The Glycine Combat 6 (Ref. 3890.19AT-LB9) comes in a mid-sized 43 mm case and, with its traditional layout, offers superb readability in any lighting scenario. Combine this with almost unrivaled reliability and robustness of the famous ETA 2824-2 Swiss-made movement (they prefer to list it as Caliber GL 224 in some of their ads) and an affordable price, and you get yourself an absolutely gorgeous “entry-level” pilot’s (sort of) timekeeper for a person looking for his or her first “real” Swiss watch.
Raymond Weil Nabucco Rivoluzione Chronograph
Black is the new black, you know, and the new Raymond Weil Nabucco Rivoluzione (ref. RW-7810-BSF-05207) automatic chronograph is among the best ways to prove this.
Vintage-Styled Archimede Pilot XL Automatic
If you have a body (or at least wrists) of heroic proportions and are not willing to pay thousands of dollars for ridiculously overpriced timepieces like, say, IWC Doppel-Chronograph Top Gun, then you may want to check out the vintage-styled Archimede Pilot XL , which is both ruggedly-classy and, priced well below the €500 mark, surprisingly affordable.
Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 4 “Aviator”
First unveiled at the Baselworld 2009 and going on sale at the beginning of October of the same year, the Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 4 (ref. 241381) featured a “love it or hate it, we don’t care” layout of its huge dial, but had at least one advantage over competitors that you just could’t deny: it was powered by an almost legendary Unitas 6497 hand-wound movement known for its impressive power reserve, the decent ability for keeping good time, as well as that old-school charisma that more modern mechanisms simply don’t have.
Edox Grand Ocean Chronograph I (ref. 01201-357RN-NIR)
The new Edox Grand Ocean Automatic Chronograph I (ref. 01201-357RN-NIR) may look a bit cheesy with its gold-plating and the choice of relatively inexpensive self-winding movement, yet it looks almost like the next best thing for a person who can’t afford something like an Ulysse Nardin Monaco diver.
Baume & Mercier Riviera Magnum XXL (ref. 8835)
Inspired by the legendary Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, the Baume & Mercier Riviera Magnum XXL (ref. 8835 aka MOA08835) is a relatively affordable piece of gadgetry for those not willing to spend a fortune on the real thing (or, as I think I need to add after meditating a minute or two on the subject sometime after this brief review was already published, it is not fair to use such a degrading combination of words as “a real thing” implying that this one is just a shameless ripoff: I think of it as more of an “homage” to the famous ROO, which is one of the best forms of flattery if you want my opinion.)