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- Omega Updates Apollo 8 Speedmaster With Saturn V Seconds Hand, Timex Releases Incredibly Cool Retro-Futuristic Marlin Jet, New Vacheron Is Very Expensive, New From Anicorn And Rashid Tsoroev
Omega Updates Apollo 8 Speedmaster With Saturn V Seconds Hand, Timex Releases Incredibly Cool Retro-Futuristic Marlin Jet, New Vacheron Is Very Expensive, New From Anicorn And Rashid Tsoroev
Look at the details on the tiny Saturn V rocket and tell me it's not incredible
It's About Time
January 17, 2024
Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. Since the release of the Apollo 8, I’ve been reading that Omega hasn’t changed it at all from the last version. Um… have you seen how little that model line has changed in the past 50+ years? It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
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In this issue:
Omega Updates Black Ceramic Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon Apollo 8 With Saturn V Seconds Hand And New Movement
Timex Expands The Marlin Line With An Incredibly Cool 60s Retro-Futuristic Piece
Vacheron Constantin Introduces A Blingy, Extremely Expensive, Overseas Quartz Model In 33mm
Anicorn Teams Up With Legendary Video Game Developer Hideo Kojima For Death Stranding-Themed Watch
Independent Watchmaker Rashid Tsoroev’s New Watch Is The Surprisingly Affordable Arrow Ev
Today’s reading time: 9 minutes and 11 seconds.
👂What’s new
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On December 21 1968, three astronauts - Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders - sat strapped to their seats in the command module of the Apollo 8 mission waiting to experience what no other men have experienced before: the 33,900 kN thrust of the 2.9 million ton heavy Saturn V rocket, the powerhouse that was being used for the first time but would later put a man on the Moon, put dozens of people into space and help the US build it’s first space station. Btw, interesting story about that module they were sitting in. The crew wanted to name it Columbiad, after the giant cannon that launches a space vehicle in Jules Verne's 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon. NASA didn’t allow it, but it’s quite likely that they went along with this idea as the Apollo 11 command module was named Columbia.
Exactly fifty years later in 2018, Omega released a tribute to the Apollo 8 mission, as part of their Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon collection. This is perhaps the edition that most deserved the DSOTM moniker, as Apollo 8 was the first mission to circle the Moon and get a view of the dark side of the moon. The watch came in a full ceramic case that measured 44.25mm wide and with a partially skeletonized hand-wound calibre 1861. Now, Omega released an update to that watch, joining the fantastic Apollo collection, with some minor but very noticable updates on the outside and the inside. This is the new 2024 Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon Apollo 8 Master Chronometer calibre 3869.
Pretty much all the changes on this watch are tiny. You still get the 44.25mm wide black ceramic case, but it’s been very slightly redesigned to come closer to the proportions and shapes of vintage asymmetrical models. It’s 13mm thick and has a 50mm lug-to-lug. So, while changed a bit, it’s still very similar to the other Dark Side Of The Moon Speedmasters. On top is a sapphire crystal with AR coating, surrounded with a black ceramic bezel that has a tachymeter scale rendered in white grand feu enamel, as opposed to the SuperLuminova on the previous version. Out back is a see-through crystal framed by a black ceramic element engraved with “Dark Side of the Moon – Apollo 8, Dec 1968”, “We’ll see you on the other side” and “Co-Axial Master Chronometer”.
More subtle changes can be seen on the dial. Technically this is a skeleton watch because the lunar decoration seen on the dial side is directly engraved into the movement. The incredible detail has been achieved through laser ablation relief on the black main plate and bridges, enhanced even further by laser engraving to add even more definition. The same techniques have been used on the rear of the movement, visible through the exhibition caseback, to create the image of the dark side of the moon, while the front has the image of the light side. Omega claims, and it does look like it’s true, that this engraving appears more detailed and defined than on the original Apollo 8. Add to all of this subtle yellow details and it all looks very nice. The biggest change is the addition of a 1:19,000 scale perfect recreations of the Saturn V rocket, down to the microscopic U.S.A. text, and rendered in grade 5 titanium as the indicator for the running seconds in the 9 o’clock dial. It’s done by laser turning, while the colours are achieved with white varnish, ablation, and laser blackening.
Inside you’ll find an update from the 1861 in the form of the calibre 3869, a partially skeletonized version of the recent calibre 3861. It has the Co-Axial escapement and Master Chronometer certification. The chronograph is actuated by a cam system and has a power reserve of 50 hours. The watch comes on a perforated black and yellow rubber strap with a folding clasp made of ceramized titanium.
The new Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 is available for purchase now and is part of the regular, unlimited, collection. Price is set at €15,700, which does seem a bit high, but it actually fits into the pricing scheme of the other Dark Side of the Moon watches. Also, of note, despite this being a very long writeup: when the watch was unveiled yesterday, the internet exploded with groans and moans that Omega was doing what Omega does, putting out just incremental updates to the Speedmaster instead of revolutionary new models. Sure, but I will direct your attention to the first Speedmaster ever made - this entire model line has been a game of tiny incremental updates. And I still love it. See more on the Omega website.
