Blancpain Releases A Mil-Spec Bronze Gold Fify Fathoms, TAG Heuer Gets Team Ikuzawa Colors From Bamford, Longines Introduces 11 New Mini Dolce Vita Models, New Watches From Nomos And Louis Moinet

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. Looks like Blancpain is really riding the high crest of the wave after the Swatch collaboration. I like it. A lot

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In this issue:

• The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 Is A Mil-Spec Inspired Bronze Gold Tribute To The Original

• Bamford Teams Up With TAG Heuer And Japanese Team Ikuzawa For A Series Of Very Bold Carreras

• Nomos Releases Their Famous Zurich World Time Inspired By Rome, In Collaboration With Retailer Gioielleria Grande

• Longines Introduces 11 New Mini Dolce Vita Watches, An Art Deco Stunner With Incredible Finishes And Colors

• Louis Moinet Debuts One Of A Kind Watch With 12 Different Meteorite Stones Embedded Into It

Today’s reading time: 9 minutes and 6 seconds

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The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 Is A Mil-Spec Inspired Bronze Gold Tribute To The Original

Blancpain is very successfully riding the wave of their 70th Anniversary celebration of the Fifty Fathoms model. They first released two Acts that pay homage to the first diver, following it up with a highly controversial collaboration with Swatch. The Blancpain x Swatch collaboration brought the brand to so many people who may have not heard about Blancpain before, and the company is here, ready to make money from it. On Saturday in Cannes they introduced the third act of the anniversary collection and it’s called Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 made out of bronze-gold and modelled after MIL-SPEC models in German silver.

The Fifty Fathoms, while being the first modern dive watch, also set the standards what is expected from such a tool. It was highly legible, it was water resistant to fifty fathoms (91 meters) and had a trick unidirectional rotating bezel which was used to time dives. The FF became a military and professional favourite, with countless editions that are now slowly being recreated in modern times.

Setting aside the Blancpain x Swatch collaboration, the first two acts of the 70th Anniversary releases are the 42.3mm Fifty Fathoms in steel that was limited to 210 pieces and the supremely cool and outrageously large (at 47mm) Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa. Act 3 stays super loyal to the original. It measures the same width of 41.3mm and a thickness of 13.3mm. You get a ceramic bezel insert, vintage Super-LumiNova, a matter black dial and a recognisable moisture indicator on the dial. This is a carryover from the MIL-SPEC models which used the moisture indicator as a warning system to owners to have the watch serviced as soon as possible, since a triggered indicator meant water got in somehow.

The case is made out of bronze-gold, a material already seen on some Omega models. Both Blancpain and Omega are owned by the Swatch Group, so this is no surprise. The bronze gold is actually only 9K gold as it is made up of 37.5% gold, 50% copper and addition of silver, palladium and gallium. According to Blancpain, this alloy is supposed to be more corrosion-resistant than standard bronze alloys and have a more controlled patination.

Inside the watch is the 1154.P2, a variation of the classic Blancpain 1150. It’s an automatic movement that runs at a 3Hz frequency and has a pretty impressive power reserve of 100 hours. To be able to resist magnetic fields of 1,000 Gauss, the movement has a silicon balance spring and exclusive alloys for the escapement. The oscillating weight’s shape is inspired by the historical rotor and it is decorated with a vintage logotype. The watch comes on a two-tone black and yellow NATO strap, made out of recycled fishing nets.

Unlike the unlimited Tech Gombessa, this will be a limited edition of 555 pieces. Retail price is $32,000. When it comes to limited (and unlimited) special edition Blancpain models, all logic of pricing goes out the window, so don’t dwell on this one too much. However, it is worth noting that not only is the case not made out of full gold, the watch also comes only on a NATO strap and without a metal bracelet that would be made out of the same alloy as the case. So the price really is up there. But, I don’t doubt that all 555 will sell out very soon. See more of the watch on the Blancpain website.

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Bamford Teams Up With TAG Heuer And Japanese Team Ikuzawa For A Series Of Very Bold Carreras

Japanese domestic racing had it’s up and down periods. One of these peaks was in the later 60s and early 70s, mostly because of Tetsu Ikuzawa. After switching from motorcycles to cars in the early 60s, Ikuzawa became a racing legend. In Japan he became the face of Nissan, helping launch the legendary Skyline GT, only to switch to imported cars and race in a Porsche 906, leaving a Porsche-shaped gash in Japanes racing culture - everybody wanted to drive what Tetsu was driving. Soon he moved to Europe, first to Formula 3, then to Forumla 2. He rubbed shoulders with Stirling Moss and Frank Wiliams and became a factory driver for the Porsche endurance racing program, driving at LeMans and other legendary racers.

