• It's About Time
  • Posts
  • Panerai Releases Beautiful Burgundy Luminor Due 42, Bulova Introduces Meteorite Dial Lunar Pilot, Bremont Teams Up To Save Lives At Sea, Hello Kitty Baby-G Is Cute And ArtyA Dome Is Stunning

Panerai Releases Beautiful Burgundy Luminor Due 42, Bulova Introduces Meteorite Dial Lunar Pilot, Bremont Teams Up To Save Lives At Sea, Hello Kitty Baby-G Is Cute And ArtyA Dome Is Stunning

Panerai will always be a divisive watch and while I love defending them, I'm not sure I can any more

Author

It's About Time
January 24, 2024

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. Today we have three major releases, and I welcome them. But do me a favor and look at that new ArtyA, that thing is just incredible.

If you like this newsletter, you might consider supporting it. You can do so in two ways. Forward it to someone you know loves watches and ask them to subscribe, or you can directly support it through Patreon.

In this issue:

  • Panerai Releases Beautiful Burgundy Luminor Due 42 In Time For Big Celebrations

  • Bulova Introduces Limited Edition Lunar Pilot Meteorite with Muonionalusta Dial

  • Bremont Teams Up With Royal National Lifeboat Institution To Honor People Who Save Lives At Sea

  • Casio Helps Celebrate 50 Years Of Hello Kitty With A Cute Little Baby-G

  • Yvan Arpa Moves The Goalpost A Bit Further With His Incredible ArtyA Son of Earth Dome Collection

Today’s reading time: 8 minutes and 20 seconds

👂What’s new

1/

It was 1996 and thousands of people were watching the movie Daylight in theatres thinking: well, this isn’t that great of a movie, but what’s that fantastic watch that Stallone has on his wrist. At the time, Panerai was a brand known only to the nerdiest of watch nerds, those who specified in studying military dive watches. At the time Paneria was trying to establish themselves as a global brand, and they believed that the way to the harts of enthusiasts was through their eyes. So they teamed up with Sylvester Stallone to provide him with a watch for his new movie, and the beefy Italian diver looked perfect on Sly’s muscular wrist. The people loved it and just a year later Richemont bought Panerai and turned it into a global powerhouse.

Ever since, Panerai has been making chunky, hyper-masculine, wrist bricks and I love (almost) every one of them. However, in 2017, Panerai decided to diversify their offering with the introduction of the Panerai Luminor Due. This collection was supposed to be much softer design than the brutes of the past, mid-sized with two offerings - 38 and 42mm - and with a unisex appeal. While the watches looked really great, especially the 38mm versions, the slimmer case lost one of the most important features of the original: it only has 50 meters of water resistance, which is just atrocious considering the Panerai diving heritage and the rugged look the clamp down crown guards gives it. Now Panerai is introducing a new colorway, the Luminor Due PAM01424 with a really nice burgundy dial.

The PAM01424 comes in the larger of the two Duo sizes, meaning it’s a 42mm wide and just 10.8mm thick, which is quite a feat for any Panerai. Made out of steel, the case is polished, with a polished bezel and crown guard. On top is a sapphire crystal. Underneath the crystal is the burgundy dial that has a gradient finish, ranging from a light burgundy in the center to almost black on the edges. The dial has a traditional Panerai sandwich dial construction, with a date a 3 o’clock and small second hand at 9 o’clock.

Inside is Panerai’s P.900 calibre, an automatic with a 3-day power reserve, high frequency of 28,800 vph and Incabloc anti-shock device. The watch comes on a matt black alligator strap equipped with a new folding clasp.

Now, Panerai has hinted that the Luminor Due PAM01424 is a Chinese exclusive. However, I have had experience with Panerai saying this when it’s not exactly true and these watches quickly show up on their other regional websites. Such seems to be the case here, as they are already showing up on other Asian Panerai websites outside of China, so expect to see them in your local boutique soon. Price should be about €7,800. Keep an eye out on your local Panerai website to see when they show up.

2/

More than a million years ago, a huge rock hurtled into the Earth’s atmosphere, breaking up and slamming into the area that is now the border between Sweden and Finland. It wasn’t until 1906 that the meteorite was discovered near a village 140 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and since 40 chunks of the oldest meteorite (4.5 billion years old) ever found were discovered. The meteorite is called Muonionalusta and it’s one of those meteorites that have been used everywhere. Pieces of it were embedded into a 25-piece limited run of the Rolls-Royce Phantom and numismatic coins were made out of it. But it’s best known for appearing in watches, since it was used to make dials for the likes of BOLDR, Zelos and Bremont. Now, Bulova is using the same meteorite to craft a dial for their new Limited Edition Lunar Pilot Meteorite, based on a specially commissioned Bulova chronograph that was worn on the moon during the Apollo 15 mission on August 2, 1971.

