During the 26th Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH 2016,) the Italian brand has presented several new collections. Among them was this gorgeous (but in a modest way) Panerai Radiomir 1940 3Days GMT Acciaio PAM 627 that features their brand new Caliber P.4001 movement with a micro-rotor design. Although the watchmaker didn’t dare to step too far away from the time-proven design of the Radiomir collection, the PAM 627 still looks fresh and attractive thanks to the waffle-style dial finish that they, unfortunately, use only on a limited number of models.
Swiss Brands
Zenith Elite Chronograph Classic Automatic Cal. 4069
The 2016 Zenith Elite Chronograph Classic Cal. 4069 is equipped with the new Caliber 4069 automatic movement and is offered both in relatively inexpensive steel and much more impressively priced gold version. At this time, this is one of the most interesting choices when it comes to “dressy” chronographs with “character” currently offered by the brand.
Blancpain Ladybird Ultraplate Saint-Valentin 2016 (Ref. 0063F-1954-63A)
Just in time for the St. Valentine’s Day, Blancpain has presented the limited edition Ladybird Ultraplate Saint-Valentin 2016 (Ref. 0063F-1954-63A). Featuring an in-house automatic movement with an exterior design done by something that looks like a team of real professionals, this one may be a little expensive for most of us, but it still is worth every penny.
Tudor Fastrider Black Shield Ducati (ref. 42000CN)
Marketed as a sort of accessory for the 2016 Ducati XDiavel power cruiser, the Tudor Fastrider Black Shield Ducati 42000CN is as sporty and laconic as the Italian sports bike. While some may find its look a bit dated (while others may call it ‘classic’,) the choice of material for its chunky case easily compensates for its apparent lack of originality. It is a nice choice for a person willing to spend close to $5000 for a Swiss-made chronograph that offers you the same level of quality and functionality that we expect from a timekeeper in this price range.
Breitling for Bentley GT3 (ref. V273655S/BE14/233S/V20DSA.2)
Based on one of their earlier Supersports models, the 2016 Breitling for Bentley GT3 (ref. V273655S/BE14/233S/V20DSA.2) delivers the traditional mix of daring exterior styling and a fairly impressive price tag. The only thing that it lacks is an in-house caliber, but for those not interested in the model’s guts and more concerned about looks and brand value its modified ETA movement may even be a better choice.
Bell & Ross WW1-97 Heritage Automatic (BRWW197-HER-ST/SCR)
The 2015 Bell & Ross WW1-97 Heritage (ref. BRWW197-HER-ST/SCR) delivers the familiar mix of a well-calculated design, which is both elegant and masculine, and a bullet-proof mechanism, which is both reliable and accurate. All of them are offered at a relatively affordable price which makes this new creation one of the best choices in the “Value for Money” category.
Longines Heritage Military COSD L2.832.4.53/73.x
War never changes. Watches, however, do. It is nice when reputable brands introduce all sorts of homages to the legendary WWII-time models issued for armies and navies of all parties involved. For obvious reasons, I can’t call this 2015 Longines Heritage Military COSD (ref. L2.832.4.53/73.x) a true “reissue”. However, it is still a nice choice for a person who wants to buy a military-style timekeeper that doesn’t look like it came straight from the Call of Duty: Black Ops. This one was designed with an officer and a gentleman in mind.
Alpina Alpiner Manufacture Caliber AL-710 (refs. AL-710S4E6 & AL-710KM4E6)
Presented in two colors of its laconic, easy to read dial, Alpina Alpiner Manufacture makes the time-proven Caliber AL-710 in-house automatic movement its selling point. The “Manufacture” mechanism slowly replaces third-party mechanisms from their relatively inexpensive lines. Accurate and reliable, the AL-710 greatly increases the timekeeper’s collectability while still making it a nice daily wearer
TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300M Ceramic Automatic Diver
The iconic TAG Heuer Aquaracer family finally gets a handful of new members that have their stainless steel bezels replaced with ceramic ones. Available in black and blue, with plain or blacked-out steel bodies, and featuring a nice choice of available straps, they are still relatively affordable if you take into account a nice combination of attractive styling, reliability and a bullet-proof automatic movement to finish the picture.
Jaquet Droz Grande Heure Minute Quantieme
While not terribly expensive (and still not particularly affordable given that so far the collection is only presented in stainless steel), the new Jaquet Droz Grande Heure Minute Quantieme was designed for those people who believe that a dress watch must only be worn with formal attire. While you still can wear one of them with jeans or even chinos, you must be either a really successful screenwriter or a slightly eccentric serial start-upper to pull off the trick.
Fortis Terrestis Hedonist Automatic
The 2015 Fortis Terrestis Hedonist delivers a winning combination of elegant styling, and robust movement offered at a fairly affordable price. This can be the watch of choice for a person who always thought about adding a Fortis to his collection but wasn’t ready to get himself an “aviator” because of their massive cases, cluttered dials, and, often, just way too many colors for them to look good with business attire. Now, you finally have no excuses to backpedal on this purchase, have you?
Oris Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 111 Hand-Wound
The 2015 Oris Big Crown ProPilot (ref. 01 111 7711 4163-Set 5 22 14FC) is powered by the new Caliber 111 hand-wound movement. Developed and built on their own premises, the beautiful mechanism not only makes this new timekeeper even more exclusive but also shows that Oris has enough resources to design and put on the production line a wonderful caliber. Their new Cal. 111 is an in-house mechanism that, at least in terms of functionality and efficiency, rivals those recently introduced by a lot more established watchmaking houses.
Breitling Aerospace Evo Night Mission Chronograph
It’s hard to believe, but the “professional” Aerospace line is here for the whole three decades! Celebrating the anniversary, Breitling has introduced a limited-edition Aerospace Evo Night Mission chronograph. With a total production run limited to mere 300 pieces and a new color of the dial that nicely accents its almost black satin-brushed body, the 2015 model will probably be sold out in no time even despite its impressive price.
Pierre DeRoche TNT Royal Retro GMT 1/2 Hour (Ref. TNT10005ACTI0-005CR) (UPDATED)
The 2015 Pierre DeRoche TNT Royal Retro GMT 1/2 Hour is basically the same TNT Royal Retro RB that we have seen many times before, but with a new complication that makes it not only fancy looking but also useful for frequent travelers.
Frederique Constant Vintage Rally Healey Chronograph (refs. FC-397HS5B6 & FC-397HDG5B4)
Despite its excessively (well, to my taste) long name, the Frederique Constant Vintage Rally Healey collection makes an impression of a well-designed accessory. While I wouldn’t call it ‘revolutionary’ or ‘groundbreaking’, this homage to the legendary Austin-Healey 3000 successfully combines standard elements of design into an attractive time measuring device. Purists would probably wince a little at the way they use gold-plating to make a stainless steel body look dressier, but I find nothing wrong with it: for those on a tight budget, a gold-plated watch is an excellent choice.