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- Doxa Goes Small With New Diver Chrono, Vulcain and Union Glashütte Go Back To The 70s And Bvlgari Gives Salmon A Different Name
Doxa Goes Small With New Diver Chrono, Vulcain and Union Glashütte Go Back To The 70s And Bvlgari Gives Salmon A Different Name
This is a very colorful edition of It's About Time - new dial colors for everyone!
It's About Time
March 20, 2023
Hey friends! Tick-tock, tick-tock - that's the sound of our It’s About Time arriving on schedule. Thanks for joining us!
In this issue:
Smaller and better Doxas
Vulcain is going back to the archives
Union has some kick-ass new retro colors for their boring watch
Awake Debuts The Kida’ Wild Mission To Earth Chapter III
And… invite your friends to win a Tiffany PRX
Today’s reading time: 6 minutes and 21 seconds
We’re starting off with a bang! We’re giving away TWO of this year’s hottest watches:
THE TIFFANY PRX!
This is the PRX Powermatic 80 we’re giving away. Not this one obviously. But one just like it.
All you have to do is click the button below and have five of your friends subscribe. Both you and one of your friends will be eligible to win one of the watches
We only have two conditions when entering this giveaway - invite 5 of your friends to subscribe and live somewhere were you can buy the PRX online, so we can do this for you and ship it to your address. That’s it!
👂What’s new
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While we all love the Doxa SUB 300 range, the more accessible SUB 200 sometimes went under the radar. In 2020 the brand introduced a diving chrono version of the SUB 200 which was huge. Now they’re back with the Doxa SUB 200 C-Graph II, a smaller and slightly redesigned version.
Instead of the older version at 45mm, the C-Graph II measures a more manageable 42mm and 46mm lug to lug, but is still a thick boy at 15.85mm. The specs remain the same - a screw-down crown, a screwed back, a domed sapphire crystal and a 200m water-resistance. The bezel gets Doxa’s shark-tooth profile.
On the 3 bright-coloured models – yellow, orange and turquoise – the insert is brushed steel, with a black, fully graduated diving scale. The black and dark blue models have a tone-on-tone brushed ceramic bezel insert, while the white/silver version can be ordered either with a white ceramic or a brushed steel insert. The colors on the dial are now applied on a sunray-brushed base, instead of the flat surface. Inside is the Sellita SW510 movement and you can have it on the stainless steel beads of rice bracelet with folding clasp and diving extension, or an FKM rubber strap matching the colour of the dial.
The Doxa SUB 200 C-Graph II Diving chronograph collection will be available in April 2023. The prices range from EUR 2,850 to EUR 2,990 depending on the choice of colour/bezel and the type of bracelet.
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A Vulcain Cricket was one of my favorite vintage watches I have ever owned. Traded it in for something less interesting, but a bit more durable, after a couple of years, but I still think about it fondly. That’s why I’m so happy that Vulcain is embracing their history so much and reviving cool models. Just like the new Vulcain Chronograph 1970s.
The revival of the Vulcain Chronograph 1970s is the brainchild of Guillaume Laidet, the the man who’s also behind the resurrection of Nivada Grenchen and Excelsior Park. And boy, did he do it right… 38mm in diameter, 12.40mm in height, classic design with smooth bezel, domed sapphire crystal on top to mimic a retro plexiglass, and a pair of pump pushers on the side. The step-case is partially brushed, partially polished and comes with a closed steel back. Water-resistance is rated at 50 metres and a wide selection of straps is available.
The watch comes in four dials - blue with silver counters, black reverse panda, silver panda and monotone salmon, which will be limited to only 50 pieces. The dials are all having a semi-gloss finish, with a sunray-brushed surface. Inside is the Sellita SW510, same as the Doxa mentioned above.
The Vulcain Chronograph 1970s Hand-Wound watches will be available for orders from the brand’s website as of March 22nd, at a price of EUR 2,500 or USD 2,650.
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You either love the Octo Finissimo or you don’t. Bet is that most people love them. I sure do. There’s nothing revolutionary new with Bvlgari’s best watch, they just have a new dial color they are calling Tuscan Copper, which is a sunray-finished metallic version on the ever popular salmon dial.