While the Omega Speedmaster space story is widely known, the Bulova connection to NASA and space exploration is a bit more reserved for the true watch/space nerds. Like I said, the Bulova Lunar Pilot was worn by Apollo 15 Mission Commander David R. Scott when he became the first person to drive the Lunar Rover on the surface of the moon. This new Pilot comes in a 43.5mm wide titanium case that has a slight cushion shape with curved lugs. On the back is a pretty nice caseback depicting an astronaut on the Moon, which makes it a shame that it comes on a black leather NATO style strap that obscures the engraving.

The main attraction, of course, is the dial, made out of the Muonionalusta meteorite. Since these dials are made out of actual slivers of the meteorite, with it’s own iconic Widmanstätten pattern of striations caused by the high iron content, each is completely unique. The layout is a classic tri-compax, with a peripheral tachymeter, central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds as well as a trio of circular grained subdials for small seconds, 60-minute timer and 12-hour timer.

The watch is famously powered by a quartz movement, Bulova’s proprietary NP20 High Precision Quartz. It’s a Miyota movement specially tuned for Bulova and operates at 262,144 kHz, as noted on the 6 o’clock subdial. It can measure down to 1/20th second and Bulova claims accuracy of 10 seconds per year.

The Bulova Meteorite Limited Edition Lunar Pilot is, as the name says, limited, but it’s limited to 5,000 pieces which really doesn’t seem that limited at all. Price is set at $1,495. See more on the Bulova website.

3/

While there are certainly brands that bring in more money and maybe even sell more pieces, there are very few watch brands that are as quintessentially British as Bremont. This britishness comes primary from their very strong link with British institutions - they make watches for the King, they pay homage to the British military and now, they are pairing up with another essential British institution, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), founded in 1824 and credited with saving over 143,000 lives. The trio of limited edition watches that pay tribute to the RNLI are based on three of Bremont’s popular sports watches – S500, S300 and SOLO-34 - and all three feature RNLI’s signature orange and dark blue colour scheme.

Starting off with the most popular of the trio, the S500 RNLI, based on the Supermarine S500 where the S500 stands for 500 meters of water resistance. This is obviously a hard-core diver. It comes in a 43mm wide and 16.5mm thick stainless steel case that has the signature Bremont Trip-Tick case, a helium escape valve, a unidirectional ceramic dive bezel and a domed anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal on top. The dial has a blue metal dial (in fact, all three have the same dial) which has baton markers and dots, covered in Super-LumiNova, just like the central hour and minute hands. There’s a date window at 3 o’clock. Inside is Bremont’s BE-36AE automatic movement, based on an ETA movement, that has chronometer specification and a 38 hour power reserve.

Next up is the S300 RNLI, based on the S300 dive watch. With 300 meters of water resistance, it gets a smaller case at 40mm wide and 13mm thick and with no helium escape valve. You get the same blue dial with orange details, but now with Arabic numerals at 6, 9, and 12 hours and baton markers. Inside the watch is the BE-92AE automatic chronometer movement, again based on an ETA movement.

And lastly, there’s the very different SOLO-34 RNLI. This is based on the SOLO-34 which the brand doesn’t make any more. It measures 34mm wide, has a polished bezel and 100 meters of water resistance. The blue dial gets a much more elegant look with Roman numerals at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock, dotted hour markers and slimmer hands. Inside is the BE-92AV which beats at 28,800 vph and has a 42 hour power reserve.

All three versions come with two strap options. The S500 comes with an orange rubber strap and a stainless steel bracelet, the S300 with a blue rubber strap and a stainless steel bracelet and the SOLO-34 with an embossed navy leather strap or a steel bracelet.

Each of the versions is limited to 200 pieces and price is set as follows - £3,795 on rubber strap or £4,195 on stainless steel bracelet for the S500, £3,295 on rubber strap or £3,695 on stainless steel bracelet for the S300 and £3,195 on leather strap or £3,395 on stainless steel bracelet for the SOLO-34. See more on the Bremont website.

4/

I can imagine very few things that could go together better than Hello Kitty, the iconic Japanese anthropomorphized white cat with a red bow on her head, and Baby-G, the Casio G-Shock made for children. Think about it, an almost indestructible watch that can survive (most) toddler tantrums, paired up with the cutes of cats in the world. Well, since 2024 will mark the 50th Hello Kitty anniversary, this is exactly what we are getting, a Hello Kitty Baby-G.

No only is this year the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty, but also the 30th of the Baby-Go, so this watch is based on the BGD-565 model, which is inspired by the very first Baby-G model. The watch itself is perfectly simple, a crisp white case with details in red and blue, Hello Kitty’s colors.