With his retirement, his massive influence on Japanese racing did not end. He formed Team Ikuzawa which participated in endurance races, national championships, as well as motorcycle racing. There were even plans for a Team Ikuzawa Formula 1 team. Tetsu is now 81 and no longer a team principal, but Team Ikuzawa lives on. Not as a racing team, but rather as a fashion brand ran by his daughter Mai Ikuzawa. Now, the iconic Team Ikuzawa red and white colorway and bold typeface that makes the logo will show up on a new TAG Heuer Carrera, in association with Bamford, the watch customizer.

Despite the fact that the coolest TAG Heuer Carrera models released came in the new Carrera Glassbox, this new Bamford/Team Ikazawa collaboration is housed in the traditional Carrera model. And right out of the gate, I’ll say: what a shame. Can you imagine how incredible it would look in the Glassbox? With the tachymeter scale on the perimeter being in red? Now that would be a watch!

Alas, it isn’t a Glassbox. Meaning you get a regular Carrera chronograph that is 42mm wide and 14.3mm thick. It’s housed in a stainless steel case and gets 100 meters of water resistance, but the differences star on the dial. It’s a opaline white dial with a flange with red 60-second/minute scale and a bi-compax setup. At 3 o’clock is a white "azuré" minute chronograph counter with a white lacquered hand featuring a red tip. At 9, there's a contrasting red "azuré" hour chronograph counter with red lacquered hand and white tip. A date window sits at 6, just below the very prominent Team Ikuzawa red logo.

Inside is the in-house Calibre Heuer 02, an integrated chronograph movement with column wheel and vertical clutch, running at a 4Hz frequency and a power reserve of 80 hours. The watch comes on a 3-link stainless steel bracelet or, a much cooler white fabric strap with red marking "Team Ikuzawa" printed and velcro closure.

The Carrera Chronograph Team Ikuzawa is limited to 100 numbered pieces, available only in Japanese boutiques and on TAG Heuer's Japanese online store. Price is $6,200. See more on the watch as well as Team Ikuzawa on the TAG Heuer website.

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Nomos Releases Their Famous Zurich World Time Inspired By Rome, In Collaboration With Retailer Gioielleria Grande

While you might think of super minimalist watches when you think of Nomos, the truth is they make a couple of complications-heavy watches. Actually, it’s only one significant complication - a world timer. And even this world timer manages to keep the Nomos ethos of supreme simplicity. Now, Nomos is teaming up with Gioielleria Grande, an Italian watch retailer, to release a super-limited edition of the Zurich World Time inspired by Rome.

The Rome inspiration, like with other Zurich World Time limited editions is limited to the dial, which comes in a spectacular dark brown color with a couple of additional details. One of them is the Rome indication on the city ring, instead of Berlin on the regular edition. There’s also a small drawing of the Tome Colosseum that indicates home time. The crown is also engraved with Grande instead of Nomos. Another nice bonus is that this limited edition comes with a folding clasp for the first time and on a brown Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan strap.

Other than that, it’s the same Nomos Zurich World Time. This means a 40mm wide and 11mm thick case, polished stainless steel, long lugs and sapphire crystal on top and bottom. Water resistance is only 30 meters, but this was never meant to be a a very sporty watch. The world time is displayed with the help of a 24-city ring that is moved by a pusher at 2 o’clock and a home time 24 hour ring between the dial and the city ring. It’s powered by the brand’s DUW 5201, an in-house automatic movement with 3Hz frequency and 42h power reserve.

The Nomos Zurich World Time Rome x Gioielleria Grande will be made only in 30 pieces and is available only from the Gioielleria Grande boutiques and website. The price is set at €5,300. You can see the watch on the Gioielleria Grande website.

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Longines Introduces 11 New Mini Dolce Vita Watches, An Art Deco Stunner With Incredible Finishes And Colors

The line between what would have been considered male and female watches is getting more blurred by the day, and the results are great - you see more women wearing large chronographs and more men experimenting with tiny pieces. All that can come out of this is more options for more people. But, alas, sometimes a watch is so decidedly oriented to women, there’s no denying it - that is the case with the Longines Dolce Vita references. Shockingly, I just learned that the Dolce Vita line featured 87 different references in a range of sizes, materials and colors. Longines is now introducing a new line, the Mini Dolce Vita, with 11 different watches in it.

While not the smallest watch they ever made, the new Longines Mini Dolce Vita measures 21.5 × 29mm, which is plenty small. These dimensions also give it a much more square stance than the larger Dolce Vita models. The previous models used to have a numberless dials and stick indexes, the new Mini Dolce Vita gets a strong redesign with all 11 watches having Roman numerals, giving a much more art-deco vibe.

Three of the 11 have a silver sun-ray dial with a circular hour track. This reference can be had on a strap or a fantastic 5-block bracelet and you can get diamonds on the case. Then there’s a collection of four references with a very subdued silver "flinqué", the most traditional of watches, that come on either a black or red leather strap, the block bracelet or with a diamond case. Finally, the last four are the most extravagant - you get the case, golden hands and numerals on pastel background. The colors are sage green, baby pink, sky blue and ivory, all with matching leather straps. All of the pastel versions come with a diamond-flanked case.