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Just a few weeks ago, right before Christmas, a friend reached out to me to ask what watch would make a good present for her husband. Her asks were pretty simple - it had to be small, it had to be retro and she would love for it to be under €300. And the answer was equally as simple - the 34mm hand-wound Timex Marlin that comes in at under €200. The Timex Marlin is so often the correct answer as it’s a timelessly designed line with decent build quality for the incredibly low price. Now, Timex is adding another model to the lineup and it’s a really funky 60s retro-futuristic piece called the Timex Marlin Jet Automatic that people are already in love with.
The new Marlin Jet coems in a brand new case for the lineup and it measures 38mm wide, 13.5mm thick and has a 47mm lug-to-lug. The Timex website has a picture of the watch from it’s profile and you can really see that 13.5mm thickness, which is enhanced by the fact that it comes on a nylon NATO style strap, which adds more height. I wonder what it will be like on wrist. The stainless steel case has curbed lugs and a brushed finish, with a superdome Hesalite crystal on top. That crystal is just fantastic as it slopes over the bezel that has the Marlin name printed in black at 6 and 12 and a concentric circle motif, making it look like the TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox. Briliant.
The dial has a lot of depth to it, as it’s shaped like a convex bowl with cutouts in the edge for the applied indices and a subtle frosted finish. The hands, like the indices, have a black-filled line and no lume. There’s a subdial at 9 o’clock that houses the 24 hour indicator, a doubiously useful complication, but sure, I’ll take it because it looks great.
Inside is the Miyota 8217, visible through the caseback crystal. It’s a reliable and decent movement that beats at 21,600vph and has a power reserve of 42 hours. It also has a carved-out rotor that allows you to see the entire movement. The one major downside is that this movement has a ghost date position, something I can’t stand.
The Timex Marlin Jet Automatic is available now, everywhere and it’s incredibly priced at €289. See more on the Timex website.
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Even the mention of a quartz movement in a watch like a Vacheron Constantin is enough for a watch nerd to shudder. But today’s release is a fantastic reminder that not every single watch in the world is made for the watch nerd. In fact, watches mean so many things to so many people. For some, watches are a pinnacle of mechanical design. For others, watches are incredible pieces of jewellery. Like the latest release from Vacheron Constantin, the new Overseas Quartz.
This is the first time that VC is making an Overseas Quartz in 18-carat pink gold that measures 33mm wide. The integrated bracelet is equally as gold while on top is the traditional 6-sided bezel, which recalls the Maltese cross, adorned with 78 brilliant-cut diamonds. The case also has a combination of polished and brushed surfaces.
The dial has a slightly translucent appearance via its sunburst and satin-finished base, rendered in a denim blue color. The base is set against a velvet-finished minute track that creates an elevated effect while enhancing the dial’s radiance. The indices are applied and made out of pink gold, just like the Super-Luminova-filled handset and there’s a date window at 3 o’clock.
Inside is a quartz movement, but Vacheron Constantin doesn’t give any details on it. But I guess it’s not as important when you buy the watch as a a piece of jewellery. This watch comes with three straps - the gold bracelet it’s mounted on, one blue strap made out of calfskin leather and one blue strap made out of textured rubber.
Now we’re getting to the most difficult part of the write up - the 33mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas Quartz is priced quite aggressively at $51,500. Without tax. See more on the VC website.
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Research has shown that sleeping less than the recommended 7-8 hours per night can lead to a shortened lifespan. I sure do hope that there is some way to reverse this negative impact because I can’t even begin to tell you all the nights that I spent sleepless, huddled around a small TV in my room set almost to mute, trying to sneak past the guards in Metal Gear Solid on my Playstation. Even as a kid, I knew that this was a special video game and that who ever made it was an artist. The man who made it is Hideo Kojima, who went on to make many more briliant games. Most recently, he put out Death Stranding and now his studio Kojima Productions has teamed up with watch brand Anicorn to put out a Death Stranding-themed watch, the Reverse Trike Time.
The watch comes in a cerakote-coated case with a dial that features both the Bridges and the Special Delivery Team (SDT) logos, both of which will be instantly recognisable to those who played the game. The caseback also has the Bridges logo, but this time, it’s printed using UV so that it only becomes visible when it’s “charged up” by the Ultraviolet Generator. Inside is the basic but functional Seiko NH35. The watch is accompanied by two strap options: a striped FKM strap, and a nylon version, also with the Bridges logo. The watch comes in a special package with the two straps and the Ultraviolet Generator (a UV flashlight) for $940.
