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- Doxa Does Vintage Patina Right With the Sub 300T SE Clive Cussler, IWC Turns The Pilot Chronograph 41 Green and Gold, Bulgari Throws Watches And Gems Into A Bag - Crazyness Emerges, The LIV GX-AC Is The Exact Opposite Of Trendy
Doxa Does Vintage Patina Right With the Sub 300T SE Clive Cussler, IWC Turns The Pilot Chronograph 41 Green and Gold, Bulgari Throws Watches And Gems Into A Bag - Crazyness Emerges, The LIV GX-AC Is The Exact Opposite Of Trendy
Hardly anybody likes fauxtina... But when it's done this well, we can't complain
Vuk Radic
May 19, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes
Hey friends, it’s time for the weekend so It’s About Time suggests you go grab your dive watch and hit the scuba spots. Or the local pool, whichever you can.
In this issue:
Doxa goes high concept with Sub 300T Special Edition
IWC turns the Pilot Chronograph 41 green and gold
There are no better high-jewellery watches than Bulgari
The LIV GX-AC Orange is the exact opposite of a trendy watch
And… invite your friends to win a Tiffany PRX
Today’s reading time: 6 minutes and 43 seconds
Everybody needs a green faced watch in their life. That’s why we have a new giveaway - it’s the Seiko SPB121J1, aka the Seiko Alpinist in a wonderful shade of green. In fact, we’re giving away two of them!
All you have to do is click the button below and have five of your friends subscribe. Both you and one of your friends will be eligible to win one of the watches
We only have two conditions when entering this giveaway - invite 5 of your friends to subscribe and live somewhere were you can buy the Alpinist, so we can get this for you and ship it to your address. That’s it!
👂What’s new
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Dirk Pitt is a tall, muscular adventurer with dark wavy hair and opaline green eyes. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy and served as a pilot during the Vietnam War. After leaving the Air Force, Pitt became a full time adventurer and explorer. His weapon of choice is a .45 Colt that he received from his father. His drink of choice is tequila with salt and lime. And most of the time, he strapped an orange dial Doxa dive watch to his wrist.
Dirk Pitt is, unfortunately, not real. He is a major protagonist in books written by Clive Cussler, one of the greatest adventure novelists of modern time. Cussler, who passed away in 2020, wrote over 85 books and sold more than 100 million copies. He is also credited as the man most responsible for the success of Doxa, just by including them as such a crucial part of Pitt’s live, and all of this despite the fact that Doxa also had Cousteau, Swiss Army, the potential invention of the helium escape valve and the creation of the no-deco bezel going for it. Cussler was that important to the brand. That’s why they announce today the SUB 300T Clive Cussler Edition, paying tribute to their hero.
Starting off, how did Cussler end up choosing the Doxa for Pitt in the first place? During his younger years and before becoming a full-time writer, Clive Cussler worked in a dive shop. Once his first novel finished, he decided to quit his position in the shop, devoting the rest of his life to the creation of his books. And before he left, the manager of the shop gifted him an orange dial Doxa SUB 300T. The same watch was worn by Matthew McConaughey in the movie Sahara, based on Cussler’s book.
When brands create limited editions, they usually slap an engraving on the caseback and maybe modify the dial a bit. But Doxa decided to go another route. They created a special - not limited but numbered - model that reimagines the SUB 300T in a voluntarily aged, almost antique-like manner. Fauxtina is usually a horrible, horrible thing that luckily only lasted as a trend for a couple of years. But here, in this Doxa, it is wonderful.
Under the patina, this is a SUB 300T, with everything it means regarding the specifications. 42.5mm in diameter, with a reasonable length of 44.50mm, it is a modernised version of the classic SUB 300. The case is tough… this model is water-resistant to 1,200m.
What changes compared to a classic 300T is surely this distinctive aged coating on the steel surfaces – all of them, from top to bottom. People who have seen it live say that it looks more aged in photos than in real life, and that on the wrist it has a stealthy, matt grey tone. The dial is also new. Beige-greenish, it’s decorated with the image of an old compass. It is paired with painted markers in black and luminous material, and black hands also largely lumed. Touches of red are found on the square seconds hand, the Clive Cussler logo and the date. Also, a bit gimmicky, the dates 7, 15, and 31 are displayed in red, a reference to the author’s birthday (07/15/1931).
Each watch is individually engraved with its own exclusive number on the side of the bezel, and the back also shows a series of inscriptions, specifically the names of shipwrecks and other historical artefacts that have been discovered or surveyed by NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency, a non profit Cussler founded in 1979. Because of course Cussler was also an explorer of shipwrecks.
Inside the watch is the Sellita SW200-1 and it comes on an artificially aged beads of rise bracelet with a folding clasp and ratcheting wetsuit extension. Additionally, you also get a beige NATO strap in the presentation box, which is wonderfully designed like one of Cussler’s books.
The Doxa SUB 300T Clive Cussler Edition is now available from selected retailers and on the brand’s e-boutique and is a special numbered edition (no mention of a limitation). It is priced at EUR 2,690 and a percentage of sales from this special edition watch will be donated to NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency Cussler founded in 1979.
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IWC loves the combination of green and gold. I mean, who doesn’t. First they gave the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar a gold case and green dial and now it’s the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 that gets a green dial and a rose gold case.
This luxurious edition of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 relies on the same specifications as the steel counterpart introduced back in 2021, which was itself released first with a green dial. This means 41mm in diameter, with a mostly brushed case with several polished accents and a hefty thickness of 14.5mm. The main novelty comes from the material, as this watch comes for the first time in precious metal, or 5N 18k gold to be precise – meaning that almost all possible materials have now been used, including stainless steel, titanium, bronze, Ceratanium and ceramic.
