This Week In Watches: January 16, 2021 — Things Are Hotting Up!
Is it just me, or have the first couple of weeks just flown by in January? I mean, I still feel like it’s 2020. I’m still writing 2020 and having to correct myself. It seems that some watch brands are not making this same mistake as me. They’re moving full steam ahead, and we’re already seeing some fantastic new models.
Things are really hotting up this week. We’ve got a real heavy hitter from Moser, a couple of tasty micro/indie brands, and a watch from Junghans dedicated to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2021 in Oberstdorf. Let’s get to it!
H. Moser & Cie — Endeavour Minute Repeater Tourbillon
I have to start with this piece from H. Moser & Cie. I mean, look at it. This classical styling may not be for everyone, but you can’t look at this watch and say it isn’t effortlessly dripping with style and class. I mean, I love it. My wallet wouldn’t. Nay, my wallet couldn’t. It costs a cool CHF 330,000, which is way out of reach for mere mortals like me but, hey. A man can dream.
…featuring a new color in the brand’s catalog…
As the name suggests, this is a minute repeater. It features a tourbillon, and it falls into H. Moser & Cie’s Endeavour family. Two shaped chimes and the minute repeater hammers sit resplendent against a new dial color for the brand’s catalog: Electric Blue. The visible gong skirts past the tourbillon at six o’clock, which looks fantastic.
It’s all about the sound
The Swiss brand has put significant effort into ensuring the diameter and thickness remained proportionate and eminently wearable. The key with any minute repeater is the amplification of the chiming sound and ensuring it’s pleasing to the ear. To achieve this, the mid-case has been widened as much as possible to accommodate the movement while allowing enough space to create a soundbox.
Considering all this has been done while maintaining a 43mm diameter and 14mm height, it’s rather impressive. The case’s geometry has also been meticulously designed, developed, and adapted to maximize titanium’s properties and enhance its impact, amplifying the resonance chamber while allowing the essential walls to contribute to the resonance.
…deforms very little under stress…
Titanium has a high elastic modulus, which means that it deforms very little under stress and is more rigid as a consequence. Its low density ensures that it is also lightweight, and it retains the vibratory energy from sound well, rather than allowing it to dissipate. The H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Minute Repeater Tourbillon is limited to just 20 pieces. If you’re feeling flush and want to reserve one for yourself, you can do so here.
Junghans — 1972 Automatic FIS Edition
Across 13 days in February and March, athletes from all over the world will convene for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf, to test both their physical and mental limits. They will fight for every fraction of a second and every meter to try and secure the gold medal, and, in turn, the title of world champion. Oberstdorf will become the center of the world for winter sports over these 13 days.
…athletic silhouette.
As official timing partner for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Junghans presents the 1972 Automatic FIS Edition, limited to 500 pieces. Solid stainless steel, screw-down crowns, and a striking crown guard amount to an athletic silhouette. A second timezone is displayed on the inner bi-directional rotating bezel, featuring the red and blue coloring of the event logo.
Winter sports ready
In much the same way athletes adjust to outdoor conditions, the 1972 Automatic FIS Edition is characterized by its extraordinary durability thanks to the sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating and water-resistance up to 300m. The Junghans 1972 Automatic FIS Edition will be available in February and priced at £1,575. Find out more on the Junghans website here.
Seals Watch Co — Sea Storm
Seals Watch Co is a small microbrand based in California, US. While one of the issues many people have with microbrands is their tendency to pop up regularly, release a watch, and then fade into obscurity, this is not the case with Seals Watch Co. The brand started back in 2014 and is now launching its 6th model, the Sea Storm.
…impressed me in terms of its build construction and finishing.
I am a fan of Seals Watch Co. I’ll make no effort to hide that. I bought a Model C back in 2018 for my wedding. It’s a great watch and impressed me in terms of its build construction and finishing. I wear it regularly, and I’ve been following brand owner Michael, and his work, ever since.
It’s 1960 in 2021
While I’ve enjoyed most of the designs Seals have released, the brand’s latest offering is one of its best so far. The Sea Storm is the first dive watch from Seals. It’s a modern take on the 1960s skin-diver aesthetic and navigates the usual stereotypes very well. Taking inspiration from the venerable Seiko 62Mas and Glashütte SeaQ, it’s in good company. The satin-brushed stainless steel case is a svelte 38mm wide and accented with a sliver of polished accent along the top beveled edges. The crystal will have a vintage, high-dome scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating applied. You have the choice between a Miyota 9015 (date) or 9039 (no date) automatic movement to keep this baby ticking.
Seals released the first wave of the Sea Storm pre-orders back at the end of November, and they sold out very quickly. I’m talking just a few hours. The final wave is dropping today at 10 am PST on the Seals Watch Co website, which is 7 pm CET. Prices are $575 plus shipping, but you can reserve yours for just $300 upfront, with the balance due when it’s ready to ship around mid-May. The watch comes on a bracelet and includes an extra strap too. The only choice now for me is which color? I’m leaning towards the black dial and bezel as in the above image. I think it’s the most classic, but the grey is a close second!
John Roberts Wristwatches — The Archetype
This next watch is one that you’ll be seeing more of in the near future as this range will feature in our “Topic Of The Week” column next week. You can expect some more detail there but I wanted to throw them out here in advance too.
…dress watch aesthetics with tool watch functionality.
John Robert Wristwatches is the brainchild of John Barclay, a Melbourne-based watch enthusiast and a long-time Fratelli member. At the end of this month, he is launching his new design, The Archetype. It’s a watch he designed to blend elements of dress watch aesthetics with tool watch functionality. Of The Archetype, John said, “It allows you to take your style with you anywhere, from the boardroom to board shorts and everything in between.”
Linen dial
Available in three colorways (white, blue, and charcoal), the Archetype features a rather fetching linen dial texture. This linen dial is a great texture choice and has recently proven popular with fellow microbrand Zelos Watches, in its Nova collection. We are actually giving away a Zelos Nova with a linen dial right here! Check it out!
The Archetype is available in a choice of movements; Swiss automatic or Swiss High Accuracy Quartz (accurate to +/- 10 seconds per year). Pre-orders begin on Kickstarter on Saturday, 30 January 2021. Prices start at $389 for the quartz model and $789 for the automatic. Find out more on the John Robert Wristwatches website.