Casio Launches A Bizarrely Interesting Oceanus With Sapphire Crystal Bezel, Vario Is An Affordable JLC Reverso You Want, Monta Introduces Military Green Triump And New Watches From Titoni and Nodus

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. I have to talk to you about something. It’s the summer and releases are slowing down to a halt. I’ll see how the next couple of days go, but I might cut down the newsletter to three times a week over the summer. We’ll see.

Also, invite your friends or fill out the survey to enter the giveaway. We’re giving away four Seiko 5 Sports SKX ‘Midi’ in a color of your choice.

In this issue:

• Casio Launches Bizarrely Interesting Oceanus Models With Titanium Cases And Sapphire Crystal Bezels

• Monta Introduces A Military Green Version Of Their Triumph, Discontinues Beloved Field Watch

• The Black And Color Block Limited Editions Of The Titoni Seascoper 300 Are DLC Coated Divers With A Colorful Dial

• Vario Launches Reverso-Inspired Versa Dual Time in Classy Colour Combinations At An Unbeatable Price

• Nodus Auctions Off Very Rare Sector GMT Limited Edition Collaboration With Atlanta RedBar Chapter For Charity

Today’s reading time: 8 minutes and 6 seconds

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👂What’s new

1/

Casio Launches Bizarrely Interesting Oceanus Models With Titanium Cases And Sapphire Crystal Bezels

Casio makes cheap and fun watches like the G-Shock and the F91W, right? Well, yeah, they make those. But they also make a luxury line of watches they call Oceanus that is largely unknown in the broader watch world. While they do have a cult following in very niche circles, Oceanus watches have for a long time been available only on the Japanese market and only since 2021 have they become more available outside, including in the U.S. This year, Casio is expanding the Oceanus lineup with four new watches that feature titanium cases and sapphire crystal bezels.

These are not the Casio’s you are used to. Take, for example the horribly named Casio Oceanus Manta OCWS6000SW2A. It’s made completely by hand at Casio’s Yamagata factory in Japan. It’s 42.5mm wide and 9.2mm thick, made out of titanium with a matching solid-link titanium bracelet. But the main attraction is the bezel, which is made out of one piece of blue sapphire with 48 spiral facets on it that are inspired by the waves of the ocean. Contrasting the dark and light blue of the bezel are a pink gold ion-plated crown and dial accents.

This is the most advanced, most premium and most expensive of the four models. It has a metallic blue dial that uses full analog hands to display the hand. However, inside is Casio’s Module No. 5665, which is solar powered and offers Casio’s usual premium suite of functions, such as a stopwatch, world timer, automatically adjusting calendar, radio controlled timekeeping, and bluetooth connectivity.

The other three new Casio Oceanus Manta watches are essentially different variations of the same core model, which are fitted with different dials and have different finishing on their titanium cases. While the overall design and layout of these three watches is similar to the flagship Oceanus Manta OCWS6000SW2A, this trio of models gets angular titanium bezels with smooth sapphire inserts that have tachymeter scales instead of the crazy looking faceted sapphire bezel. They are also larger than the OCWS6000SW2A (again, horrible name) - 42.8mm wide, 9.5mm thick.

The OCWS7000A-2A and OCWS7000B-2A (people, what’s with the names?!) are both fitted blue gradient dials. The OCWS7000A-2A features a silver-colored titanium carbide finish on its case and bracelet components, while the OCWS7000B-2A has a dark gray DLC coating. Meanwhile, the OCWS7000-1A (please?) also receives a silver-colored titanium carbide coating, although rather than having a blue gradient dial, it receives a solid black dial that has white and blue accents. Aside from their different dials and case finishing, the trio of models with sapphire tachymeter bezels is otherwise identical, and all of them feature a solar-powered movement (Module No. 5701) that offers many the same advanced features as the movement inside the flagship OCWS6000SW2A.

The top of the line model will be produced in only 350 pieces while the OCWS7000A-2A (the one with the blue gradient dial with a silver titanium carbide finish, if you can’t keep up with the names) will be limited to 1,500 peices. Now, since these are premium Casios, expect to pay a premium. The top of the line model will set you back $2,400, while the OCWS7000A-2A has a retail price of $1,400. The OCWS7000-1A is the least expensive of the quartet with a price of $1,300, while the OCWS7000B-2A costs slightly more at $1,550 due to the DLC coating. I’m not sure I’d buy one, but I would love to see that faceted bezel live. You can see more on the Casio website.

