Omega Releases Titanium & Bronze Gold Green Dial Seamaster No-Date; Baltic Adds Bronze To Hermétique Tourer; Mido Sketches What’s Hiding Inside; Brellum Has A New Movement; A Blue-White Panerai

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. Bronze/gold and green are a pretty classic combination right there. And it’s great to see that there are options at €12k and €750.

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In this issue:

• Omega Releases New Seamaster Diver 300M No-Date In Titanium & Bronze Gold With Green Dial And Bezel

• Baltic Adds Bronze Cases To The Ever Popular Hermétique Tourer Collection

• Mido Introduces The Multifort Mechanical, With A Sketch Of What’s Hiding Inside

• Brellum Drops A New Movement Into The Pandial Bicompax Black DLC Ti Chronometer

• Panerai Teams Up With Oliver Smith Jeweler With A White And Blue Submersible QuarantaQuattro

👂What’s new

1/

Omega Releases New Seamaster Diver 300M No-Date In Titanium & Bronze Gold With Green Dial And Bezel

It seems that this has been a good year for Omega, but that was to be expected with the Olympic Games, an event that Omega usually uses to release a whole bunch of watches. But hardly anyone expected them to save a few major releases for the end of the year. It’s only been something like two weeks since Omega introduced the new Seamaster Diver 300M No-Date. The release was a mixed bag of reception, with some saying it’s the best edition of the 300M, especially with its monochromatic and simple colorways, while others called it too simple and nothing new (despite it having a new dial, bezel, bracelet, and introduced a new movement to this collection). Well, in a slightly weird staggered release, Omega just announced a new version of the new Seamaster Diver 300M No-Date, one with way more color and character.

Not only does this new release sidestep the monochromatic release of the new No-Date, it switches up the materials right away. While the release two weeks ago was made out of steel, this one is made out of titanium. It still measures the same 42mm wide and 13.8mm thick, and you have the same helium escape valve at 10 o’clock. But that helium escape valve, as well as the bezel on top and crown, are made out of Bronze Gold. That, if you recall, is not exactly a gold alloy. Instead, it’s way more bronze with no nickel or iron content to make it hypoallergenic and able to resist patina way longer. OK, that doesn’t mean there’s no gold in it. There’s a bit under 40% of gold in the alloy, making it 9k gold. The bezel has a deep green aluminum bezel that contrasts fantastically with the gold color of the bezel and the bronze gold numerals on the 60-minute graduation.

The same green can be found on the dial, which ditches the wave motif of previous Diver 300M models. Instead, it has a slight texture to it. Mimicking the Bronze Gold of the bezel are beige markers and Bronze Gold PVD-coated hands. The seconds hand has a red tip and, just like the previous two releases, it doesn’t have a date aperture.

Inside, the same thing as the release two weeks ago. It’s the Calibre 8806, which has been used in several previous versions of the Seamaster. It’s, of course, a METAS Master Certified Chronometer, beats at 25,200vph, and has a 55-hour power reserve. The rotor is finished with Arabesque Côtes de Genève and red varnished lettering. This watch can be had on either the same grade 2 titanium mesh bracelet as the No Time To Die Seamaster Diver 300M or on a green rubber strap with a foldover clasp.

While the previous two releases were priced at €6,600 on rubber and €7,200 on mesh — high, but manageable — the price for this version is pretty steep. Sure, it may not be 18k gold, but it, and the titanium, obviously contribute to the price, putting it at €10,800 on the rubber and €11,700 on the mesh bracelet. See more on the Omega website.

2/

Baltic Adds Bronze Cases To The Ever Popular Hermétique Tourer Collection

Just like Omega, Baltic had a really good year. They kicked off the year with the introduction of the incredible Prismic collection, what had to be their most complex watch they ever made. They continued with a string of fantastic updates to the Prismic and Hermétique Tourer collection with great colors and even better textures on the dials. Closing out the year is a major update to the Hermétique Tourer collection with brand new bronze cases that come in great colors and a fair price.

The Hermétique Tourer is a very classic field watch, with a round case that here measures 37mm wide and 10.8mm thick — or 8.3mm thick without the double domed sapphire crystal — with slender lugs, and a recessed crown. But now, instead of steel, the case is made out of bronze that’s expected to develop a fantastic patina. The patina will be even better if you go for a swim with it every now and again, which will be easy since water resistance is 150 meters. The case is brushed and the bezel on top is polished.

