Chronographs seem fairly simple. Press a button and it starts the 'stopwatch', press it again, it stops, press another button it resets. Repeat. Sounds simple right? Well for most, it is! But for some, the intricacies of the chronograph, its specific function and the structure of the mechanism is very important. And chances are if … Continue reading A guide to all things chronograph!
It's our 50th blog post! and to celebrate we have some really cool watches out! Let's start by stating the obvious. Some watches are expensive, and some aren't! This is the sad truth for all high end watch enthusiasts as the most desirable pieces are often the most expensive! Take the current Rolex market and … Continue reading Three watches: same functions, over £14,000 price difference! Why?
Perhaps one of the most charming watches on this list and one of the more popular items available from our shop - the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is a great example of a brand updating a classic design with modern materials and manufacturing techniques; replacing a coated brass casing with stainless steel, and a plexiglass crystal with a more modern sapphire crystal.
Tag Heuer's offering of a more wallet friendly automatic diving watch, with a ceramic bezel, is the Aquaracer Automatic Chronograph [cay211b.ba0927]. In Tag's lineup, it this watch straddles the gap between the entry quartz aquaracers and the 500m Automatic Chronograph Aquaracers (which have more than a passing resemblance to the Omega Seamaster 300m Diver Co-Axial Chronograph 42mm watch collection).
Omegas offering for a tough diving watch with a chronograph function comes in the form of this Planet Ocean 600m Co-Axial Chronograph. In order to appeal to a large number of audiences the watch is available in a few different colour options, strap types, and even includes a couple of variants set with a ring of 42 diamonds, constructed from titanium, or an 18kt rose gold case option - which weighs in at just over £20K (at the current RRP).
If for whatever reason you don't want a Rolex then take a look at the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe. It's water resistant to the usual 300m, is a more comfortable 43mm wide (and 13.40mm deep) and even includes a transparent case back, which is a feature less often found on dive watches; though, this may be due to the increased thickness they give a watches case, the perceived weakness that they give and the additional cost involved.
![Longines Master Collection Moon Phase: Unboxing Review [L2.673.4.78.3] Sitting in supplied Longines box](https://blog.thewatchsource.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/longines-master-complications-l2-673-4-78-320.jpg?w=648)
An Affordable Moonphase, Tripple date Chronograph Watch! Longines Master Collection L2.673.4.78.3 This is another example of how well Longings creates quality mechanical time pieces at a fraction of the price that others would charge. It has a RRP of £2,070 (at time of publishing), with the next cheapest similar watch that I’ve found is the Zenith El Primero … Continue reading Longines Master Collection Moon Phase: Unboxing Review [L2.673.4.78.3]
![Omega Speedmaster X-33 Skywalker Solar Impulse [318.92.45.79.03.001] Macro Photo In Black Box © 2016 blog.thewatchsource.co.uk ALL RIGHTS RESERVED](https://blog.thewatchsource.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/dsc_0689.jpg?w=648)
Initially when opening the box for the Omega X-33 Skywalker Solar Impulse (ref. 318.92.45.79.03.001). I was a little apprehensive: this, is a quartz movement watch, from a company that increasingly wants to be seen as a truly luxury brand, by making more mechanical watches. The bright green and blue colours are strong and catch the eye, but lacks a little sophistication in my option. But overtime it’s a design that has grown on me. The casing is built from dark looking grade 2 titanium with an excellent matte brush finish, which maintains its crispness around stylistic detailing, and reminds the wearer of its status as a tool watch. It is a comfortable 45mm wide with two buttons on either side of the face keeping multiple lines of strong symmetry.
Theres simply no way around the fact that this watch is gigantic. The ProDiver has a huge 51mm case diameter and is nearly 2cm thick - definitely not something that will fit under a shirt cuff. This watch is so large that even the big Rolex Deepsea (ref. 116660) starts to appear small when sat next to the ProDiver. Although the ProDiver is only just water-resistant to a mere 1000m with the Deepsea enduring the far more sensible and useful depth of 3900m, I think the ProDiver would be sufficient for the 99.9% of divers.
![Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch 42mm: Unboxing-Review [311.33.42.30.01.001] The Omega Speedmaster held in my hand held up to the front of the supplied box Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch 42mm: Unboxing-Review [311.33.42.30.01.001] © 2016 blog.thewatchsource.co.uk](https://blog.thewatchsource.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/omega-speedmaster-professional-moonwatch-42mm-unboxing-review-311-33-42-30-01-001-14.jpg?w=648)
This is the new Moonwatch for the space race lovers who may not be able to afford an original pre-moon 105.012 or post-moon 145.012 Omega Speedmaster, being tested and certified by NASA to endure extremes in temperature, humidity, shock, pressure and vibrations. But unfortunately for some, these rare gems of timepieces also command a high asking price on the second-hand market. Costing 3 or 4 times that of the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch I'm currently reviewing here (released in 2014). Or this watch could be suited to those who don't want the hassle of buying a second-hand original. What with finding one in a good condition, with a service history, from a reputable seller, at a good price.
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