Watches in the Wild (Lunching with Watch Nerds, Volume 6)

Disclaimer: Just finished a battery change on the Rolex Oysterquartz Day Date pictured above, having finally convinced my wife to wear it.  Horological victory!

This is the sixth in a semi regular digest of cool watches I happened to see this week.

 Past posts in this series have been hashtagged to #watchesinthewild and you can click through for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 , and part 5.

As always, general policy is that I never ask for wrist shots (because approaching strangers and distant acquaintances to talk about watches is already weird enough) so all pictures below are sourced from the internet.  People are mostly cool, I try not to annoy them.

There were only a few new watches to add to my compendium this week.  Your intrepid correspondent has a day job and it's been taking up a lot of time recently.  I despaired that I would only be able to offer two or three watches up to chat about.

However, yesterday I did see a couple of watch loving friends for lunch.  While I was previously acquainted with these watches, that doesn't mean they're any less cool or that I was any less happy to see them. The stories behind them are no less wonderful and poignant (and my opinions on some wonderful watches no less strong).  I hope you enjoy.

Casio Royale 

Seen at the farmers market but I did not have the chance to speak to the owner.

I love the way that this looks like an old fashioned NORAD radar display.  I love that quartz miniaturization could create this chronograph/calendar/alarm/worldtimer.  I love the fact that $40 gets you a halfway competent metal bracelet and something that.moght give pause to an AliExpress competitor (well given SKMEI, maybe not).

I often look to this watch when I wonder what life might have looked like had I not gotten super deep in on watches.  I am not certain it would have been a happier one but it definitely would have been a more fiscally responsible one.
 

Seiko 5 SRPD59K1 (Orange dial)

Seen at the farmers market on the wrist of a gentleman.  No story attached to this one but I was able to distinguish it from the GMT because of the day date and lack of cyclops.

There's something about Seiko orange that makes me grin.  If joie de vivre had a color, that would be it.  I have thought recently about why Seiko, despite the ever consistent creep upwards in price, the persistently annoying alignment and still mediocre bracelets, still captures so much of my imagination and love.

But what Seiko has, what most entry level Swiss brands or micros don't have, is charm at any price point. We don't buy watches because they're useful. We buy them because they make us smile. Seiko has some master artisans in dial and case making (you know the parts of the watch you actually look at) and they manage to deliver the charming experience at a lower price than almost anyone.

This Seiko 5 is an example par excellence of that.  The bright orange sunburst dial can be seen a farmer market away.   It's bold, it's interesting, it's got style.   Having owned a dozen Seiko 5s, the case size is largish but the lugs are short and hug the wrist beautifully.  It might fit better than any other 42mm watch out there.

It is an absolutely wonderful watch that costs, by my estimation, less than $200 and can go anywhere and do most anything. 

Ciga Design Blue Planet

Worn on the wrist of an acquaintance, a gift from his brother.  Do you ever wonder why you don't have siblings who give you cool watches?  Me too.

@Deeperblue, @MegaBob and @thekris  make fun of me for my eyesight but this one is an easy one.  Does it look like a blue UFO on the wrist?  If yes, it is a Ciga Design Blue Planet.

I think one of the things I appreciate about more traditional wristwatches (vs say smart watches) is the choices out there.  Instead of the four flavors of Operating system and a couple dozen smart watch lines out there (I exaggerate but even so.  One apple watch looks a lot like a other), you can get a mechanical or quartz watch that looks like nearly anything from your bog standard black/blue diver to the CIGA design Blue Planet.

Watching this little globe turn is kind of mesmerizing and a tremendous engineering achievement, particularly at the price point.  It's also basically illegible as a watch though in my small sample size folks generally understand that it is supposed to tell time.

On the wrist, it feels quite a bit smaller than the 46mm x 15mm measurements because of the recessed lugs.

I think there is probably some sort of political statement being made with the specific half world projection being made (centered on the Indian Ocean, with China at the periphery and Americas and Europe no where to be found) though I frankly couldn't tell you what that is.  I'm not particularly bothered by it I'm any case.

This is cool.  Not for me but cool.

Montblanc Orbis Terrarum (ref 112308)

A globe trotting watch to match a spinning globe watch.  Seen on the wrist of a watch collecting friend at the same meetup.

I know @MontblancPapi is going to agree with me when I say that Montblanc might be the most overlooked watchmaker in the world.

Not the most disliked or the most laughed at but the most likely brand for which enthusiasts would say "isn't that a pen maker?"

They are indeed and also increasingly embracing their destiny as a watchmaker of no small repute.  I was recently reacquainted with my Montblanc curiosity when I saw the well proportioned 1858 GMT with its intuitive and low key GMT ring.

