Citizen's Super Titanium Small Seconds Release Brings Awesome Dials And Great Prices; Yema Introduces The Urban Classic Collection; Laurent Ferrier Has A Moon Annual Calendar; And New From Czapek And Parmigiani

In this issue:

• Citizen Continues With The Awesome Looking Small Seconds Releases, This Time In Super-Titanium

• Yema Rounds Out The Urban Collection With The New And Very Elegant Urban Classic In Three Colors

• Laurent Ferrier Unveils The Hyper-Elegant Classic Moon Annual Calendar

• Czapek Introduces New Promenade Collection And Updates The Already Awesome Antarctique Line

• One Final W&W Release From Parmigiani Fleurier Is The Incredible Tonda PF Skeleton In Platinum

Today’s reading time: 7 minutes and 19 seconds

👂What’s new

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Citizen Continues With The Awesome Looking Small Seconds Releases, This Time In Super-Titanium

A month or two ago, Citizen released a spectacular line of watches, the the Citizen Tsuyosa Small Second which came in the Tsuyosa form factor, but with grey, blue or salmon stamped guilloché-like pattern dials and a small seconds indicator. They were not just beautiful, but also fantastically priced at €379 on a bracelet. Now, they are doubling down on affordable small seconds watches with great looking dials with the brand new Citizen Super-Titanium Small Seconds NJ0180 Series.

The new NJ0180 comes in a familiar looking case that has a barrel shape and measures in at 40.5mm wide and 11mm thick. Of course, as the name suggests, the case is made out of Citizen’s Super Titanium which gets a Duratect surface-hardening process. The case has a matte appearance, with a highly polished thing bezel on top that surrounds a sapphire crystal on top. Water resistance is 100 meters.

Taking inspiration from the Tsuyosa Small Second, the four new NJ0180 Series watches feature dials that have both fantastic colors and textures. All four have a rough and seemingly random texture on it with the colors being deep green, turquoise, dark blue and white. The dial is surrounded by a snailed minute track on the outside, rendered in either the dial color on the blue and white, or black on the green and turquoise. The small seconds dial has a strange position, floating near the center of the dial at the 4:30 mark. To be fair, it looks strange for the first few minutes but then just blends in, despite it also having a snailed finish. There’s a date aperture at 3 o’clock and applied hour markers at the usual positions.

Inside is the Calibre 8213, which you can see through the mineral glass caseback. Not much to see there, as it’s not particularly pretty. It beats at 21,600 vph and has a 40 hour power reserve. According to Citizen, the movement is accurate to +/- 20 seconds per day. The watch comes on a Super Titanium integrated bracelet with a folding clasp.

The Citizen Super-Titanium Small Seconds NJ0180 Series is available now, but it seems that it is only available in Europe as I can’t find it on any of the other global websites. Chances are, they will be released globally soon. Price is set at a still great €429. See more on the Citizen website.

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Yema Rounds Out The Urban Collection With The New And Very Elegant Urban Classic In Three Colors

You are sick and tired by now of hearing about Watches and Wonders. Well, good news then! While W&W was going on, there was also a smaller show being put on in Geneva, benefiting from all the watch hubub in town, the Time to Watches. And it’s here that smaller brands showed off their novelties. Among them was Yema, the legendary French brand that rounded out their Urban collection (which already has the Sport, Traveller and Field expressions) with three new Urban Classic watches.

The new Urban Classic collection was inspired by elegant Yema watches first released in the 1960s and is now a combination of modern and classical elements. The size is definitely classic at 37,5mm wide and 9mm thick (without the crystal), albeit a bit long with a 45mm lug-to-lug. However, looking at the watch from the side, the length doesn’t seem to be much of an issue as the sharp lugs curve down dramatically. On top is a hesalite crystal which has been chose for its vintage looking properties. The case has alternating brushed and polished finishes. Water resistance is a very decent 100 meters. Additionally, the caseback is also a callback to Yema’s early days as it features the brand’s historic crest.

Just as simple as the case are the three dials, differentiated only in colors. They have a circular brushed surface that comes in a sky blue, dark blue or black versions. The markers are applied, faceted and polished, just like the hour and minute leaf hands. There’s nothing else on the dial other than the applied brand logo at 12 o’clock and the word Automatique at 6 o’clock. It’s all very retro here.

