smaller of the two uses the Hub4300 which is not based on the ETA 7753, instead, it’s based on the ETA 2894-2. The main difference between the two is the diameter and the jewel count, apart from that the beat rate and the power reserve (and most other details that matter) are the same. It’s nice that Hublot Big Bang All Black watches has covered the movement with a representation of the Matterhorn.

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Hublot Spirit of Big Bang

If you know Hublot, you know the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang. The large, octagonal sports watch has come to define the brand. But Hublot is more than a one trick pony, as demonstrated by the unusual and appealing Spirit of Big Bang.

The Spirit, first introduced in 2014 is an evolution of the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang – one that sits alongside the regular collection, possessing all the familiar elements of the traditional Big Bang, but in an entirely new form.
Hublot excel in their casework, and nowhere is this more evident than on the large and complicated Spirit of Big Bang. The 51mm by 45mm case is crafted from King Gold – Hublot’s proprietary red gold, which contains a dash of platinum to ensure the colour remains true over the years. But even before that, the first thing you notice about the Spirit is the tonneau case shape. Named for the barrels they resemble, tonneau watches are far less common than crowd-pleasing round cases, they wear very large and have tonnes of wrist-presence – perfect for Hublot.
Design-wise the essence of the Big Bang is clearly present, with the ‘H’ shaped screws, sandwiched case construction using high tech materials and cut-away elements. Combining all this with the elongated tonneau creates an entirely new watch, the curving lines presenting a softer, more elegant version of the Big Bang.
As with the case, the dial of the Hublot Spirit is classic Big Bang. The sapphire dial exposes the movement architecture, giving it a stripped-back, industrial aesthetic that’s in stark contrast with the luxurious brushed gold case. Thankfully this dial doesn’t compromise on legibility, with the broad gold-plated hands and indices easily visible day or night, thanks to the liberal application of luminous material. The only exception to this is the date; it can take a moment or two to find the red-bordered date aperture on the exposed and skeletonised date wheel. Touches of red on the chapter ring, subdials and tip of the chronograph hand add detail and even more depth to the already multi-layered dial.
You might expect this watch to be powered by one of Hublot’s Unico movements, but it’s not. Instead you get the HUB 4700, which is actually a skeletonised El Primero (Zenith and Hublot are both owned by LVMH), the storied automatic chronograph movement first released in 1969. Using the reworked and rebranded El Primero in the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang is a nice easter egg, offering a piece of horological history inside the futuristic shell of the big Hublot.
The Spirit has a thick rubber strap, covered with alligator and very much in keeping with the brand’s philosophy of fusion. The strap balances the heavy Hublot Spirit of Big Bang well, and indeed anything slimmer would leave the watch feeling top heavy. As it is, the tapering band continues the curve of the case, creating a cohesive, comfortable whole.
Gold watches dominate the wrist, and not just visually. A heavy gold watch can be unbalanced and ungainly to wear. The Spirit of Big Bang suffers from none of these complaints, the curved case hugs the wrist. Well-balanced and secure, it’s a real joy to wear. It’s also an unmissable watch that makes a bold statement with a whole lot of solid gold real estate.

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Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronometer Titanium

