Bremont Surprises With New Waterman Apex II, Panerai Releases Two New Watches, Mathey-Tissot And Massena Lab Team Up Again, Traska Updates Venturer GMT And Super Complicated AP Dominates GPHG

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. We haven’t seen that many releases from Bremont this year and then they go and do two major releases in one month. I’m not complaining, I like this Apex II. But the Mathey-Tissot might be my favorite watch today.

I you like this newsletter, you might consider supporting it directly through Patreon. If you were subscribed, you could have already read my lengthy piece on Only Watch and it potentially being the biggest scam of the watch world. Other subscriber-only articles include the Completely Sterile Secret Watches Of MACV-SOG and my choice of 11 vintage Heuer watches that would make the perfect basis for new TAG Heuer recreations, including a possible MoonSwatch type watch that could actually break the internet.

In this issue:

• Bremont Surprises With New Supermarine Waterman Apex II Made, Once Again, With The Legendary Laird Hamilton

• Panerai Releases Fantastic Luminor Chrono Flyback And Celebrates New Store In Milan With Subtle Luminor Marina

• The Mathey-Tissot x Massena LAB Chronograph ‘68 Is As Retro A Chronograph As You Can Get

• Traska Launches Improved Venturer GMT With The Very Much Desired Flyer GMT Miyota 9075 Caliber

• The AP Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle Wins Aiguille d’Or At GPHG 2023, And All The Other Winners

Today’s reading time: 8 minutes and 47 seconds

👂What’s new

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Bremont Surprises With New Supermarine Waterman Apex II Made, Once Again, With The Legendary Laird Hamilton

It hasn’t been a month since Bremont introduced a brand new lineup of their Supermarine S302 GMT watches. A trio of the refreshed S302 established this as their amazing water-themed watch and with the addition of the GMT it made it a very capable package with some amazing colors. Unlike a brand like Seiko, that is known to do 10 to 15 releases in a single month, Bremont takes thing slow and methodical. They don’t do many releases, so when one comes it’s somewhat of an event. Also, it usually means that you can relax, as it will be some time before they show off something new. And then, BAM! Bremont throws an event and introduces the new limited edition Bremont Waterman Apex II, developed with legendary professional big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton.

The Supermarine Waterman Apex was first introduced last year as a very capable sports watch with a 500 meter water resistance and GMT functionality. That first version was also developed with Hamilton. The Apex II continues where the old one left off, by being a very noticable watch on wrist. It’s 43mm wide and 16.5mm thick and uses Bremont’s signature Trip-Tick multi-piece case construction, making for a lot of grooves, bends, dips and finishes. The outer case is made out untreated stainless steel case, while the inner case has a matte black DLC finish.

There’s an oversized crown on the right side protected by the intriguing single drown guard. While the watch is a capable diver, hinted at by the addition of a helium escape valve, it doesn’t have a dive-style bezel insert. Instead, you get a black ceramic unidirectional 24-hour scale

The dial gets a very nice matte black main dial surface with a raised inner segment that features an engraved wave texture with tiny shark fins. Bremont is not really known for their extravagant use of color, as is the case here, but the color they use is very nice. The outer chapter ring is painted in Bremont’s pale Harbor Blue and has the minute track printed on it. The applied indices are simple, with a chrome ring and a lumed interior, but with a very fun arrowhead-shaped 12 o’clock marker. The other splash of color comes in the form of orange on the triangle-tipped GMT hand.

Inside the watch is the BE-932AV automatic GMT movement which is based on the ETA 2893-2. It’s a pretty nifty movement that now has ISO 3159 compliant chronometer accuracy, beats at 28,800 bph and has a power reserve of 50 hours. A downside, depending on how you prefer to use your GMT watches, might be the fact that it’s a caller style GMT, meaning that you can quickset the 24-hour hand instead of the local hour. The watch comes on a range of strap and bracelent options - as standard you get a black or Harbor Blue (my choice) rubber strap, but you can step up to a steel three-link oyster-style bracelet

Only 350 examples of the Bremont Waterman Apex II will be made, and the watch is available now through authorized dealers. Starting MSRP for the Bremont Waterman Apex II is $5,150 on the rubber strap or $5,600 on the bracelet. See more on the Bremont website.

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Panerai Releases Fantastic Luminor Chrono Flyback And Celebrates New Store In Milan With Subtle Luminor Marina

There is much to say about Panerai. People don’t appreciate their outlandish marketing claims that rely on history that might or might not be necessarily true. They were caught trying to pass off a third-party procured movement as their own in-house product. Some of their models are wildly priced, some would say overpriced. And yet… I can’t get enough of them. Panerai is one of those brands you either love or hate, it’s incredibly difficult to be indifferent on. If you happen to enjoy them as much as I do, you’ll be glad to hear they released two new models, the Luminor Chrono Flyback PAM01498 and the PAM02319 Luminor Marina Milan Edition.