There are three dial colors available: brown, green or blue. They all feature a gradient finish, with a lighter color in the middle, fading to a black on the edges. Around the periphery is a white railway minutes track, followed by a polished bronze ring. You get applied baton and circular markers, as well as Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, all made from solid Super-LumiNova. The hands are syringe-style and polished bronze, all filled with lume.

Inside, no changes. It’s the Miyota 9039 which beats at 4Hz and has a 42 hour power reserve. The watches come on a tropic-style vulcanised rubber strap matching the dial colour with a bronze buckle.

There’s a price hike from the original Hermétique Tourer, but not a huge one. While the stainless steel versions are priced at €687, the bronze versions come in at €750. The watches are on sale now, with deliveries starting December 9. See more on the Baltic website.

3/

Mido Introduces The Multifort Mechanical, With A Sketch Of What’s Hiding Inside

I’m a total sucker for a Bulgari Octo Finissimo. It’s one of the best looking watches of the (still young) century and one of my favorite things about it is that it’s such a versatile canvas for many different styles to be rendered on it. And one of the best models was the Sketch released in 2022, which featured a full dial done in the style of a technical pencil drawing. This was followed up with a new edition in 2024 which sketched the inside on the dial. And it’s kind of obvious that it’s this watch that the new Mido Multifort Mechanical takes a lot of inspiration from. Does it manage to pull off the same look? You decide.

While the Mido Multifort collection is best known for the TV shaped cases, they also have a few rounded case model as well. And these vary in size radically, with the largest, this one, coming in at a whopping 44mm wide, 12.2mm thick and with 23mm wide lugs. Quite the watch. Add to that the huge sapphire crystal on top and the very thin bezel, and you get an even larger looking watch. Water resistance is 100 meters.

Then, there’s the dial. It features a full illustration of what’s happening inside. It’s much less free form and much more a technical drawing. it doesn’t go into too many details to avoid overcrowding and sticks to the major plates and wheels. There are no markers on the dial. Instead, you only get a thin strip of minute markers on the very periphery. The hands are simple, brushed and filled with lume.

Inside, you already know what to expect. I mean, it’s right there on the dial. It’s a manually wound ETA movement that features a small seconds complication at 6 o’clock and has a 46 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a three link metal bracelet and you get two additional straps — a black textile one and a brown leather option.

The new Mido Multifort Mechanical is limited to 999 pieces to mark Multifort's 90th anniversary and is priced at CHF 1,590. See more on the Mido website.

4/

Brellum Drops A New Movement Into The Pandial Bicompax Black DLC Ti Chronometer

I have a very strong sense of déjà vu here. On the same day that Omega launched the new Seamaster Diver 300M No-Date two weeks ago, I wrote about Brellum redoing their Duobox Chronometer in 39mm. Now, two weeks later, as Omega is introducing a new version of the Seamaster Diver 300M No-Date, I’m writing about a new release from Brellum, the Pandial Bicompax Black DLC Ti Chronometer, which is a very classic chronograph with a new column-wheel movement inside, a great dial, and a few modern touches.

This is both a large watch and one that needs to be worn to figure out how large it really is. The 43mm width suggests that it’s quite the huge watch, as does the 51.5mm lug-to-lug. And while it surely is large, it’s made out of grade 5 titanium, making it only 72 grams light, an easy wear. But then, there’s the thickness of 15.9mm. Ridiculous, right? Sure, but without the twin box-shaped sapphire crystals, it measures only 11.7mm thick. And pretty much everyone says that due to those crystals, it wears much more like a 12 or 13mm thick watch than a 16mm one. The titanium case gets a black DLC coating, curved lugs to better hug the wrist, and on top is a black aluminium tachymeter scale. Water resistance is 100 meters.

The Pandial in the name refers to the pan-shaped dial if you haven’t noticed yet. And it’s a looker. The base gets a blue color with a brushed finish and a bi-compax layout with black sub-dials at 3 and 9 o’clock. Surrounding the dial is a thin telemeter inner flange, and on top are applied markers with lumed pips. At 6 o’clock is a date aperture with a black date disc inside.

