Longines Updates Legend Diver 39mm With Colorful Lacquer Dials; Tudor Releases Blue BB Chrono; Panerai Has Two New Crazy Watches; CW's Lumière Lives Up To Its Name; New From Czapek And Ressence

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. Boy, this is the latest I’ve ever been I think. Sorry about that. But we have both Geneva Watch Days and Watches and Wonders Singapore going on at the same time. I just counted. I have to jam in almost 50 new watches into the newsletter that gets unruly if I go over 6 new releases. So, please, do bear with me as I sift thorugh all the releases. If you’ve seen something new that hasn’t been featured, don’t worry, it’s coming.

Btw, I’m doing a push for the Patreon till the end of August to see if I’ll have to start looking for the occasional ad to help continue running the newsletter starting in September. We did very good, way past the halfway mark of what I would need to cover the cost of sending the emails, but it’s just a bit short. If you would like to help out, read the red box right below. And just as a teaser of what you might expect to get in the Pateron, here’s the really cool story of why the Bulova Accutron Astronaut was chosen as the official watch for A-12 and SR-71 pilots. I unlocked it for everyone.

In this issue:

• Longines Updates The Legend Diver 39mm Range With Colorful Polished Lacquer Dials

• Tudor Releases Blue Black Bay Chrono As A Boutique Exclusive

• Panerai’s New Luminor Dieci Giorni GMT Ceramica And Submersible Luna Rossa Carbotech

• The Christopher Ward C60 Trident Lumière Lives Up To Its Name With The Chunkiest Of Lume

• Czapek Has Two New Aventurine Dials Antarctiques, The Polar Sky and Flying Diamonds

• The New Ressence Type 3 BB2 Is All Black And All Spectacular

Today’s reading time: 9 minutes and 55 seconds

👂What’s new

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Longines Updates The Legend Diver 39mm Range With Colorful Polished Lacquer Dials

Ever since it first came out in 2007, I’ve loved the Longines Legend Diver. It was one of the first watches on the market that heavily dipped into the vintage look, replicating as truthfully as possible the 1959 Super-Compressor Longines Diver ref. 7042. It was a large watch at 42mm (with an additional, more feminine 36mm option, added later), but it fit my Shrek-sized arms quite well. It wasn’t until last year that Longines finally expanded that collection by adding a 39mm version which came in blue or black. Now, the 39mm version gets three brand new dials in very interesting colors.

On the outside, things remain the same. The case measures 39mm wide, 12.7mm thick and has a 47mm lug-to-lug, with a brushed and polished finish to the stainless steel. Since it has a Super-Compressor style case you get two crowns on the right side, one to set the time and the other to operate the internal bezel. On top is a boxed-shape sapphire crystal, and on the caseback is an embossed scuba diver. Water resistance is 300 meters.

As dar as the dial is concerned, the basics reman the same. You get a fully graduated rotating internal bezel, matching the dial color, slightly raised numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock coated with Super-LumiNova, along with segmented indices every five minutes. The hour hand is arrow shaped, the minutes pencil shaped, both rhodium plated and filled with lume. The colors are very well chosen — a forrest green, terracotta, and anthracite grey — all rendered in polished lacquered.

Inside is the L888.6 automatic, which beats at 25,200vph (3.5Hz) and has a 72 hour power reserve. The movement has a silicon balance spring and is COSC certified. The watches come on a beads-of-rice steel bracelet with a double-safety folding clasp and micro-adjustment holes.

The new colors of the Longines Legend Diver 39mm are not limited and they join the blue and black model. Price is set at €3,650. See more on the Longines website.

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Tudor Releases Blue Black Bay Chrono As A Boutique Exclusive

The Tudor Black Bay Chrono has always been a bit of a niche choice in the Tudor catalogue. I’m not saying that it’s an exotic high-horology piece, but it also never was at the forefront of what Tudor was doing. Released in 2017, it was a quirky mix of a racing chrono and a more traditional Tudor diver, but it was also very conservative. Tudor offered the Chrono in various combinations of white and black for years. And then, just a few months ago, they put out a crazy looking pink-dialed Chrono which became an instant hit. Finally, there were waitlists for a watch that wasn’t as popular in the lineup. So, to capitalise on the popularity of introducing a new color and to offer something for people who want color, but aren’t as bold to wear a pink watch, Tudor has introduced a boutique-only edition of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono in blue.