That’s all that’s new, but this version will be limited to North America and there will only be 50 pieces available at $13,300.
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Union Glashütte is adding more personality to their restrained timepieces by introducing funky 70s colors to their Noramis Date line.
The Noramis Date has been around for some time as a very understated slightly dressy watch with a black and silver dial. But things are changing, and it’s time for some bold colours.
Positano Yellow, Bahia Red, Cornflower Blue, Vintage Green, Graphite Grey… These are the five new colours that Union Glashütte is bringing to its classic time-and-date watch and all five are inspired by the paintwork of vintage cars from the 1970s.
The dials feature a combination of polished applied markers and numerals, like the hands that now have a thin luminous insert. The date remains at 3 o’clock, and is printed on a white disc. All watches are worn on a leather strap, closed by a folding clasp. Inside, Union Glashutte has reworked the mechanics too. The Noramis Date is now powered by the calibre UNG-07.S1, an evolution of the 2892 architecture, with an antimagnetic silicon hairspring, a revised frequency of 3.5Hz and an extended power reserve of 60 hours.
This new Union Glashutte Noramis Date collection will soon be available from retailers and is priced at EUR 2,400.
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The Awake Mission To Earth Chapter III is the trendiest of sports watches. As in, it is banking on all the trends. And it’s not a bad thing. Riding on recent popularity of Titainum, the new Awake watch is made out of the same material (actually 70% recycled titanium), and marries it space-themed concept with the popularity of meteorites - the dials of both limited editions they are releasing is made out of the Muonionalusta meteorite, believed to be the oldest meteorite ever discovered.
Chapter III comes in two versions - grey, with an untreated titanium case and a lighter colored meteorite dial; and purple, where the titanium case is colored purple, while the dial has a near black meteorite. The other specs are pretty basic - 100m water resistance, a Miyota 9015 movement and titanium clasp on a rubber strap.
Awake is banking on another trend - the blockchain - even though it’s already kind of passé. What is not passé is how they implemented it in combination with NFC tech. Tap your smartphone to the watch and you will link up with NASA to track the asteroids that are nearest to us in the Solar System. Very cool.
The watches are priced at €1,300 without tax. Deliveries will take place between September and December 2023.
🫳On hand
Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon
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⚙️Watch Worthy
A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually like
The DBD Digitale was first introduced back in 2006 in a highly limited quantity, available in white and rose gold. With a case shaped somewhat like a horseshoe and a dial with digital displays reminiscent of pocket watches created during the Art Deco era, it was a major departure from anything ever produced by the brand, and its uniqueness still endures today. Now it’s back for only 13 pieces.
⏲️Wait a minute
A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting
There’s a bunch of questions on what’s happening with Rolex - will they be increasing production numbers, are they really starting to sell pre owned watches? Here’s an overview of all the rumors.
Are you in need of a bit of fiction? A couple of years ago the New Yorker published a newly discovered Hemingway short story that I only got to read this weekend. It’s just as good as classic Hemingway.
The real Lord of the Flies: what happened when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months from the Guardian
Have you ever wondered why the Thunderbirds, the famed arial acrobatics squadron, still use mechanical watches?
👀Watch this
One video you have to watch today
Yes, I just linked to a three hour video. But it is equal parts meditation on nature and living, as well as an astonishing accomplishment of rebuilding two stone cabins in Italy. Trust the process, watch the video.
💵Pre-loved precision
Buy and sell your watches. Think of this section like old school classifieds - i don’t guarantee anything except that a bunch of people will see your ad and I’ll put the buyer and seller in touch. Want to advertise your watch? Contact us
For sale: Rolex Explorer I 39 mm Mark I, ref. 214270. Great condition, no box or papers. €7250, OBO. Reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch
For sale: Longines Heritage Skin Diver, box and papers. €1400. Reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch
Want to sell your watch to a community of passionate horologists? Reach out to us and we’ll put your ad up. $15 per listing without photos, $25 with photos. 10 available slots per day, discounts for multiple slots.
We’re starting off with a bang! We’re giving away TWO of this year’s hottest watches:
THE TIFFANY PRX!
This is the PRX Powermatic 80 we’re giving away. Not this one obviously. But one just like it.