Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Looking For A Healthy Dose Of Class And Personality On A Budget? Look No Further!
Boatloads of character, compelling mechanical movements and sensible stricker prices perfectly sum up this week's selection of watches.
Watches come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from very affordable to very expensive and everything in between. Throughout our weekly Buying Guide search to group together a selection of watches with a common theme, we thought it was time to take a look at some of the classiest watches you can buy at the moment. Classy watches with a healthy dose of personality of course, as we don’t want something ordinary or downright boring on the wrist, now do we? And to follow up on last week’s somewhat attainable selection, we’ve kept the budget low again. Let’s get straight into it!
Raymond Weil Millesime Central Seconds
The Millesime by Raymond Weil came out of the blue and caused quite a sensation, not in the least for its elegant good looks. The contemporary take on the vintage sector dial is executed to perfection, with the salmon-coloured Central Seconds model being one of the stand-out pieces in the collection. With a 39,25mm by 9.25mm stainless steel case, it’s also proportioned very well. Factor in the reliability and serviceability of the Sellita SW200-based Calibre RW4200 and the vintage style leather strap and you end with a mighty stylish watch! At EUR 1,625 (or EUR 1,750 in gold PVD) it also doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
For more information, please visit Raymond-Weil.com.
Quick Facts – 39.5mm x 9.25mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – optional gold PVD coating – sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – black, blue, silver or salmon sector dial – black printed markers – silver or gold-toned hands – Calibre RW4200, automatic (Sellita SW200 – 28,800vph – 38h power reserve – grey, black, blue or brown calfskin leather strap with pin buckle – EUR 1,625 (steel models) – EUR 1,750 (gold PVD models)
Nomos Club 701
The ever-stylish Club is one of the most popular watches in Nomos’ collection, and rightfully so. It offers a more laidback take on the classical time-only watch thanks to its Bauhaus-esque dial with a playful mix of markers and numerals, sword-shaped hands and coloured details. While it comes in a range of styles and colours, the recently revamped Club 701 is one of the best variations currently available. It also wears extremely well thanks to its compact size of 36mm by 8.2mm. The in-house produced Alpha movement can be covered by a solid caseback for EUR 1,300 or a sapphire crystal one for EUR 1,500.
For more information, please visit Nomos-Glashuette.com.
Quick Facts – 36mm x 8.2mm – stainless steel case, polished – sapphire crystal or solid caseback – 100m water-resistant – white silver-plated dial – recessed small seconds subdial – raised black markers & numerals – black sword-shaped hands with red inserts – calibre Alpha, in-house – manual winding – 21,600vph – 43h power reserve – dark-brown Horween leather strap with red stitching & pin buckle – EUR 1,300 (closed back) – EUR 1,500 (open back)
Baltic Prismic
The Prismic is the “Cocktail Watch” according to Baltic, and is yet again a discerning mix of vintage and contemporary watchmaking. Modern materials and mechanics are mixed with retro-chic design cues and groovy colours, such as purple and green. The dial has a mix of finishing from the centre outwards and has applied faceted and polished markers and Dauphine-style hands. Hiding in plain sight is an ETA Peseux 7001 hand-wound movement, the reason the Prismix can be so compact (36mm x 9.2mm). Worn on either a leather strap for EUR 990 or a mesh steel bracelet for EUR 1,050, the Prismic won’t break the bank.
For more information, please visit Baltic-Watches.com.
Quick Facts – 36mm x 9.2mm – stainless steel & grade 5 titanium case – stepped bezel – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – purple, green, salmon or grey-blue dial – faceted and polished markers – Dauphine style hands – ETA Peseux 7001 – hand-wound – 21,600vph – 42h power reserve – braided “mesh” steel bracelet or grained leather strap with pin buckle – part of the permanent collection – EUR 990 (leather strap) or EUR 1,050 (mesh bracelet)
Tissot Heritage 1938 Chronometer
Even though the 1938 collection comprises of only two models, Tissot has pretty much nailed both on the head. Following the Telemeter 1938 from 2022, last year we got to know the new Heritage 1938 Chronometer. With a simple yet effective salmon or anthracite dial, paired with contrasting markings and hands, it’s a delightfully retro-chic watch. Movement-wise it also doesn’t disappoint as it comes with a COSC-certified chronometer-grade ETA 2824-2 automatic. The salmon dial comes on a grey leather strap, while the anthracite dial is fitted with a brown one. Oh, and perhaps the best thing about it is the price of EUR 875!
For more information, please visit TissotWatches.com.
Quick Facts – 39mm x 11mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front & back – onion-style crown – 50m water-resistant – salmon or anthracite dial – raised numerals with black or beige finish – black or beige hands – vintage Tissot logo – ETA 2824-2, automatic – COSC-certified chronometer – 28,800vph – 38h power reserve – vintage style leather strap in grey or brown – EUR 875
Seiko Presage Classic Series SPB463, SPB465 & SPB467
Last but not least is the new Seiko Presage Classic Series, which recently launched with three time-and-date references; SPB463 with a light creme dial, SPB465 with a brownish-green dial and SPB467 with a salmon dial. It offers a classy take on Seiko’s distinctly Japanese expertise in dial finishing, movement craftsmanship and bracelet design. The cases are rather elegant, the dial has a very nice texture to it, and all are powered by the Calibre 6R55 with a power reserve of 72 hours. Add in the new style bracelet, and the price of EUR 1,050 and you have a genuine winner on your hands!
For more information, please visit SeikoWatches.com.
Quick Facts – 40.2mm diameter x 13mmm thick stainless steel case – exhibition caseback – 100m water-resistance – textured dials with three colour options – hours, minutes, central seconds, date window at 3 o’clock – calibre 6R55, automatic – 21,600 vibrations/hour – 72h power reserve – steel multi-row bracelet with deployant clasp featuring a push-button release mechanism – EUR 1,050
2 responses
Dear readers. As a watch lover, can someone explain to me why brands (such as RWeil) show the unfinished movement from the catalog behind a glass back? That’s the killer for me right now. A 0815 movement without finishing should be locked away where nobody can see it.
I can answer you, Wish. It’s nice to see a mechanical movement if you are not used to them (or even if you are, just to enjoy them). Finishing as a fetish more important than actual horology is a relatively recent idea, perhaps popularized by Philippe Dufour. While I would love a Simplicity, it’s a horologically boring watch, really no more interesting than any here, perhaps less so.