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.
Swiss Brands
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 Automatic 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.
Oris Divers Sixty-Five Automatic
First revealed at the Baselworld 2015 trade show, the 2015 Oris Divers Sixty-Five (ref. 01 733 7747 4055-07 4 17 18) automatic diver pays homage to a classic model from 1965. Although it is absolutely not a true reissue (even the choice of the movement makes it a different model), the Sixty-Five makes a strong impression and will be a wonderful choice for a person who wants to buy something “vintage”, but with brand new guts to power it.
Chopard 24 Hours of Le Mans 2015 Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Jacky Ickx Edition (Ref. 168535-3003)
The Chopard 24 Hours of Le Mans 2015 Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Jacky Ickx Edition (Ref. 168535-3003) (wow, that’s a long name) is, for all practical purposes, simply a new iteration of the last year’s Superfast Chrono Porsche 919. The only thing that makes it visually different is a set of new color accents on the dial and bezel flange. Now also proudly wearing Jacky Ickx‘s signature on its engraved case back cover, the watch celebrates the long-standing partnership between the two high-end brands, but, it so happened that it also praises Porsche’s decisive victory at 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 Chronograph Big Date Quartz
The 2015 Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 Chronograph Big Date expands the brand’s line of affordable diving companions with yet another product. Featuring a reliable and accurate quartz mechanism packed into a visually attractive, nicely sculpted stainless steel body, the timepiece looks like a perfect “first real Swiss watch” choice for a young customer who still can’t afford to buy “a real thing” be it a member of the same collection powered by a more expensive mechanical movement or something of an entirely different league like, say, an Omega Seamaster or a Breitling Superocean.
Breitling Superocean II 36 Diver for Ladies
The new Breitling Superocean II 36 Diver sports the usual styling that the series is known for. Basically offering the same unisex model in a slightly smaller size, the timekeeper won’t surprise you with new ideas, but will rather deliver the usual blend of sportiness, good build quality and a bullet-proof (albeit, mass produced) mechanism that will keep time as you would expect from a COSC-certified movement. What else there is to want?
Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Vuelo Automatic
As defiantly eclectic as it is, the Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Vuelo still makes a strong impression with its deliberately oversized stainless steel body and a dial that could make your eyes bleed if only it wasn’t matched so convincingly well to the energetic shape of the case. Not designed according to the book that most Swiss-based watchmakers live by, this new Historiador may be a timekeeper of choice for a person who looks for something entirely new.
Certina Chronographe DS-8 Phase de Lune Quartz
Certina has officially presented the Chronographe DS-8 Phase de Lune during the Baselworld 2015 show.