Inside is a brand-new movement for the collection. While the previous versions used a 7750-based movement, this new one is a slightly decorated La Joux-Perret L100. It’s COSC certified, features a column-wheel, and has a 60-hour power reserve. Finishing includes perlage, stripes, and a customised openworked rotor. The watch comes on a Nebur Tec strap with a folding clasp.

The new Brellum Pandial Bicompax Black DLC Ti Chronometer is, like most Brellum watches, limited, and only 46 pieces will be made. You can order one now for €3,920.See more on the Brellum website.

5/

Panerai Teams Up With Oliver Smith Jeweler With A White And Blue Submersible QuarantaQuattro

There are hundreds of collaboration watches released every year, and I can honestly say that I skip writing about most of them. Because slapping your logo on a caseback isn’t exactly thrilling. But this collaboration between Panerai and U.S.-based Oliver Smith Jeweler is a bit different and very cool. This new PAM01696 Submersible QuarantaQuattro Aspen & Scottsdale Edition is inspired by the snow-capped peaks of the Roaring Fork Valley mountains in western Colorado.

The basics are the same as many of the other Submersible QuarantaQuattro models. This means you get the same brushed cushion case that measures 44mm wide with the straight and chunky lugs. On the right side is the recognizable crown cover, and the crown features the first sign of customization for Oliver Smith Jeweler. The crown is covered in blue rubber. The same blue, but in ceramic, can be found on the new bezel insert, which features metal indices for the five-minute marks. Water resistance is in line with other Submersible watches at 300 meters.

The dial is also new, all white and matte, with almost all blue details to match the bezel. The marker surrounds are blue, the text is all blue, the skeletonized hands are blue, as is the small seconds dial at 9 o’clock. At 3 o’clock is a beveled date window with a white date disc inside that has blue text.

Inside is, perhaps, the most controversial part of the watch, the automatic P.900 movement. There’s nothing horribly wrong with this movement; it will tell you the time and do so for three days, but it is a movement based on an ancient ValFleurier movement. This is a five-figure watch released in 2024, and a lot has been said for Panerai inexplicably removing hacking from the movement. And then bringing it back for some watches. So who knows if this one hacks or not? The watch comes on a blue rubber strap.

The PAM01696 Submersible QuarantaQuattro Aspen & Scottsdale Edition is limited to 60 pieces and available now from Oliver Smith Jeweler. The price is set at $12,300. See more on the Oliver Smith Jeweler website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

1/

A review of the Dennison A.L.D. Collection

2/

Hands on with the Venezianico Nereide Avventurina

3/

A review of the Panerai Luminor Due PAM01539

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

The Farr+Swit Retro Digital Mix Tape Vol. 1 is a little gem of a watch, one of the best releases of 2024

The Retro Digital Mix Tape’s boxy case is 35mm wide, 38mm long, and a wafer-thin 8.5mm thick. Why so diminutive? Because watches used to be small. This was partially just the fashion of the time, but I firmly believe it is also because unless you ordered your digital watch from The Sharper Image catalog, you picked it out in person at a real-live brick-and-mortar store. Nobody knew or cared how many millimeters wide their watch was; we just tried on the watches we liked at the Macy’s counter and bought what worked for us.

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

• A shocking coup attempt sent South Korea into political upheaval. But on the ground, at the protests that would prevent the president from seizing power, people were organized, angry, and a little drunk. I did not expect such good political reporting to come from The Verge, but here we are.

• The Scene was the hottest club in New York City. After it closed, a teenage girl’s remains were discovered inside, leaving authorities with a puzzle to solve — and revealing just how easy it used to be to disappear. Rolling Stone unravels the 50 year mystery of the body in the basement.

• Days filled with work and commitments often make it hard to prepare home-cooked meals. At Current Affairs, Lily Sánchez recalls the watermellon scent of freshly cut cucumber and the tactile and olfactory pleasures of preparing a simple salad, juxtaposed with scarfing tasteless, pre-packaged fruit during her medical training. Preparing food takes effort and precious time. But are we missing out on the full pleasures of eating when we favor convenience over homemade? Sánchez suggests that the joy of cooking is not all in the eating, it’s also in paying attention to the sensory pleasures of preparation.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

I will completely understand if you have no interest in boxing. If you find Fury corny or Usyk boring. But please, for the love of all that is holy, watch this promotional video for their second fight. This is, perhaps, the best video produced this year, a nightmare of epic proportions.

-Vuk