The bio-based resin band is also white with the faces of Hello Kitty showcasing a variety of emotions printed on. Aside from the band, Hello Kitty also appears on the watch face when backlit – specifically showcasing her eyes, whiskers and nose. Finishing off the watch is a signature ribbon design on the dial. Other than that, you get the regular Baby-G functions - shock resistance, water resistance up to 100 meters, a three-year battery life, a multi-function alarm, a stopwatch and a countdown timer.

The Hello Kitty Baby-G is available for purchase now and will cost you $140. See more on the G-Shock website.

5/

Yvan Arpa Moves The Goalpost A Bit Further With His Incredible ArtyA Son of Earth Dome Collection

You know Yvan Arpa’s work from some pretty incredible watches. His brand ArtyA has made some of the most incredible full sapphire watches you have ever seen, including a version that changes color depending on the surrounding temperature. While those are pieces of art unattainable to most, ArtyA also makes watches that are a bit more approachable (although not cheap). But more affordable for Arpa does not mean boring or plain. So, here’s the Artya Son of Earth Dome Collection, an incredible group of watches with extremely domed sapphire crystal and incredible dials crafted from natural materials, ensuring that no two dials are identical.

These watches were crafted to show off the curved dials, so the case is not as important, but ArtyA still makes a beautiful watch. 41mm wide, round, with slightly curved lugs and a polished finish, it’s the perfect canvas. On top is the highly domed sapphire crystal that exaggerates the cure of the dial in the best possible way. And the dials are just spectacular, they need to be seen to be believed. They are crafted from natural materials, various stones that include malachite and obsidian. Since they are natural materials, every single one is special and unique, as if their look wasn’t interesting enough. The dial and hands also feature a gentle curvature, which further adds depth to the watches.

To keep price relatively low after all the effort that went into the dial, ArtyA uses the Artyon automatic calibre, based on the well known architecture of the ETA 2892, but finished with an openworked barrel, skeletonized bridges, and a gold-plated skeletonized rotor adorned with the brand’s A-logo. The movement beats at 28,800 vph and has a power reserve of 42 hours. All the watches come on a handmade leather strap fitted with a steel pin buckle.

The price for the Artya Son of Earth Dome Collection is set at CHF 12,900 for unique pieces and CHF 9,900 for limited editions. See the entire lineup on the ArtyA website, they really are something else.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

1/

2/

3/

⚙️Watch Worthy

A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually likewatches

Dials aesthetics are always going to be subjective, but I’m not sure I can say the same when it comes to choice of material for a GADA watch. Steel is, of course, the default choice, but Matt’s intention was to create an analogue watch that you’d forget having on the wrist. What better choice then, than titanium? Alongside the aforementioned 38.5mm diameter, the hardened titanium case spans to 46mm lug-to-lug, and only 9.85mm in height – spot-on for an everyday watch – and so is the water-resistance, set at 100 metres. Notably, one change that will be made for the production version, thanks to community feedback, will be the addition of a signed crown.

⏲️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

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

In Rogers Pass, the Trans-Canada Highway and Canadian Pacific Railway wind underneath 134 avalanche paths that release 2,000 avalanche events each winter, controlled by military artillery, helicopters, and remote control systems. It was off-limits to ski touring for decades. Then a surprising player stepped up to help mastermind the Pass’s modern winter permit system that’s designed to keep skiers safe from Howitzers and controlled avalanches.

In this 12-minute film, we meet Sylvia Forest (63), a woman who rose to leadership in the rugged worlds of mountain rescue, guiding, and avalanche safety before equal representation was a blip on the radar, and one of the architects of the permit system in 1995. In turn, she mentored Danyelle Magnan, who recently became–after her own formidable experience in remote backcountry rescue and ski guiding–the first woman on the elite Rogers Pass avalanche forecasting team that’s responsible for thousands of lives on a daily basis. The duo reunite in the Pass for their first ski tour together after ten years.

💵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 

  • LOOKING TO BUY: Here’s a crazy request. One of you is looking to buy the Ōtsuka Lotēc No. 7.5. Sure, it’s a big ask, but if any of you have one and want to sell, reach out to and I’ll put you in touch

  • SOLD: Well, not really new. It’s a great looking mid-90s Tudor Submariner 75090, offered for sale by a member of the It’s About Time reader crew. I love the way it looks and seems to be in great condition. Check it out over on Chrono24.

  • LOOKING TO BUY: One of our readers is looking to purchase three very specific watches: an Islander ISL-133 Mother of Pearl, a Sinn 556 Mother of Pearl or a Zelos 300m GMT Mosaic Mother of Pearl. If you’re selling any of these, 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.

Want to let us know what you think about the newsletter? Go to our survey and fill it out.

-Vuk