Why do so many watch brands have freedivers as ambassadors? After all, the Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronometer Titanium watch came about, and was used for decades, to track elapsed bottom time while the person wearing it breathes compressed air, specifically to avoid overstaying no-decompression limits or to time deco stops. Yet for years we’ve seen many brands tout their relationships with such apnea luminaries as Carlos Coste (Oris), Herbert Nitsch (Breitling), Guillaume Néry (Ball and now Panerai), Tanya Streeter (TAG Heuer), Tudor (Morgan Bourc’his) and of course, Jacques Mayol (Omega). At first blush, it seems illogical. After all, freediving involves going deep on a single breath, in which the risk of decompression illness is negligible and elapsed time is typically less than a couple of minutes. Freedivers are also proud of their sports’ minimalism. Whereas scuba diving is all about the equipment – heavy tanks, buoyancy vests and regulators – freediving requires nothing more than a mask at its most basic, maybe a wetsuit and set of fins if you’re not quite as ascetic. I doubt most freedivers even bother to glance at the time while underwater, much less wear a watch.
The answer to my own question is likely that, since very few really use a watch anymore for scuba diving, watch companies might as well seek their underwater wrist models from the more aesthetically beautiful sport. Scuba diving is complicated, cluttered with unwieldy hoses and straps. Freediving is sleek and athletic, the human form in graceful silhouette against the blue. There is a purity of form that suits a well designed watch and the notion of stripping down to the basics – fins, a mask, a watch – has appeal to everyone from avid watersports enthusiasts to tropical holiday-makers, not to mention the confusing and arcane “rules” and training of scuba.
The latest luxury brand to sign an elite freediver as an ambassador, is Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronometer Titanium watch , with the Belgian, Fred Buyle, wearing their latest Diver Chronometer on his wrist. I was recently invited to the French Riviera to experience UN’s new trio of dive watches, meet Fred Buyle, and do some freediving in the Mediterranean.
Just last year, in Bermuda, I had a chance to dive with the previous iteration of Ulysse’s dive watch, the Marine Diver (in Artemis Racing Edition livery) and the new Diver Chronometer doesn’t stray too far from its predecessor. Still present is the trademark bezel with oversized bezel rider tabs, the power reserve and small seconds, and the rubber strap with its uniquely integrated metal link. However, it has been streamlined, simplified, and cleaned up. Gone is the wave textured dial and the skeleton hands. The concave bezel hashes are bolder, more sporty, the crystal is domed, and the rubber strap does away with a folding deployant clasp in favor of a simpler and more “dive friendly” pin buckle. It is more evolution than revolution and Ulysse was smart not to reinvent what was an already recognizable design.
There are three versions: a blue or black dial “standard” version, a “Monaco Yacht Show” limited edition (with black surface treatment, and gold bezel and crown), and the all-white “Diver Great White” limited edition. The watches are all housed in 44-millimeter titanium cases and powered by the in-house UN-118 calibre, which is visible through a sapphire caseback on all but the Great White edition, which has a solid back engraved with the watch’s namesake Carcharodon carcharias. The chronometer-certified self-winding movement boasts 60 hours of power reserve and strong anti-magnetic properties, thanks to the silicon balance.
Of the new Ulysse divers, I found the blue and black versions most appealing. Though they all share the same basic form and movement, the simpler ones work best, in my opinion. Titanium is a smart choice for dive watches, especially at 44 millimeters, which pushes the limits of size. The concave bezel and domed crystal are cues seen on vintage divers, though overall this is a refreshingly modern take on the dive watch, in a sea of “heritage,” retro competitors. I used to wonder about the purpose of the integrated metal link on the rubber band, but after wearing it for a while, I realized that it articulates the strap past the bony side of the wrist. Many thick rubber straps on luxury divers can chafe at this spot, but the Ulysse divers are supremely comfortable. That said, I can do without the additional branding engraved on it, and especially the cheesy shark and “Monaco” that are found on the limited editions. Equally off-putting to my eye was the “Great White” on the dial of the white limited edition, and its caseback engraving reminded me of the smiling shark in “Finding Nemo.”
I’ve done a bit of freediving in the past, but I’m more comfortable exploring the subaquatic world with a tank on my back. My past experiences learning the finer points of the sport from those far better than me (Carlos Coste, Morgan Bourc’his) have involved lessons on yogic relaxation, breathing technique, and body position, all with the aim of going deeper down a weighted rope, pushing personal limits. But Fred Buyle, who once was a world record holding competitive diver, takes a more Zen approach. He left the competitive side of the sport behind and focuses more on using freediving as an unintrusive way to explore underwater, interact with marine animals, most notably sharks, and as a means to silently shoot underwater photography, all without the noisy gush of scuba exhalations. It’s refreshing, since that’s the way most of us mortals will freedive as well, dipping 10 or 20 feet down to explore a coral head while snorkeling, for example, not chasing a depth tag for a world record.
In the Mediterranean Sea off of Cap d’Antibes, not far from where Jacques Cousteau first dipped his toes into the “silent world,” I traded duck dives with Buyle, descending to a bed of sea grass 25 feet down to eye schools of tiny fish through the dappled sunlight that filtered down. I wore a wetsuit to ward off the chill of the autumn sea, and to counteract the buoyancy, a weight belt with enough lead to let me sink, but not enough to make floating on the surface difficult. I wore the blue Diver Chronometer, and glanced at it underwater a few times to assess its legibility. But let’s not kid ourselves, the merits of most luxury diving watches these days is as a beautiful companion that survives where you wear it.
During a press conference on the trip, Ulysse Nardin CEO, Patrick Priniaux (a keen diver himself) asked Buyle what purpose a watch has for a freediver. Buyle said that it is the minimalism of a mechanical watch that appeals to him. He doesn’t wear a digital dive computer, and said the sweep of a seconds hand more closely mimics the passage of time while underwater. Practiced sound bite? Perhaps. But I could relate to Buyle’s sentiments, with a slightly less tangible take. We watch enthusiasts wear divers because it lets us take our passion, our hobby, anywhere, even into harsh environments like deep under the salty sea. That little capsule of human ingenuity, dry and safe despite the pressure around it, evokes a sense of calm when the sweep hand is viewed through a dive mask 30 feet underwater when the lungs start to burn from the buildup of carbon dioxide. And then there’s the small thrill of stepping off the inflatable skiff, stripping off the wetsuit, and walking right into the bar afterwards with bragging rights on your wrist.

Ulysse Nardin chose to introduce the new dive watches in the Mediterranean to coincide with the Monaco Yacht Show, an annual showcase of mega-yachts in the world’s most famous marina and the day after diving, I was walking the docks ogling multimillion dollar watercraft, whose tenders likely cost more than my house. This was an appropriate place to debut the new watches. Though the Diver Chronometer is a sportier take on UN’s underwater watch, it still feels more like a “dress diver,” better suited on a tanned arm holding a cocktail in a chair on the teak deck of a sleek yacht than strapped over a wetsuit sleeve tagging sharks.
As I strolled the show, passing 300-foot yachts with nine-figure price tags, I came upon a lowly tugboat, its aft deck strewn with rusty oil drums, a derrick and coiled lines. It felt out of place, a working boat among the idle rich, a Seiko dive watch among a marina of Ulysse Nardins. Truth be told, my tastes tend to run towards more “blue collar” divers, the Citizen Aqualands and Doxas of the world, with their no-deco bezels, depth gauges, and rippled rubber straps, but there in Monaco, I could see the appeal of something a little more refined. As the definition of the dive watch changes, there’s room for all kinds, and while the Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronometer likely won’t be strapped over my drysuit sleeve for my next Great Lakes shipwreck dive, I can respect it for expanding the reach of by far my favorite watch genre.