But there are more options other than the basic package. There’s an additional 200-piece limited edition called the Rare Edition, priced at $2,340. You get all the aforementioned products packaged inside a collectible-worthy Bridges Cargo Case. Crafted from aluminum alloy using CNC 3D 4-axis metal cutting technology, the case is a real-life replica of the suitcase carried by the game’s protagonist, Sam Porter Bridges.
If you want to display the watch on a winder, you can get the Time Winder, which is a regular watch winder but created by Yoji Shinkawa, who’s best known for his work as the lead character and mecha designer for Kojima’s iconic Metal Gear series. The Time Winder is included in the Rare Edition and is also individually available for $680 USD.
The watches went on sale yesterday and they are still available for purchase. See more on the Anicorn website.
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When you hear the words independent watchmaker, the first things that come to mind are interesting designs, hand finishings and incredible attention to detail. And, of course, unbelievably high prices. The independent watchmaker Rashid Tsoroev, born in 1997, gives you all of these things, but, as it seems, without the high prices. In 2021, he unveiled his first collection called the Arrow and now he’s back with the evolution of this line called the Arrow Evo.
The Evo comes in a stainless steel case that has the very pleasing dimension of 40mm wide and 10mm thick with a fully round look and lugs that curve down. Tsoroev has the cases made by a supplier, but they are shipped to him in an unfinished state so he can polished them by hand to avoid large rounded bevels that inevitably occur when polishing with traditional methods. Out back is an exhibition caseback and water resistance is rated at 50 meters. And while the case is made out of stainless steel, you can have it made out of precious metals.
The dial is just stunning. You can customize the color of the plating - white or rose gold, rhodium, but each dial comes with a beautiful tremblage relief engraving that’s made by hand. The Arabic hour indices are applied and have polished tops, just like the TR logo. The central hour and minute hands maintain their original and eye-catching design, featuring mirror polishing on the top and rounded arms, complemented by a satin finish on the sides. And the hands are made by hand by Tsoroev.
Doing so much by hand, some compromises had to be made to keep price low - you get an off-the-shelf La Joux-Perret LJP G100 self-winding calibre. This is not a bad thing as this is a powerhouse of a movement, with a 68 hour power reserve and a tungsten rotor skeletonized by Tsoroev. The movement also has great finishing, with stripes and blued screws. The watch comes on a handcrafted alligator strap with a stainless steel pin buckle.
The Rashid Tsoroev Arrow Evo can be purchased only by contacting Tsoroev directly to go over any potential customization. However, if you chose the stainless steel case, the price (without tax) hovers around $5,000 which really seems fantastic for a watch with so much hand-finishing. See more on the Rashid Tsoroev website.
🫳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 likewatches
What is special about the limited-edition Bonzer done in collaboration with Ocarat? First, the dial comes with a special texture not found in other Bozer watches and in an indigo color. The date indicator text is white (versus green) on a black-colored disc, and the dial is surrounded by a uni-directional rotating bezel with a polished black ceramic insert. A slightly raised, faceted sapphire crystal gives the Bonzer a slight retro feel, as well. Otherwise, the Ocarat Edition of the Bonzer is similar to the other automatic movement-based versions of the watch (of which March LA.B only produces two other versions at the moment).
⏲️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
A beluga whale in Norway is getting a lot of people in a flap—whether they just want to photograph him, or save him. Escaped from the Russian navy (making him sound like an espionage star) he has been delighting people off the coast of Hammerfest. But what will his future hold? What does the future hold for any whale who has spent its life in captivity? In answering these questions, Ferris Jabr does not shy away from discussing the tragic world of captive whales and dolphins, some of the last animals to be forced to perform and live in “a barren box.”
From the generic hipster cafe to the ‘Instagram wall’, the internet has pushed us towards a kind of global ubiquity – and this phenomenon is only going to intensify. The reason why every coffee shop looks the same is the tyranny of the algorithm.
If there’s one piece of wisdom I believe should be passed on to every single person on this planet, it would be: don’t volunteer information. Nothing good can come from you talking about things you weren’t asked. Well, turns out I was right. Police officers in the US are using a novel interrogation technique borrowed from the war on terror: they shut up and let the suspect do the talk themselves into jail.
👀Watch this
One video you have to watch today
In 1985, Techniques d'Avant Garde, the holding company also known as TAG, purchase the watch manufacturer Heuer, combining the two brands to create TAG Heuer. Under TAG Group's ownership, TAG Heuer modernised its product line and significantly increased worldwide sales before selling the watch brand to LVMH. But that’s not what this video is about. That sam TAG was an active sponsor in Formula 1, before TAG CEO Mansour Ojjeh met up with McLaren F1 team boss Ron Dennis. After the meeting TAG invested in Mclaren and helped them develop the legendary 1.5 liter V6 engine. I often think about this engine. Weird, I know. But I always wanted to know what it was like to live with in the several mythical Porsches that had these beasts installed in them. Well, I don’t have to wonder any more, as Magnus Walker just published an in-depth video on the perfect car.
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