Breitling Releases New Motorcycle Themed Top Times, TAG's France Themed Carrera Has A Stunning Dial, MAEN Makes An Interesting And Affordable Diver and Ochs&Junor Once Again Prove They Make Stunning Watches

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. It’s the hottest day of the year so far for me, but at least the beaches are close by. I’m regretting taking the vacation now, I could have spent the money better on that Ochs Und Junior!

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In this issue:

• Breitling Releases Two New Motorcycle Themed Top Times

• TAG Heuer France Themed Carrera Has A Stunning Dial

• Alpina Heritage Carrée Mechanical 140 Years Is A Charming Art Deco Watch With Vintage Sourced Movements

• MAEN Hudson 38 MK4 Is An Interesting And Affordable Diver

• Ochs Und Junior Prove Once Again That They Make Stunning Watches

Today’s reading time: 9 minutes and 11 seconds

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👂What’s new

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Breitling Releases Two New Top Times With New Movements And In Collaboration With Motorcycle Legends

It’s been only three months since Breitling came out with four completely new Top Time models that were all styled after classic sports cars. Now they’re back with two new models, but these time with motorcycle collaborations and some new internals.

Just like the car-themed Top Time models were inspired by some of the most stylish of cars, the motorcycle theme centers around two very stylish brands - Triumph motorcycles and Australian motorcycle, apparel, and accessory and lifestyle brand Deus Ex Machina.

This is not the first time that Breitling has worked with Triumph and Deus, as they have all had two runs of limited edition models, but Breitling now says these new watches will become part of the permanent collection. Both in stainless steel cases measuring 41mm wide and 13.3mm thick – with a ice blue with black contrasting chronograph counters for the Triumph and black dial with white counters for the Deus – the watches come with a choice of black calfskin or strap mesh bracelet

There is a bit of red on the Deus model's outer track and on the lightning bolt-shaped seconds hand and the two chronograph counters. The Triumph model has its own special touches, with only two registers and a tachymeter, a retro Breitling logo, mushroom pushers, and a "Zorro" dial design. The bowtie Zorro motif introduced on the Top Time in the 1960s is hidden on the dial using a metal brushing technique that makes it only visible from certain angles. Both have a sapphire caseback to see the Calibre 01 movement.

And that’s what’s also new to these motorcycle-inspired Top Times, as they join the car-inspired Top Times in integrating the Caliber 01 automatic chronograph movement. Breitling first unveiled its Caliber 01 manufacture movement in 2009, and in the years since making its debut, the Cal. B01 has steadily been making its way throughout the brand’s catalog. In addition to being a proven design, the Breitling Cal. 01 is also a COSC-certified chronometer, meaning that the new generation of Top Time watches is guaranteed to keep time within -4/+6 seconds per day

As mentioned, these will not be limited editions, and the retail price is set at $8,000.

If you couldn't grab one of the previous collaborations but love both Breitling and Deus or Triumph, you've got some time now to save up and buy a watch when you're ready. The pieces both measure 41mm wide and 13.3mm thick, with 100m water resistance and will run $8,000. For more, check the Breitling website.

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TAG Heuer Pays Homage To France With French-market Exclusive Carrera

There is no end to TAG Heuer’s limited editions. From pairing up with car manufacturers to experimenting with precious metals, most TAG models, but the Carrera especially, have seen it all. This latest limited edition Carrera is a bit different, though. The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 42mm France Limited Edition is a regional model that will be available only to the French market and if that wasn’t limited enough, it will be made in only 200 pieces.

There’s not much new to this watch, other than the looks. More on that later, but I should note right now that this might be one of the best looking Carrera’s to date. Back to what remains the same - the stainless steel case measures 42mm wide and 15.7mm thick. It has a smooth polished bezel and oversized pump pushers, as well as 100 meters of water resistance.

What matters for this France limited edition is the dial, which takes on the colours of the French flag. And no, they did not just slap the flag on the dial, it’s much more subtle. The face of the dial is a matte blue grained surface, with white/silver subdials and a red small seconds hand and splashes of red on the main hands.

Inside the watch is the expected in-house calibre Heuer 02 with 80 hours of power reserve. For this special edition, the rotor and column-wheel are coloured in blue. The watch comes on a navy blue perforated strap, closed by a folding buckle.

Limited to 200 and only available on the French market, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 42mm France Limited Edition retails for EUR 6,350 and is now available.

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The Alpina Heritage Carrée Mechanical 140 Years Is A Charming Art Deco Watch With Vintage Sourced Movements

If you are looking for an alternative to the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, either because you would like something a bit different or you are working with a smaller budget, the solution might come from the most unexpected of places. Alpina, the unexpectedly old watchmaker, is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year and to mark it, they have announced a duo of 30s and 40s inspired rectangular models and they are powering them with restored vintage Alpina AL-490 movements.