That curiosity was reinforced by my friend's watch, a Montblanc Orbis Terrarum Worldtimer Circa 2015.  I think this demonstrates, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Montblanc deserves a seat at the high table of luxury watchmakers, able to fit an interesting, mostly in house, high complication movement into a  svelte 41mm x 12mm case.  The world time button is snappy and satisfying.

It is not a perfect watch by any means.  This world map is not my favorite worldtimer dial and I think the case is a bit simple for a watch movement that demands no small measure of elegance.

Yet, it's hard to overlook how much of an achievement this is for a relatively passed over watch brand, especially by the standards of 6-7 years ago when off the shelf world time movements simply didn't exist. 

My friend loves this watch, noting that he was especially tickled that it had his hometown on the dial (I'll leave you to guess which of the 24 cities that is).

Aesthetically, it didn't quite click for me but there's so much that is right about this watch that I'm likely going to look for future iterations when they pop up.

Cartier Santos de Cartier Medium

On the wrist of another watch collecting friend, seen during the same meetup.  I forget the story behind this watch exactly because I frankly lust after it too much.

With due apologies to @AllTheWatches , this is the great oyster perpetual/datejust Prince-who-was-promised competitor we've all been waiting for.  

To me, the problem with Rolex is historical memory.  Other brands have greater horological histories, but Rolex lives rent free in the minds of the public and enthusiasts alike to the point where if we're unfamiliar with the design of a watch, we immediately try to compare it to a Rolex we already know. 

What can men do against such reckless brand recognition?  You give Alberto Santos Dumont the Sword of Elendil and Louis Cartier the White Staff of Saruman and you ride out to meet the horde head on.

What I mean is....when competing against something as iconic as the Datejust or OP, there are no half measures.  You have to create something equally iconic.

Its why the wonderful Omega Constellation Globemaster never really caught on and was simply derided as a half hearted Datejust homage with a fluted bezel.  The same with the very good Tag Heuer Carrera three handers.  You just wonder if it looks too much like a smooth bezel OP.

If you're going to come at the King, you best not miss.  Cartier aimed for the heart by digging deep in its catalog for the most legendary sports watch it has ever made.

The Santos de Cartier is one of the great watches and a true challenger to the Datejust 's GADA throne.

It is available in large and medium (squares look bigger on the wrist than dimensions would imply, but I think of them as a 41-42mm and a 37-38mm) but both are dress watch slender at just 9mm of height.  It looks unlike anything else in the world aside from itself and oozes cool from the @Aurelian  infuriating Roman numerals to its exposed screws on the face and bracelet.

The bracelet changes seamlessly with the first( only?) toolless link removal system I've ever seen.  You can literally pop it out with a fingernail on a button.  And if you need a dress watch, the bracelet slips out with another button and can be replaced with a crocodile strap.  It is as tasteful as it gets.

The Santos looks awesome and feels awesome.  It is a real deal dress watch that can also play sports watch.  I absolutely adore it and  I couldn't tell you why I don't own one already.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay (M79230R-0012)

Seen at a playground climbing structure  next to a Neapolitan pizza restaurant on the wrist of a gentleman with his wife and little baby.

I was with my kids at the time, so any conversation was going to be brief but I had to chat about this most interesting reference.

Despite my general admiration for the commercial success of Tudor, I personally feel some of that success has come at a cost, particularly in the realm vibrant colors and interesting designs.

True, you still get interesting references like the P01 but I fear that, over time, Tudor will exclusively be the province of vintage Rolex homages because that's what sells.  It's a shame because some of the older references have such personality. The old 41mm Black Bay diver is a wonderful example of this.

Beautiful gilt markers framed by a cherry bezel standing 14.5mm tall.  In a world of fairly standard black and blue divers, it's a dive watch that makes a statement.  I like the personality of these watches much more than that of the recent Bb58 colors and I complimented him on his choice.

I then asked if he was a collector and he responded in the affirmative, noting that he owned an islander and that his Grail was a GMT Master II, though he found the wait lists pretty annoying.

He expressed some concern that the Black Bay was a bit thick and then we were subsequently distracted (kids man).  

I am sad to say I never really got to finish the conversation. For any of you who are parents of young children, you know just how hard it is have a coherent conversation but this is what I would have said had I been able to continue.

It looked absolutely brilliant on your wrist.  I'm honestly jealous you have the wrist to pull off the watch.  The cherry red is a bold choice and I think you pull it off great.  It's a top tier watch and you seem like a top tier person. 

I hope you get your GMT Master soon.  Given the reckoning happening with scalpers, I wager it's closer than you think.

What cool watches did you see this week?