All 11 references are powered by the Longines L178 quartz movement. This ETA-based movement was also used in previous DolceVita models.

Pricing on the watches is somewhat simple. The three basic versions will set you back $1,600 while the same basic watch with a steel bracelet is $1,850. The three versions with the circular track are $1,600 for the plain case version on a leather strap, $1,850 for the plain case version on the bracelet and $3,950 for the diamond flanked piece on the bracelet. The four pastel versions come in at a price of $3,700. See more on the Longines website.

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Louis Moinet Debuts One Of A Kind Watch With 12 Different Meteorite Stones Embedded Into It

Guiness World Records are a bit o ridiculous fun, a competition who can do something bigger, better or dumber. It’s also a good way to draw attention to yourself, but nobody guarantees the attention will be good if you do something truly ouot there. Louis Moinet, the watch brand known for it’s Baroque complications, has decided to go for a record. You be the judge if their new watch is a bit of fun or has jumped the shark. On 21 September 2023 in Geneva, the Guinness World Record title for the “most meteorite inserts in a watch” was awarded to the new Louis Moinet Cosmopolis. There’s 12 of them in this watch.

The twelve meteorites used on the dial represent rare specimens, some originating on the Moon and Mars and others from meteorite showers and asteroids sourced from all around the world. To best display them, the watch has ten gold-framed circles on the dial, with specimens of the meteorite inserted into them. At 6 o’clock is an aperture for a flying tourbillon, while at the center of the dial a very rare lunar meteorite found in oman. The tourbillon cage also features a slice of black chondrite, a space rock that was the result of a gigantic impact between two asteroids.

All of this is housed in a 18K rose gold case that measures 40.7mm wide and has hollowed and bevelled lugs, a large crown and polished and brushed finishes. There is no bezel, only a very domed sapphire crystal, and the hands are faceted with a cut out section and luminous tips.

The watch is powered by a manual-winding movement with double barrels providing a robust 96-hour power reserve. Using a “volte-face” arrangement, the barrels are stacked upside down in series, releasing their energy simultaneously. Its’s a beautiful movement that can be seen through the sapphire crystal-covered back and it has a base plate is decorated with circular Côtes de Genève and cut-out areas to reveal parts of the movement.

The Louis Moinet Cosmopolis is a unique piece and retails for CHF 225,000 (excl. tax). You can see more of the watch on the Louis Moinet website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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Hands on with the Circula DiveSport Titanium Madame Jeanette

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A review of the Citizen CZ Smart Hybrid

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

The Vario 1945 D12 is the Dirty Dozen done right

In a nutshell, the 1945 D12 has excellent legibility. The chief task of the Dirty Dozen was, as it has always been for any military watch, to be highly legible. One had to be able to tell the time quickly in all sorts of scenarios, from synchronizing intricate military operations and keeping track of daily tasks to catching a train on time. This is any watch’s main function, whether military or civilian, and it’s still the case today. There is no chronograph complication, no date, and no bezel. There are just three hands on a black dial, large Arabic numerals, and a legible railroad minute track. Telling the time on the Vario 1945 D12 is as easy as it gets. Read the whole review on Fratello.

⏲️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

• Confessions of a journalist turned weed smuggler: A veteran reporter looks back on when he was laid off from his newspaper gig and instead of taking a dead-end desk job turned to running van loads of marijuana across state lines

• Vauhini Vara is no stranger to AI-assisted writing: her 2021 Believer essay, “Ghosts,” was widely read and hit a nerve in so many readers. More than two years after publishing that piece, Vara reflects on the whole experience: what drove her to experiment with OpenAI’s GPT-3 in the first place; what she learned about text generators from co-writing the Believer essay with AI and tinkering with Sudowrite; and what she’s realized about the limitations of AI, and our current language models, in creating literature. Vara also warns us about Big Tech swallowing language itself—in the same way it’s transformed Very Human Things like friendship and community. These are poignant reflections and questions from a thoughtful writer.

• It’s Monday so I guess we can take on some depressive reading. Like this fantastically produced, but ultimately distopian, interactive piece from CNN on how school shootings are changing US classrooms.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

I was never really sure what Barstool Sports is. Is it a collection of social media accounts? A website? A couple of podcasts? I’m still not sure what they are, despite trying to figure it out. But in my efforts, I found this, a documentary on roofball. Trust me when I tell you this is a riveting doc on a neighbourhood sport that one guy is turning into a worldwide sensation. Or, as barstool put it: “the greatest sport you’ve only now just heard of”

💵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: 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

• FOR SALE: Longines Heritage Skin Diver, box and papers. €1400. Reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch

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