Starting off with the much more outlandish of the two, the Chrono Flyback comes in a 44mm ceramic case that has the familiar Paneria crown guard. Perfectly complementing the dark case is the sun-brushed green dial. Contrasting that are splashes of orange on the central chronograph seconds and minutes hands as well as on the hand for the 12 hour totalizer that sits at 3 o’clock. At 9 is the running seconds subdial. Alogn the perimeter of the dial, you’ll find a nautical tachymeter scale with one nautical mile as the base.

There’s a transparent caseback which allows you to see the P.9100 calibre, an automatic movement with a flyback function. It beats at 28.800 vph and has a power reserve of 72 hours. The watch comes on a green calfskin strap.

The Luminor Chrono Flyback PAM01498 is limited to just 200 pieces and is a boutique exclusive. The watch is priced at €18,000 and you can see it on the Panerai website.

But wait, there’s more. Panerai recently opened a new Casa Panerai in Milan and to mark this occasion they are releasing the Luminor Marina Milan Edition PAM02319 which will be made in 319 pieces, a nod to address of the boutique at Via Montenapoleone n. 19.

This piece is much more subdued than the crazy flyback, despite coming in the same 44mm steel light grey DLC finished case. You get the familiar Panerai sandwich dial that is finished in a beautiful gradient that starts of blue in the centre and fades to black on the edges. The hour markers, hands and date window are all rendered in a stark white. Inside the watch is the P.9010 calibre which beats at 28.800 vph and has a power reserve of 72 hours. The watch comes on a blue strap that’s made out of recycled plastic.

The price for the Luminor Marina Milan Edition PAM02319 is €11,500, which is a significant price for a time only watch.

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The Mathey-Tissot x Massena LAB Chronograph ‘68 Is As Retro A Chronograph As You Can Get

Writing watch news updates every day makes it easier to start spotting trends. Not that you have to be some kind of genius to see what is so obvious. We seem to be at the peak of two major watch trends - releasing limited edition watches, limited in either number or geographic availability, and collaborations. Everybody from major cultural brands to obscure fashion houses are teaming up with major and minor watch brands to put out collaborations, often limited, that get a lot of hype. I don’t mind the trend, it’s fun, just as long as there are a few regular releases. Not everything needs to be a limited collaboration.

That said, sometimes limited collaborations just make sense. As is the case with the new Mathey-Tissot x Massena LAB Chronograph ‘68. Made as a collaboration between William Massena, owner of Massena LAB and one of people in the watch industry everybody seems to know somehow, and the discreet and relatively unknown outside of watch circles brand Mathey-Tissot. This is the fourth time the two are collaborating and the result is a 1960s-style tri-compax chronograph with brightly coloured sub-dials for a great price.

The Chronograph ’68 is heavily inspired by a number of watches that Mathey-Tissot has made in the late 60s and 70s. It comes in a 41mm steel case that is 15.3mm thick and has a lug-to-lug of 48mm. Pump pushers, a close caseback, brushed lugs and a unidirectional 120-click bezel with a black insert with silver numerals are all very much retro looking. As is the boxed mineral glass, chosen for the retro look you get when observing the dial through it.

The dial is as retro as the case. There’s a tiny sloping tachymetre scale with black (to gauge speed) and red (for km) numerals on the edge of the dial and the dial itself is finished in glossy black with polished silver indices. The three subdials are the sources of color on the dial - the 12-hour register at 9 o’clock has a blue track with white markings, the 30-min register at 3 o’clock has alternating 10-second blocks of red and blue on its track with white markings, and the running seconds at 6 o’clock has a blue track with 60 finer white markings. All three have a snailed interior.

Inside the watch is the Landeron calibre 73, a Valjoux 7750 clone without the day and date. It beats at 28,00vph and you get a 43 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a blue calfskin strap with a stainless steel buckle.

The Mathey-Tissot x Massena LAB Chronograph ’68 is limited to just 99 pieces and at the time of writing there are still some available for purchase. The price is set at $1,495 and you can see more about the watch on the Massena Lab website.

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Traska Launches Improved Venturer GMT With The Very Much Desired Flyer GMT Miyota 9075 Caliber

Launched more than two years ago, it was about time that the Traska Venturere GMT gets an update. But how do you update a watch that has an almost cult following among microbrand enthusiasts and is one of the best designed watches you can get at a price point under $1,000. Well, you keep pretty much everything the same, with just tiny upgrades, but make the watch even more useful for traveling by replacing the caller style Miyota 9019 GMT movement with the currently very hot GMT Miyota 9075 caliber that is a traveler type.