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Monta Introduces A Military Green Version Of Their Triumph, Discontinues Beloved Field Watch

There were some interesting watches introduced at last week’s Windup Chicago. Among them were a few significant announcements from fan-favorite Monta. First off, they said that when the stock of the current generation black and silver dialed versions the Triumph runs out, it will be the end of their take on the classic military field watch. The Triumph will be kept alive in a new model to be released sometime in the next two years.

However, until that happens, people can get their hands on a new colorway of the Triump - a military green which suits its military filed watch nature. The Triumph has been around since 2017 and is one of the longest standing Monta references. And back when it launched it was available with a green dial, but a much different one. It was a bright sunburst green, whereas this new version is an olive hue with a lacquer finish. Hands, hour markers, and Arabic numerals are all in a crisp, high contrast white, with the hands and markers at 12, 3, 6, and 9 given a rhodium plating for increased legibility. There’s a date window at 6 o’clock, the best position for a date window.

Aside from the new dial, this is the same Triumph that Monta has made for years. Its brushed stainless steel case is 38.5mm wide and despite looking like a chunky watch is only 9.7mm thick. It has 150 meters of water resistance thanks to its robust construction and screw down crown.

The military green dialed Triumph is a limited edition of 95 pieces, and is now available for pre-order at a price of $1,700. Deliveries should start in August. See more on the Monta website.

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The Black And Color Block Limited Editions Of The Titoni Seascoper 300 Are DLC Coated Divers With A Colorful Dial

At one point black DLC watches were all the rage. Every single brand had a black watch. And more often than not, they did not look all that great. The whole black thing was overplayed and made many watches look cheap. Unless it was a vintage Heuer or a Porsche Design, chances are it wasn’t really that great. But DLC is making a comeback and I'm getting softer with age and I don’t mind it as much now. Like, for example, these two new limited-edition Seascoper 300 models from the independent family-owned Swiss brand Titoni in black DLC cases, one with a vibrant orange dial and a darker, all-black version.

In 2020, Titoni introduced the Seascoper 600, a COSC-certified chronometer fitted with Titoni’s manufacture movement – calibre T10 – with a depth rating of 600 metres. Two years later, Titoni unveiled the Seascoper 300, the smaller brother of the Seascoper 600 with half the water resistance, a thinner profile (12.55 vs. 14.45mm), no helium escape valve and an outsourced Sellita chronometer movement.

Despite the lower depth rating, the 300 is still a very rugged watch. The matte black DLC coating sits on a 42mm wide stainless steel case. The bezels filled with glossy black ceramic with light grey markings and a luminous signal triangle at noon. Unfortunately, the 300 does not have numerals on the bezel like the 600 does, which is a shame as I’m finding the bezel numerals to be more and more important to me. But that’s just me.

While both watches come with the exact same case, there’s a radical difference in dials. The more vibrant orange enamelled dial is a limited edition of 100 pieces, while the all-black enamelled version is limited to 500. As a dive watch, the 11 applied indices and hands are big and bold with plenty of Super-LumiNova; the index at 3 o’clock has been removed to accommodate a date window. A flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating protects the dial.

Inside the watch is a Sellita SW200-1, a robust and easily servicable movement. Titoni went a step further and ensured that the movement has a COSC chronometer certification. Both models come in a special box and come with a black rubber strap with a black-coated steel folding clasp. The strap is easily interchangeable and can be switched for the black, grey and white NATO-style fabric strap made from plastic recovered from the ocean fitted with a pin buckle.

The Titoni Seascoper 300 Black Edition is limited to 500 pieces worldwide, and the Color Block Edition (orange dial) is limited to 100; they share a retail price of EUR 1,700. For more details, visit the Titoni website.

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Vario Launches Reverso-Inspired Versa Dual Time in Classy Colour Combinations At An Unbeatable Price 

Very few watches are as iconic as the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. It’s shape is instantly recognisable and the Art Deco dials are always stunning. You know what else it is? Freaking expensive! And getting more expensive by the day. A year ago the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Duoface was €9,100. This year? €13,100. That's a price increase of nearly 44%. What if you wanted a watch that looked almost like the Reverso, offered the same functionality of the Reverso, but only cost about 3% of the Reverso?

Enter the Vario and their Versa Dual Time. There is no confusing this for any other watch - this was clearly influenced by the JLC Reverso. The Versa is 40mm x 26mm x 12mm and is made from stainless steel. It has a reversible design that allows you to flip over the watch to reveal a second face displaying a second time zone. It is called the Dual Time, after all. However, unlike the Reverso that flips on a vertical axis, the Versa rotates on a horizontal axis going end over end.