On the outside, this is the same Tudor Black Bay Chrono that comes in a number of dial colors and case materials. This one comes in stainless steel and measures 41mm wide and 14.4mm thick, with a 49.9mm lug-to-lug. A large watch, for sure, but in line with what you might expect from a modern automatic chronograph. Especially one that is water resistant to 200 meters, something that is quite uncommon. On top is a external bezel with a blue anodised aluminium insert that features a tachymeter scale. I love aluminium inserts so much. The bezel surrounds a domed sapphire crystal.

The dial nails the shade of blue, which is enhanced with the fact that it has a satin sun-brushed finish. It retains the bi-compax layout that the line has had since the begining, with the sub-dials getting a silver color. The same silver can be found on the oversized Snowflake hands, while at 6 o’clock you’ll find the date aperture. The central seconds hand has a red tip and a bit more red can be found on the depth rating text on the dial.

While Tudor makes their own three hand movements in the Kenissi factory, for the chronographs they still use the Breitling-B01-chronograph-caliber-based MT5813 movement. It doesn’t have master chronometer certification, but it does beat at 28,800vph, have a 70 hour power reserve and it’s equipped with a silicon balance spring and a 45 minutes totalizer instead of a 30-minute scale. It’s also COSC certified. Good news on the bracelet side. It comes on a five-row Jubilee-style bracelet and T-fit clasp which allows for easy adjustment.

The Tudor Black Bay Chrono Blue is not a limited release but it will be available only from the brand’s official boutiques at a price of CHF 5,300. I don’t think this is as revolutionary watch as Tudor claims on their website, but it is a step in the right direction. I expect to see way more color coming to the Chrono. See more on the Tudor website.

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Panerai’s New Luminor Dieci Giorni GMT Ceramica And Submersible Luna Rossa Carbotech

While the big talk of the watch world this week has certainly been the Geneva Watch Days show, in a perfect move of industry shenanigans, Watches and Wonders set up their Shanghai show at the same time. And there, we got two new watches from Panerai. Nothing particularly revolutionary, but both purpose built to be the expression of Panerai does best. With one, also, being an homage to the start of the America’s Cup, the sailing race in which Panerai is a huge supporter. The watches we got are the Luminor Dieci Giorni GMT Ceramica PAM01483 and the Submersible Luna Rossa Carbotech PAM01563.

Starting off with the PAM01483, the name GMT Ceramica kind of gives everything away. It comes in a 44mm wide matte black ceramic case. On top is a domed sapphire crystal and on the right side you get the very familiar crown guard. The dial is just wonderful. Sunray brushed, it has a deep green dial paried with white stick indices and numerals at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock. You get black pencil hands filled to the brim with lume, and a black GMT hand with an orange arrow tip. You also get a small seconds and day/night indicator on a subdial at 9 o’clock, a linear power reserve indicator at 6 and a date window at 3. The watch is powered by the P.2003 calibre, an automatic movement that offers a 10-day power reserve. The watch comes on a black alligator strap with an additional green rubber strap. Price is set at $19,500. See more on the Panerai website.

Equally as technical, but on the opposite side, is the Submersible Luna Rossa Carbotech PAM01563, which pays homage to Panerai’s collaboration with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team which is racing in the America’s Cup right now. The watch comes in a 42mm wide case that’s made out of Carbotech, Panerai’s carbon composite material, the same material that’s found on the bezel and the crown protector. Water resistance is 500 meters. The dial is deep blue, interrupted by white dot markers, white tips on the skeletonized hands and a red seconds hand on the small seconds hand. Inside is the P.900 movement that they use in the majority of their watches, and you get 72 hours of power reserve. This is a highly limited watch. Only 37 pieces will be made, and if you want one it will set you back $18,100. See more on the website.