This warm gold case is paired with a sunray-brushed green dial which has traditional white markers and tracks, however, the hands are done in gold tone to match the case. Complementing the dial, it comes on a green rubber strap closed by a gold pin buckle. Inside is the Calibre 69385, a Valfleurier-built chronograph movement with column-wheel delivering 46h of power reserve.
This IWC joins the permanent collection is unlimited and will set you back EUR 24,200.
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Bulgari makes some very nice watches. But when they make a high-jewellery watch, that’s when they show themselves at their best. Today Bulgari announced two secret watches for men, which is in itself a rare feat.
First up is the Octo Roma Mediterranea, housed in a white gold 44mm rose gold case set with baguette-cut diamonds, the octopus and his tentacles concealing the movement are brought to life with a dynamic setting of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and neon-blue Paraiba tourmalines. Raising the hinged secret cover containing the octopus reveals a second octagonal bezel set with brilliant-cut diamonds framing the modern, ultra-thin BVL 268 SK calibre with flying tourbillon.
Then there’s the Octo Roma Cameo Imperiale, the second secret watch hides its mechanism with a cameo of Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of Rome. To recreate the traditional technique of cameo carving, Bulgari collaborated with skilled cameo artisans in Torre del Greco. The head of the emperor is embellished with a diamond laurel wreath, while his toga is made of lapis lazuli and his protective armour of diamonds. It can only leave you speechless. The 44mm platinum case of the Cameo Imperiale is also set with baguette-cut diamonds, and the hinged cover with the cameo can be lifted to reveal the BVL 268 SK calibre framed by brilliant-cut diamonds set in the bezel.
The Octo Roma Mediterranea and Octo Roma Cameo Imperiale are one-of-a-kind timepieces, and their price, as you have probably guessed, is exclusively on demand.
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Poke around the internet a bit, and you’ll see that the perfect watch should be 36mm, thin, vintage looking, with 200m water resistance, an in house movement and under $1000. This is, of course, completely wrong. As there is no perfect watch. Watches are a personal experience and everyone has their definition of perfection. As more brands aim to satisfy the wants of the vocal watch enthusiasts for smaller watches, some brands, like LIV, will sell you a huge and fun watch for an OK price. Like the LIV GX-AC Signature Orange, a solid black and orange hunk of a watch.
LIV was founded in 2014 by husband and wife Chaz and Esti Chazanow, who say that “the microbrand set out to make distinctively designed, Swiss-made watches for affordable prices”. I’m wary when a brand pushes the Swiss-made thing so hard, but take from it you will.
Even in photos, it’s clear that this is a huge watch - 46mm in diameter, 15.5mm thick, 54mm lug-to-lug, stainless steel, a hobnail bezel with exposed screws, huge pushers for the chrono… It’s a lot. But hey, there are people who really want something like this. The dial is split up into two sections - a matte black and fanning guilloché section. The hour markers are all small applied trapezoids filled white luminous material and the dial is given a little bit of extra sunken depth with the 2 and 4 markers represented as orange stencils in a sandwich construction.
Inside is the ETA 7750 movement, a popular chronograph movement with a 48 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a bright orange silicone strap, but you can also wear it on an inverted black silicone strap with orange accents, or a black IP-coated stainless steel bracelet for no extra cost. Just keep in mind that this watch has a 23mm lug width, so strap options might be limited.
The LIV GX-AC Signature Orange is limited to 1000 pieces and will set you back EUR 1,216.
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I usually just stick to reporting watch news here. But every now and again I come across watch-related that’s worth a read. One of those pieces is this interview from Monochrome with Awake founder Lilian Thibault. It’s an interesting look at how a small microbrand gets started and how far it can grow in a very short time.
🫳On hand
Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon
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⚙️Watch Worthy
A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually like
The Perfos cannot reinvent this amalgamation that originates from the 1972 Royal Oak, but it can add its own twist to every single ingredient, inside and out. Although rather large at 39 by 39mm — bear in mind that the measurements of rectangular watches will result in very different perceived dimensions when compared to those of round watches — it is dripping with ’70s coolness (especially of the Americana sort, to our eyes). Just as ’70s interior design and decor are making a comeback, it’s hard not to imagine this watch fitting perfectly in a Night Palm interior.
⏲️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 will be the first year that students at university will have easy access to AI tools that will help them write essays. As it turns out, the usual tools teachers use to suss out plagiarism seem as stumped by AI as the teachers themselves are. The result is a future that neither students nor professors seem equipped to navigate.
Have you ever wondered how a disaster expert prepares for the worst?
Addiction is horrible. But, from what I hear from people with experience with it, gambling addiction might just be the worse. This article by Noah Vineberg about how he placed his first bet at 10 and since gambled over a million dollars is chilling.
👀Watch this
One video you have to watch today
The art of the video essay, so popular in the late aughts and early tens, has been lost a bit. I used to love these videos, so here’s a reminded of how the best did it - Every Frame a Painting on Akira Kurosawa.
💵Pre-loved precision
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FOR SALE: Longines Heritage Skin Diver, box and papers. €1400. Reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch
Want to sell your watch to a community of passionate horologists? Reach out to us and we’ll put your ad up. $15 per listing without photos, $25 with photos. 10 available slots per day, discounts for multiple slots.
Everybody needs a green faced watch in their life. That’s why we have a new giveaway - it’s the Seiko SPB121J1, aka the Seiko Alpinist in a wonderful shade of green. In fact, we’re giving away two of them!
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