Ever since the launch of the line, the Venturer GMT had fantastic proportions. 38.5mm wide, 10mm thick and a lug-to-lug of 46mm, this makes it a perfectly comfortable watch to wear. But speaking of comfort, it’s aided by the great looking oyster style 3-link bracelet that has a tool-less micro-adjust clasp. It really is a go anywhere, do anything watch with it’s 150 meters of water resistance, box-style domed sapphire crystal, famously generous lume and that flyer GMT movement. The watch comes in four dial colors: Carbon Black, Arctic White, Steel Blue and Bottle Green.

Like I said, inside is the Miyota 9075, which makes sense since Traska was one of the first two brands, along with Jack Mason, to get to use this movement. It runs at 28,800 vph and has a power reserve of about 42 hours. And being a flyer, it means you independently adjust the hour hand when traveling.

The watch went on sale on Monday and the Bottle Green version is already sold out, so do act fast if you want to snatch up one of the other colors. The price is set at $720. See more on the Traska website.

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The AP Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle Wins Aiguille d’Or At GPHG 2023, And All The Other Winners

If you’re not as avid a follower of (especially haute) horology, you might have missed previous versions of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Think of it as the Oscars of the watch world, the ultimate prize everyone has their eye on, awarded by a jury of usually highly influential industry professionals. There are 15 categories and at the very top is the Aiguille d'Or, the event's top prize, the most coveted prize in watchmaking.

And this year the Aiguille d' wen to Audemars Piguet's Code 11.59 Universelle RD #4, an ultra-complicated watch with 23 complications, including a Grand Sonnerie Supersonnerie, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, split-seconds flyback chronograph, and flying tourbillon. It’s not much of a surprise, just look at the watch.

Aside from the crazy AP, there were some amazing nominees this year. I had high hopes for Louis Erard and was glad to see nominations for not one, but two Tag Heuer Glassbox models and I was sure one of the two categories was a lock for them. Unfortunately, not.

The Piaget Hidden Treasures was awarded best Ladies’ watch, while the Dior Grand Soir Automate Etoile de Monsieur Dior got the award for Ladies' Complication. The incredibly beautiful Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans won the award for best Men’s watch and the equally intriguing Voutilainen World Timer got the Men’s Complication award. The Ulysse Nardin Freak One won the Iconic prize, while the Petermann Bédat Chronograph Rattrapante won the Chronograph category.

Congrats to Tudor for winning the Sports category with the Pelagos 39, while the Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto won the Petite Aiguille prize which is awarded to watches with a retail price between CHF 2,000 and CHF 8,000. The Challenge category, awarded to watches cheaper than CHF 2,000, went to the great Raymond Weil Millésime Automatic and the Tourbillon prize went to the Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon which is one of the bossest moves of the whole ceremony, as that particular watch hides the tourbillon and you can’t see it on the dial.

Click here for a full list of winners and to see photos of every watch but also make sure to check out all the nominees because some really amazing watches missed out.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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Hands on with the Ulysse Nardin Freak X OPS

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A review of the Baltic Hermetique Tourer

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

The Primitive Haus Timekeeper Type-A is an inexpensive automatic watches with a refreshing dash of color

The Timekeeper’s case is a modest yet stout 38mm wide, 44mm long, and 12.3mm thick. As such, it fit neatly on my 6.75″ wrist. Its flat, brushed sides and grippy 4 o’clock crown exude a purposeful tool watch aesthetic dressed up by a smooth bezel and polished upper surface. It’s an excellent everyday sports watch that is, perhaps, overly prepared for what that day might bring. Modern seals and a screw-down crown help keep the water out to 200m, and the crystal is sapphire, of course. It isn’t a dive watch, per se, but there is no reason you couldn’t wear it on a dive. I’d more likely wear it to a dive bar, but a little extra protection couldn’t hurt there, either. Read more on the Time Bum.

⏲️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

• Everything in this world is worth stealing, right? How about Kit Kats? The candy? I’m not talking about pocketing a bar at your local bodega. I’m talking about a shipment of $250.000 worth of Kit Kats from Japan that gets stolen. Now that’s something one could get excited about.

• In line with the crazy story I posted yesterday on whether it’s possible to predict the winner of the National Book award by analyzing 35 years of data on nominees and judges, we have a new book-themed story. Writers’ legacies were once preyed upon by snoopy biographers. Now the heirs seek to monetize every last shred of creative output. The Economist has the scoop on what happens when an author dies.

• AI optimists claim that computers will very soon be able to develop consciousness on par with humans. But understanding consciousness goes beyond exploring brain chemistry. We can account for the evolution of consciousness only if we crack the philosophy, as well as the physics, of the brain.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

It’s the weekend. Make it a lazy one, sleep in as long as you can and then make the perfect breakfast - a fried egg. Here’s a great video how to make the best one.

💵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 

• NEW WATCH FOR SALE: 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

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