For a business entity, which is essentially a one-man show, Steinhart is surprisingly prolific. Although most of their watches are so-called “homages” and “tributes”, there is a lot of them. Starting from “divers” to “pilots” and going all the way to sporty chronographs, the brand offers you plenty to choose from. This self-winding Ocean One Vintage, for example, is designed for the kind of people that are longing for a historic Rolex (or, perhaps, even a re-issue of a historic Tudor,) but either can’t afford one or plain don’t want to bother sifting through the thousands of “pre-loved” models with a questionable history.
42 mm
Saint Honore Carrousel Moon Phase
Presented in a two-tone body (the choice of colors that is especially popular among buyers on a tight budget, but with expensive tastes) and sporting a reliable Swiss-made movement, the Saint Honore Carrousel Moon Phase delivers three most useful “complications” without all the hassle that accompanies them when it comes to a timekeeper powered by either an automatic or a hand-wound caliber.
Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 Meteorite Dual Time in Rose Gold
This limited edition Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 Meteorite Dual Time (ref. 283.101.55/0001 PX34) looks pretty standard for the brand. The signature dodecagonal bezel and case, the usual nautical flags that stand for the normal hour markers: all these things we have already seen many times before (not that there is something wrong with them, of course). Yet, its meticulously decorated dial with its highly unusual geometric pattern that at the same time looks both chaotic and orderly makes it extremely eye-catching. The thing, however, is that the dial is not decorated at all.
Glashutte Original Sixties Panorama Date Automatic
Deliciously vintage, yet absolutely modern, the Glashutte Original Sixties Panorama Date (ref. 39-47-06-02-04) successfully delivers everything that one could expect from a contemporary timepiece inspired by the roaring 1960s. This device delivers you a clean, easily readable dial, as well as a meticulously designed and painstakingly executed self-winding caliber packed into a perfectly sculpted case. All in all, you get a timekeeper that perfectly represents a decade that put a man on the Moon and gave us Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin.
Bell & Ross BR03-94 Tornado Chronograph
Bell & Ross has finally re-introduced its BR03-94 model. Called BR03-94 Tornado Chronograph, it features the same functionality, but is now dedicated to the legendary Tornado multi-purpose jets that are still in use by Italy’s Air Force.
Chopard Mille Miglia Zagato Chronograph GMT 168550-6001
Being an official partner of the annual 1000 Miglia race, the Swiss watchmaker introduces new limited edition collections on an annual basis. This time, the company introduced a pair of nice Chopard Mille Miglia Zagato Chronograph GMTs with one of them (namely, the Ref. 168550-6001 reviewed here) featuring an impressive combination of black DLC body with a rose gold bezel.
Mk. II Fulcrum Automatic Diver
Assembled in the United States, powered by a high-grade Swiss-made movement, and bearing a price tag close to $2000 USD, the new Mk. II Fulcrum automatic diver is a bit too expensive to my taste, but it still looks great. Also, I dig their decision to tweak its exterior design here and there in order to make the refreshed timekeeper ahem less similar to the original that the previous version paid homage to.
Vulcain Nautical DLC (Ref. 100152.024LDLC)
The company that makes watches for American presidents, has re-released its classic Nautical model. First released as a faithful recreation of the 1960s diver and then re-issued around two years ago in an almost the same shape (but with a different movement), this new Vulcain Nautical DLC (Ref. 100152.024LDLC) version gets more modern look with its mid-sized stainless steel body treated with scratch-resistant DLC coating. Still, it loses something in the process.
Vacheron Constantin Historiques Toledo 1951 in Rose Gold (Ref. 86300/000R-9826)
Known not only for their cutting edge Overseas family of sporty chronographs and three-handers, but also for the unique Historiques collection of re-issues (well, technically they are not “reissues” since they are powered by more modern movement while looking almost exactly like their classic models,) Vacheron Constantin is about to start selling their new Historiques Toledo 1951 (ref. 86300/000R-9826) dressy three-hander. This one comes in an unusual (for the brand) body that blends the noble rectangular shape of the bezel with a sporty “cushion” style form of the massive rose gold case.
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle 14-Day Tourbillon (Ref. 89000/000P-9843)
Offered at almost $380,000 and crafted from expensive Platinum 950 alloy, the 2013 Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle 14-Day Tourbillon (Ref. 89000/000P-9843) with its modest styling and compact size is a quintessence of inconspicuous consumption. With its moderately oversized case and a time-proven, bullet-proof reliable mechanism, it is a trinket for the kind of people who would prefer a vintage Rolls-Royce to a brand new Koenigsegg.