These two are not just dreamt up by modern designers, but in fact are inspired by 1930s/1940s Art Deco rectangular Alpina models. Things get interesting right from the case. made of polished .925 sterling silver and measuring a wearable 29.5mm wide, 35.7mm long (excluding the lugs), and 9.71mm tall.

Two dial options are offered, black or silver. These showcase an Art Deco influence with a combination of an old Alpina font, a railroad minute track, printed Arabic numerals, contrasting colours and thin leaf-shaped hands. The display focuses on the essentials with hours, minutes and seconds, the latter of which lie in a small rectangular sub-dial at 6 o’clock for the silver model, or a more classic circular sub-seconds on the black version. There are some slight differences between the two versions regarding the finishing of the dials. The black model has a single-tone, matte dial while the silver model features a so-called two-tone dial with a sector effect.

The watches are brought to modern times with a transparent caseback, but there’s good reason for this. Alpina wanted to show off the movement, an actual 1930s movement made by Alpina/Straub & Co and called the Calibre AL-490. This hand wound movement was sourced by Alpina and each was restored by their techs. It beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour and boasts a decent 42-hour power reserve.

The watches come on light brown ostrich leather straps with off-white stitching and closed with a pin buckle. While it looks absolutely stunning, there’s one piece of bad news. Each of the versions will be available in only 14 pieces. And they will sell out fast, considering the price is just EUR 4,995.

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The MAEN Hudson 38 MK4 Is An Affordable Diver With An Interesting Dial

For the pricepoint, the Dutch brand MAEN makes some very interesting watches. Their MAEN Manhattan is a different take on a square watch and it looks like it should cost more than it does. Lately, they have been dipping their toes into the stainless steel dive watch segment, a notoriously overpopulated and difficult market. However, looking at the Hudson 38 MK4 Heritage, they might have stumbled on something very successful.

The new Hudson 38 Heritage is based on the standard Hudson 38 dive watch and right of the bat, a good thing - 38mm diameter. While most modern divers are 40mm, it’s nice to see one that’s siding with all the trends of reducing watch sizes. Another plus is that the watch comes with a 300 meter water resistance, which isn’t that common at this price point.

The bezel has the same tactile feel with strong ridging around its edge to give an excellent grip with gloves on. The shaping on the bezel has an almost industrial look and it is highly effective both operationally and aesthetically. The Heritage model however is equipped with a different bezel to the 60 minute dive unit which we find on the original Hudson 38. The Heritage model has a 12 hour bezel which allows you to monitor two international time zones simultaneously without the need for a dual time complication within the watch movement.

It comes in two dial options - a fume honeycomb pattern black dial and the same effect, but with a vintage looking brown dial. The indice batons have been replaced with old radium X1 Super Luminova points. Old radium has been specifically designed to replicate the vintage patina brown which is so sought after on vintage dive watches yet this is thoroughly modern technology and glows with an intense green in low light. The hands are wide and have full length X1 deep filled strips which will provide supreme legibility both above and below the surface of the water.

The Heritage is powered by a Ronda R-150 Automatic Movement with Incabloc shock protection and I’ll just come out and say I don’t know much about it other than it’s the only automatic that Ronda makes and it beats at 28,800 bph with a power reserve of 40 hours. Ronda state accuracy of between +/- 12 to 30 seconds per day. MAEN points out that All Hudson 38 Heritage models are assembled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Full waterproof testing to 300m, entrance inspection and final quality control is also performed in Switzerland.

The watch comes as standard on a stainless steel bracelet with five piece links and alternate polished and brushed finishes.

From what I gather, the watch will not be limited and it retails for EUR 740. See more on their website.

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Ochs Und Junior Prove Once Again With The Ochs Line Moon Phase Selene That They Make Stunning Watches

The moment I saw my first Ochs Und Junior I fell in love. I don’t own one yet, but I still swoon every time they make a new timepiece. If you’re unfamiliar with the brand, let me just say this - O&J have a fantastic Moon Phase line where they add only 5 components to their regular movement to get it to display the phases of the moon. The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Moon Phase, for comparison, uses 70 additional components for their moon phase indicator.

Now Ochs Und Junior is updating their Ochs Line Moon Phase, or Selene, as the company also calls it, line with a non-customisable variant in a 39mm or 42mm titanium case. Why is it necessary to point out that it’s non-customisable? Because O&J are the kings of subtle customisations, allowing you to mix and match materials and colors as they please you.

The new titanium case is machined out of grade 5 titanium and comes with visible machining and milling traces, a deliberate design choice by Ochs und Junior. Both sizes share the same thickness - 11mm, but all O&J watches have short lugs making them look a bit stumpy and thicker than they actually are.