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The Christopher Ward C60 Trident Lumière Lives Up To Its Name With The Chunkiest Of Lume

It seems that this week is all about lume here at It’s About Time. We got into a discussion on faux-aged lume, whether modern lume will ever age and whether old lume was as dangerous as everyone thought it to be. This prompted me to write about lume in the Watch School Wednesday on the Patreon. And now we have a new release from Christopher Ward which is all about lume — this is the new Christopher Ward C60 Trident Lumière trio which features the chunkiest of Globolight indices, meaning there’s a lot of lume there.

But this isn’t just CW taking a new dial and sticking it into a regular C60 Trident. No, they took “light” literally and made the case out of Grade 2 titanium. It measures 41mm wide, only 10.85mm thick and a 47.9mm lug-to-lug. That thickness is particularly impressive as it is one of the thinnest watches in recent memory to not only have 300 meters of water resistance at a reasonable price, but also feature a helium escape valve. On top is a unidirectional bezel with a black ceramic insert that has lumed markings, as well as a sapphire crystal.

But really, the Lumière in the name is a reference to light, and this is exactly what CW gave this watch. There are three dial color options — orange, blue and grey, all with a very slight gradient towards a darker share on the outskirts. All three dials share the same crazy indexes made Globolight, the solid lume created by specialist Xenoprint. It glows like crazy in a light blue shade. Globologht is used for the indexes, the chunky 12 o’clock triangle, Christopher Ward’s signature handset and even their flag logo. It looks spectacular, truly.

Inside is the trusty Sellita SW300 movement which beats at 4Hz, has a 54 hour power reserve and it is COSC certified, meaning that it will be accurate to -4/+6 seconds per day. The watches can be had on their Bader bracelet or on one of two rubber straps that are either fully colored or a combination of a dark and highlight color.

The Christopher Ward C60 Trident Lumière can be ordered now for a price of €2,175 on either of the rubber straps or €2,625 on the bracelet. See more on the Christopher Ward website.

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Czapek Has Two New Aventurine Dials Antarctiques, The Polar Sky and Flying Diamonds

The integrated bracelet luxury sports watch is not going anywhere any time soon, whether you like it or not. While not revolutionary, the Swiss indie Czapek is introducing two new versions of their take on the integrated bracelet luxury sports, the Antarctique. They come with beautiful dials made out of aventurine glass and with significant diamond indexes.

Four versions of the Czapek Antarctique Aventurine will be made, two sizes of the Polar Sky and two sizes of the Flying Diamonds. The two sizes share an aesthetic, with both having a round case with square lugs that connect right to the distinct integrated bracelet. The cases have a deep brushed finished with high polish details on the bracelet and the bezel. The larger measures 40.5mm wide and 10.6mm thick, while the smaller measures 38.5mm wide and the same 10.6mm thick. Water resistance on both is 120 meters.

The dials are where the two model lines differ, somewhat. Both feature a base made out of Aventurine dial, which is a type of glass that has metallic shavings added to it to make it look like a sparkling sky. The Polar Sky version features traditional hour markers, while the Flying Diamonds versions are adorned with diamond hour markers, featuring the Czapek original elongated trapezoidal cut.

All four version share the same movement, the calibre SXH5. It’s wound by an off-centred platinum 950 micro-rotor and you can see the seven bridges through the exhibition caseback. The movement beats at 4Hz and has a 60 hour power reserve. The watch comes on the integrated steel bracelet, but you also get an additional rubber and leather strap.

The production numbers on these watches vary wildly. The large Polar Sky will be made in 99 pieces, while the smaller is limited to 77 pieces, both priced at CHF 26,000. The larger Flying Diamonds will be made in 8 pieces at CHF 42,800, but they are all sold out already, while the smaller one is limited to 18 pieces and priced at CHF 38,000. See more on the Czapek website.