There are a couple of dial combinations available although the current pre-orders are specifically for the silver/black and gunmetal/white editions. Both of which are available in limited quantities of 400, although this is only the first batch and more may be made available in the future. I’d like to see the colourful blue, red and green editions make a return as they’re currently sold out. In terms of layout, one of the two dials has an inner railway minute track with Arabic numerals and hour markers around the outside. The other dial is even more refined with just a peripheral railway track for both hours and minutes.

Inside the watch is the Ronda Slimtech quartz movement. There are several very good reasons for a quartz movement. First, it keeps costs low. Secondly, a quartz movement can be very thing, and the Ronda Slimtech is exactly that. Which allowed Vario to stuff two such movements inside, one for each face rather than having a single double sided movement. It means you can set each dial totally independently, which is what allows it to function as a dual time model.

Both of the versions available for pre-order are priced at €385. If you’re looking for accessible Art Deco design, look no further. Check out more on the Vario website.

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Nodus Auctions Off Very Rare Sector GMT Limited Edition Collaboration With Atlanta RedBar Chapter For Charity

RedBar is one of those influential groups of collectors that often gets watches made for their members. Recently, RedBar’s Atlanta chapter worked with Nodus to create a special, very limited, edition of Nodus’ Sector GMT with details that are specific to Atlanta residents. Only 50 pieces of this watch were supposed to be made by Nodus, and all 50 are spoken for by Atlanta RedBar members when the watch was unveiled in April. However, Nodus made 51 watches. And this watch that carries the serial number 00/50 will now be auctioned off to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

The Sector GMT is a classically proportioned sports watch that’s 38mm wide and fits right into Nodus’ contemporary design language. Like other watches in the Sector collection, the GMT makes use of a multi piece dial with distinct layers, creating a unique sense of depth and calling attention to the finishing and materials Nodus is using. The dial is black with red accents, a nod to the colors of the Atlanta Falcons football franchise, and features an image of the Atlanta skyline on the caseback, along with the RedBar logo and limited edition number.

Proceeds from the sale benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank, a nonprofit organization that specializes in distributing food to those in need across 29 counties in the metro Atlanta area and north Georgia.

For more information on the sale, head over to the Nodus website. Bidding is live right now and is scheduled to end today at midnight Eastern Time.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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A review of the Rolex Yacht-Master 42 RLX Titanium: very Rolex yet surprisingly disturbing

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Hands-on with the Tudor Pelagos FXD Alinghi Redbull Racing

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

A Look At Furlan Marri, the worst kept secret in great affordable watches 

Essentially, the brand has taken many of the best parts of vintage watches, especially chronograph design, and combined them into dress-watch-styled offerings with mechanical central seconds movements but no chronograph function. It seemed to have done so without cutting too many corners or giving a feeling that screams "I'm affordable" when you handle or wear the watches, save for a bit of a squeak from a fresh and maybe slightly thin strap or a bit of wobble from the rotor on an affordable movement.

⏲️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 routine traffic stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma, led to a massive investigation that exposed a nationwide network of people stealing and selling catalytic converters from the undersides of vehicles, a criminal operation that involved the exchange of some $545 million for scrap metal. Now you know where all the catalytic converters ended up.

• For The Baffler, Erica Vital-Lazare explores the gravitational pull that Las Vegas had on her absent father, a man who left his wife and three daughters to for a life in Sin City, gambling under the protection of career criminal Benny Binion. A moving story.

• Summer weddings are the absolute worst thing that can happen to you. Sitting in the scorching sun, pretending that you accidentaly splashed water on yourself while washing your hands and that the liquid soaking though the front of your shirt is definitely not sweat, is not my idea of fun. But it can be worse. Melissa Johnson had to attend a wedding in a Guatemalan jungle in July. She describes the jungle (and its bugs) in sticky, itchy detail.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

I love mashup videos. Like this one I’m posting today. It’s a very serious ascent of the South African Route on the East face of the Central Tower of Paine in Patagonia. I love climbing videos, despite barely being able to climb five flights of stairs. But you know what I like even more than climbing videos? Cooking videos. These maniacs - Tyler Karow, Imanol Amundarian, and Cedar Christensen - decided to forgo the ultralight approach of many climbers and took with them excess amounts of wine and a mini cast iron oven that they used to bake muffins, empanadas, and pizzas daily while living in portaledges. Love it! I can’t climb, but do you want to see videos of cooking and watch reviews? If so, reply to this email and tell me so!

💵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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