Dials are usually my favorite part of Ochs Und Junior watches. This one is finished in a matte navy blue shade called Ochs Blue. The hour indices and hour and minute hands are rhodium-plated, providing a nice contrast to the rich hue of the dial. The central second’s hand is also finished in Ochs Blue. The dial has cutouts for the date and moon phase indications. The silver disc at noon represents the sun, with the central axis for the hands representing Earth. New moon is indicated when the moon is hidden between the Earth and the sun, and the dark disc sits at 6′. A full moon is when the brighter disc sits at the bottom of its trajectory.

Ochs Und Junior famously uses ETA movements, modifying them what they shouldn’t be able to do. Inside this one is the ETA 2824-2, running at a rate of 28,800vph and providing 38 hours of power reserve. This is fitted with a moonphase module using only 5 additional parts, one of which is the dial itself. This module is calculated to a lunar cycle of 29.5306122449 days, which is very close to the real-time average lunar cycle of 29.530589 days, and certainly far more accurate than the 29.5-day average most watches rely on. This means the Selene’s moonphase is accurate for 3,478.27 years before it’s off by just 1 day instead of once every 2 years.

The new Ochs und Junior Ochs Line Moon Phase or Selene comes on a handmade Ecopell Enzian leather strap, fitted with the signature O&J buckle in titanium.

It’s not limited and it can be pre-order directly through the brand’s website for a price of CHF 5,500 incl. VAT for both sizes. This is a spectacular price for a spectacular watch.

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Richard Mille Celebrates 100 Years Of Le Mans With The RM 72-01 Le Mans Classic

I was pretty sure that Richard Mille has gone off the rocker when I read they are introducing a watch to mark the 100 years of Le Mans. Not because that would be a huge surprise. The main reason for my surprise is the fact that the Le Mans race was held two weeks ago and the fact that Rolex came out swinging with a Paul Newman-style Daytona marking the 100 years of Le Mans. Turns out, they’re only partially celebrating the centenary of the race. They are also marking the 11th Le Mans Classic, a biennial vintage car race, which Richard Mille has been sponsoring since 2002. So, here’s the limited edition of its RM 72-01 Flyback Chronograph called the RM 72-01 Le Mans Classic.

Richard Mille has been producing a special version for Le Mans Classic since 2008. This lates one will be limited to 150 units and features a white and green Quartz TPT case with matching dial and a matching rubber strap. The tonneau case's dimensions are 38.4mm x 11.68mm x 47.34mm, and it is mechanically identical to the other existing iterations of the 72-01.

This means that the 72-01 LMC sports the brand's first flyback chronograph movement, the CRMC-1. It's an automatic 4Hz movement with a 24-hour chronograph, a big date display, and a function indicator that shows when the chronograph is running. The titanium dial carries a Le Mans Classic nameplate and nods to the running of the race, including showing the "16" in red since the race traditionally starts at 4 PM.

It’s an RM, so you know the price will hurt. $335,000.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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Hands-On With The Sinn 104 — A Fan Favorite For Good Reason

2/

A review of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono made exclusively for legendary cyclist Fabian Cancellara and his team

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

Relatively new independent watchmaker Kross Studio releases their latest creation – theKross Studio KS 05 Central Floating Tourbillon

The KS 7’000 was first created in 2007 for his diploma thesis at the Geneva engineering school, and appeared in the first Kross watches from 2021. Then he created the central floating tourbillon and patented it, and this base movement was used in the KS 05 watches. Marco designs all Kross Studio watches but also the functional sculptures that come in their Collector Sets, made in collaboration with WB, Lucasfilm, HBO and Hasbro. It is indeed an impressive movement, comprising some 220 components and boasts a power reserve of 120 hours. But the design of the centrally mounted tourbillon and the system which drives the hands is of considerable interest as well.

⏲️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

• Jimmy Donaldson, a.k.a. MrBeast, has become a viral sensation for his absurd acts of altruism. But he has also been called the Willy Wonka of YouTube because many people believe that behind the altruism lies a very dark and evil person. I’m not convinced, but the hate for MrBeast is very strong, so decide for yourself.

• James Grissom says that he met Tennessee Williams and his famous muses, and quoted them extensively in his work. Not everyone believes him

• Henry Lee testified in some of America’s biggest murder cases, from O.J. Simpson to JonBenet. But he’s been accused of botching evidence in multiple trials. The question is: how many murder cases did celeb forensic scientist Henry Lee botch?

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

I just watched a very mediocre video about a backyard marathon. It looked like it was going to be a fun vide, but turned out to be a dud. But it reminded me of this crazy documentary I’m linking above. I don’t run. You ask, then, why would someone who doesn’t run want to watch a 76 minute doc on people trying to run one of the hardest races of all time. It’s the weekend - go watch this, even if you don’t like running.

💵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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