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The New Ressence Type 3 BB2 Is All Black And All Spectacular

OK, we have a new Ressence. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for some time, then you know what that means. What will follow is several hundred words of me acting like a schoolgirl at a Taylor Swift concert. So, if that doesn’t sound like your jam, I don’t mind you skipping. You see, Ressence holds a very special place in my watch journey. Before I saw my first Ressence, I knew I could love watches. I adored, and still adore, my Speedmaster. I always had an idea of what watches I would like to own. But it wasn’t until I saw the Ressence Type 3 and its oil filled dial that I realised that watches do not have to be constrained to just the tradition we know. I was hooked. The Ressence Type 3 was perfection. It is still 50% of my ideal two watch forever collection and I doubt it will be bumped. The new model we’re getting is the Ressence Type 3 BB2, a variation on the limited Type 3 BBB, a “Black, Black, Black” version of the otherwise two-tone Type 3, but in an unlimited supply.

The Type 3 is ultimate simplicity. The watch measures 44mm wide and 15mm thick, and has a completely unique construction. On the bottom is a Grade 5 titanium mid-case, which is covered in a matte black layer of DLC in this edition, while on top is a highly domed sapphire that covers the convex titanium dial. Ressence then injects oil between the dial and crystal, creating an incredible optical illusion in which the whole top part looks like one compact unit. This is further enhanced by the fact that the entire dial rotates, with the subdials changing locations and spinning almost freely. It has to be seen to be understood, but one thing is for sure — it does not look real.

Ressence famously uses the humble ETA 2824-2, a very basic movement. However, to this, they add their own Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) 3.5 display module. The module is connected to the movement through magnets, so that the movement is kept oil-free. You still get a beat rate of 4Hz and a 38 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a honeycomb synthetic strap.

The new Ressence Type 3 BB2 is part of the regular collection and priced at €38,200, without taxes. Btw, I do realise that I didn’t fawn over this Ressence as much as I do over others, but this is just because I get a bit lost when staring at one. I forget my words, so go ahead and join me by seeing more on the Ressence website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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A review of the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse ref. 5738/1R-001

2/

Hands-On with the Platinum Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton

3/

A review of the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

The Minase Uruga takes the best from traditional Japanese three-dimensional puzzles

One of the special elements is the dial. We had the blue- and green-dial versions in for review, which both feature a pattern of interlacing lines. The brand states that the waves of the Minase River in Japan inspired the design. Both dials are fascinating to see up close and provide great detail to a simple layout. The polished, faceted, and applied hour markers contrast the dials nicely, and a date window at 3 o’clock features a polished frame to match the indices and razor-sharp hands.

Read the whole review on Fratello

⏲️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

• The controversy unfolding in the world of paleontology is epic drama you didn’t know you needed in your life. In this incredibly reported and compelling feature for Intelligencer, Kerry Howley digs up the dirt on two young scientists, Robert DePalma and Melanie During, who both claim to have found new evidence about one of the Earth’s biggest mysteries at Tanis, a paleontological site in North Dakota. Howley’s piece exposes paleontology as a “nasty” field of academia, full of mean and narcissistic people, but it sure makes for juicy reading.

• For The New York Times Magazine, Rachel Corbett takes us inside Próspera, a private start-up city on the Honduran island of Roatán that was founded in 2017 and is backed by Silicon Valley billionaires. Like Praxis, a proposed autonomous city in the Mediterranean, or even California Forever, the project to build a new city east of the San Francisco Bay Area, Próspera is an experiment, a vision. It promises prosperity, a better future, and “good times and Caribbean vibes,” but neighboring residents are skeptical and the Honduran government wants it gone.

• Anne Casselman takes us to the wilderness of British Columbia to follow melittologists (bee biologists) as they discover and catalogue new species of bees. The process can involve harvesting specimens to view under a microscope if they’re not immediately identifiable from experience or by consulting Common Bees of Western North America, which lists hilarious but not entirely helpful categories including “bees that are extremely large” or “bees that are very hairy.”

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

Who is your favorite Batman? That might be a hugely difficult water to answer. Every generation has their own Batman. However, with Superman things are different. Christopher Reeve was and will remain the one true Superman. This looks like an amazing movie on Reeve.

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-Vuk