Inside is the brand’s second-generation in-house Yema2000 calibre, which is their version of the basic ETA and Sellita movements. Yema was heavily criticised online for their in-house movements that have had quality issues, but these problems seem to be limited to their older movement and the issues appear to be handled. It beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of 42 hours. The movement is regulated in 4 positions to a precision of -/+ 10 seconds/day. The watch comes on either a leather strap or a mesh steel bracelet.

The new Yema Urban Classic can be ordered now with deliveries expected in June. Price is set at €690, regardless of the strap you get it on, which is pretty cool. See more on the Yema website.

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Laurent Ferrier Unveils The Hyper-Elegant Classic Moon Annual Calendar

We all known Laurent Ferrier watches to be supremely elegant dress pieces. But it’s always great to see a brand upend those expectations, which is exactly what Ferrier did over the past few years with the introduction of sports watches that were equally as amazing as their dress offerings. Well, at Watches and Wonders, they decided to take a step back and show everyone what they are best at. This is the new Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon duo.

If the shape of this watch looks familiar, it’s no surprise as Laurent Ferrier has used this Galet case for more than a decade. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a beautifully curved case that measures 40mm wide and 12.90mm. A lot of that thickness comes from the domed sapphire crystal. Interestingly, there is no anti-reflective coating on the crystal, as Laurent Ferrier loves to see reflections over the dial. This particular watch can be had in either a polished steel or 18k 5N red gold case, with the gold taking on an incredible shade that almost looks like sand.

When it comes to the dials, the stainless steel gets an opaline grey-blue dial with pastel blue contrast and white hands (in the brand’s signature Assegai shape), while the gold version gets a brushed silver dial with petrol blue accents and ruthenium-treated white gold hands. The dial features a pointer date display around the perimeter of the dial, with a day and month indicator at 12 o’clock. At 6 o’clock you’ll find the moonphase indicator and a small running seconds counter.

Inside is the calibre LF126.02. It has an 80 hour power reserve, which is tracked with a power reserve indicator seen through the caseback. It’s a very beautiful movement with rhodium-treated Côtes de Genève, circular graining, hand-polished bevelled bridges and polished screw heads. The stainless steel version comes on a dark grey Nubuck strap, while the gold version gets a brown calf leather strap.

The Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon Annual Calendar is priced at CHF 70,000 in steel and CHF 80,000 in gold, without taxes. See more on the Laurent Ferrier website.

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Czapek Introduces New Promenade Collection And Updates The Already Awesome Antarctique Line

It was a really good year Czapek at an otherwise rather underwhelming Watches & Wonders 2024. Just before the show they showed their first gold version of the Antarctique called the Mount Erebus, and at W&W, they unveiled not just a duo of new Antarctique models with awesome dials, but also a brand new collection with super interesting textures.

Let’s start off with the brand new Promenade collection, which will serve Czapek as a more classic expression when it comes to the case, but will allow, according to the brand, for way more creative expression. The case is a simple affair, round and measuring 38mm wide and 10.8mm thick. It gets slightly protruding crown guards, a sandblasted finish on scaloped side of the case and a simple bezel. Covering the dial is a sapphire crystal and it forms a huge aperture into the case.

There are three different dial colors and two executions of the dial surface. First and very impressive is the Guilloché Soleil dial made in collaboration with the legendary Metalem dial manufacture, available in champagne or blue. It’s made with the traditional art of guilloché, but with a hyper-modern geometric pattern that extends from the smal seconds display. Second, there’s the blue ‘Goutte d’Eau’, which means water drop in French. This limited edition of 100 pieces is made in collaboration with enamel dial specialist Donzé Cadran and it actually looks like waves radiating through the dial as if a drop of water landed in the center of the small seconds. Inside is the in-house SXH5 micro-rotor calibre which beats at 4Hz and has a 60 hour power reserve. The watches come on a nubuck leather strap.

Then we have the updates to the Antarctique line with two new dials. First is the Antarctique Green Meteor, also limited to 100 pieces, and with a dial made out of the famous Gibeon meteorite in a beautiful shade of green. The second is a new version of the Antarctique Afterglow which gets the familiar trapezoid motif on the dial, rendered in a beautiful purple color. Inside both is the same SXH5 calibre and they both come on stainless steel bracelets.

The Czapek Promenade is priced at CHF 18,800 for the Guilloché Soleil and CHF 20,000 for the Goutte d’Eau limited edition. The Antarctique Green Meteor will set you back CHF 25,000 and the Antarctique Afterglow Purple CHF 23,000. See more on the Czapek website.

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One Final W&W Release From Parmigiani Fleurier Is The Incredible Tonda PF Skeleton In Platinum

Parmigiani Fleurier unveiled some truly beautiful watches at Watches & Wonders, but I made a mistake and missed what seems to be most extravagant of their releases. The relaunch of the Toric collection and the new Tonda PF models were fine, but the star has to be the new platinum version of the Tonda PF Skeleton with a blue dial. Or at least what’s left of a dial.

The new platinum Tonda PF Skeleton shares the case of the already beautiful steel and gold versions. It measures 40mm wide, a svelte 8.5mm thick and has lugs that swoop down making it very wearable. On top is a prominent knurled bezel, which has the same texture as the crown, and sapphire crystals are on top and bottom.

Beneath the crystal is a time only open worked dial that’s rendered in Milano Blue which is sandblasted then satin-finished. The hands and indices are high-polish 18kt gold, coated in rhodium. Parmigiani is special in managing to do both skeletonized hands and a skeletonized dial, while keeping things super legible. I can’t understand how they do it.

Inside is the PF777 automatic movement which beats at 4Hz and has a 60 hour power reserve. It has a platinum oscillating weight and numerous decorations. The watch comes on an integrated bracelet also made of platinum, so you know that this will be an incredibly heavy watch.

The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton in platinum is available now and priced at CHF 117,000. See more on the Parmigiani website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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A review of the Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT 

2/

Hands on with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual

3/

A review of the Fears Redcliff 39.5 Date

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

The Lesablier Travelgraph is attractive, innovative and packs tremendous value

The longer you look at this dial, the better it gets. Note how the 24-hour disk sits far below the chapter index and dial. It’s a nice effect in and of itself that offers the additional benefit of directing your focus on the smaller, primary dial. The applied markers are polished, as are the hands and the lovely second hand with its lollipop tip and hoop counterweight.

Read the whole review 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

• This is an incredibly beautifully laid out story of a shipwreck you might not have heard off. And it starts off with a dramatic message that goes like this: “Captain or anyone who receives this message shall receive remains of the Dundee whaler Snowdrop, collided with an iceberg. No hope. 14th November, 1908. Sinking fast.”

• Tensions had been brewing for years inside Clare Locke, a top defamation law firm. Then came the biggest defamation case of them all. This is an inside story of how a case against Fox News tore apart a media-fighting law firm.

• Daniel Serrahas has been studying the food habits of the Vikings for over 20 years—and demonstrates them to be farmers, rather than “gnawing off the meat of the bones of wild animals.” Maddy Savage and Benoît Derrier give a respectful report of Serrahas’ work and provide his recipe for Viking fish porridge for good measure!

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

For centuries, the North Pole remained elusive. Early attempts to reach it were primarily motivated by the search for a navigable route through the Arctic to Asia, known as the Northwest Passage. Later, explorers focused specifically on reaching the Pole itself. But for centuries, reaching it seemed impossible. The first verified, and officially recognized expedition to reach the North Pole didn’t occur until 1926 (although several explorers claimed to have reached it earlier). It was first reached using the airship Norge, which flew overhead, but did not land on the surface.

In the late 1920’s, accomplished explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins became convinced that a submarine would provide the ultimate means of reaching the North Pole. A submarine could travel for extended periods beneath the ice, avoiding the extreme hazards above which had caused earlier expeditions to fail. Carrying the latest scientific equipment, the submarine’s crew could conduct valuable meteorological, oceanographic, biological, magnetic, and spectrographic experiments.

Wilkin’s submarine would be called the Nautilus. It was a retired WW1-era submarine that had been extensively modified by renowned Naval Architect Simon Lake. The Nautilus featured a heavily reinforced bow, a shock absorber and sledge runners to protect it from collision with sea ice.

The Nautilus and her crew of 20 men began their expedition to the North Pole in June of 1931.

None of them realized how grueling their journey would be, and almost immediately things began to go wrong.

💵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