Oris Listens To Fans, Releases 38mm Divers Sixty-Five Calibre 400; Citizen's New Titanium Forza; Swatch Has Four Olympic Watches; Direnzo Relaunches DRZ 02R; Gerald Charles' Hammered Gold Dial

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. It’s a narrow edge that brands have to walk between requests from very vocal fans and their future plans. But it seems that Oris is doing a solid job. Can’t wait to see where the goalpost moves now.

In this issue:

• Oris Listens To Fans, Releases 38mm Divers Sixty-Five With The Calibre 400 And No Date

• Citizen Adds More Affordable Titanium Watches, Unifies Them Under New Forza Model Line

• Swatch Releases Four New Olympic Games Paris 2024 Themed Watches

• Direnzo Relaunches The Smaller DRZ 02R Aerolite For 2024 With, Unbelievably, Even More Colors

• Gerald Charles Gives The New Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon A Stunning Hand-Hammered Gold Dial

Today’s reading time: 11 minutes and 32 seconds

👂What’s new

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Oris Listens To Fans, Releases 38mm Divers Sixty-Five With The Calibre 400 And No Date

Watch enthusiasts very often have a very clear picture of what they want in a watch and they’re not afraid to demand it from a brand. Just check the comment section on watch announcement posts on Instagram, and you’ll see a bunch of comments just not happy with what was announced and promises that they would buy it if only a slight change was made. Asking for a feature from a brand is, of course, quite a normal and welcomed thing. The only issue is, most brands work on multi-year timelines so when fans ask for a feature, it will often be years before they get to see one, with trends often flipping in the meantime. This leads to massive frustration, especially when a brand chooses to stick to their guns and not listen to their fans. Oris is not such a brand. They listen very closely and this is why they released exactly what so many have been asking for, a Divers Sixty-Five with its in-house calibre 400 and no date.

The stats of the new Divers Sixty-Five are simple and attractive. The steel case measures 38mm wide and 12.6mm thick. If it has the same footprint as the regular 38mm Divers Sixty-Five, it should have a lug-to-lug of 48mm, which is to be expected as the Divers Sixty-Five has been known to be on the long side. On top is a double domed sapphire crystal, surrounded by a steel bezel that has a sandblasted matte finish with polished numerals and markers for the 60-minute scale. Water resistance is still 100 meters, which some have criticised as being too low, but is in fact in line with the skin-diver approach the the Divers Sixty-Five takes in the Oris diver lineup.

The dial looks vaguely familiar and takes on an incredible green gradient with what seems to be a subtle sunray brushing. The markers are applied, and a mix of round and rectangular shapes filled with lume. The three hands are also lumed and, perhaps most importantly, there’s no date window, something that people have been asking for a while.

Out back you’ll find a transparent caseback, and you really want this one if you plan on admiring the movement you have inside. And what you would see is the in-house calibre 400. The movement had a rough start with several notable issues that included a jumping minute hand when setting and rotor blocks, but this has all been straightened out for the v2 of the movement. It beats at 4Hz and has an amazing power reserve of 120 hours thanks to twin barrels. The watch comes on a stainless steel three-row bracelet with fake rivets. It tapers from 19 (not the best lug width) to 14mm and features a single-deployant clasp with no quick adjustment - a big no-no in this, or actually any, price range.

The Divers Sixty-Five Calibre 400 38mm is available now and priced at CHF 3,600. This is not only compared to the Sellita powered Divers Sixty-Five 38mm at CHF 2,450, but also looks at competitors the likes of a Tudor Black Bay 54/58. See more on the Oris website.

2/

Citizen Adds More Affordable Titanium Watches, Unifies Them Under New Forza Model Line

I’m sure that many of the watches you see in the photo above will look very familiar. That’s because Citizen is a huge multi-national company that has different approaches to different markets. All of the watches above have been announced and released in select markets over the last six months which saw Citizen push for three model lines of affordable watches made from the brand’s proprietary Super Titanium - the Chrono, the Three-Hand, and the Mechanical. I know I fell in love with the three Mechanicals that feature a small seconds display at the 4:30 position. Now, as this rollout has truly become global, Citizen has added new colorways to the Chrono and unified the nine watches under a single name. This is the new Forza Super Titanium collection, and it covers pretty much everything you might want from an everyday watch.

All nine watches share a couple of characteristics. While the cases vary a bit in size, they are all made out of Super Titanium which has a Duratec coating to make the titanium scratch proof. On top are sapphire crystals, surrounded by polished bezels and chamfers, along with a brushed surface of the case. Water resistance is 100 meters. All nine have textured dials, date complicantions and they came on titanium tapered bracelets with Y-shaped links.

Now, for the differences, let’s start with the strangest of the three lines, the Forza Three-Hand. I say strange, as it’s obviously not a three-hand watch, since it also has a day and date at 3 o’clock. But we’ll let that slide. The case it comes in measures 39mm wide and 10mm thick, and gets three colorways - a blue with black minute ring, a green with black minute ring and an all white dial. Inside is the Eco-Drive Caliber J800 which is powered by light, has an accuracy rating of +/- 15 seconds per month and a nine month power reserve on one full charge. There are also the most affordable watches of the three collections, priced at $495.

Moving up in size, but keeping a light-powered movement, is the Forza Chrono which comes in a case that measures 42.5mm wide and 11.5mm thick. The dial can be had in either white, an electric light blue or a very funky salmon, all with black sub-dials at 3, 6, and 9 and a black tachymeter ring on the outside of the dial. Inside is the Eco-Drive Caliber B620 which has the same run time and accuracy as the J800. These three are priced at $625.

And last, a completely different approach with the Forza Mechanical which, as you might have guessed, is powered by an the Citizen Caliber 8213 automatic movement that beats at 21,600vph and has a 45 hour power reserve. The cases are smack dab in the middle of the three models and measure 40.5mm wide and 11mm thick. The dials come in white, light blue or dark blue and are most notable for the small seconds sub-dial at 4:30. The watch would have looked even better if they dropped the date window at 3 o’clock, but it’s a good looking watch either way. These watches are also priced at $625. You can see more on the Citizen website.

3/

Swatch Releases Four New Olympic Games Paris 2024 Themed Watches

The Swatch Group has been busy this year, with the arrival of the Olympic Games. Their brand Omega is the Official Timekeeper of the Games and has already released at least four new watches themed with the once-in-four-years event, but it seems that there is a bigger deal at play with the Games and the Group. The most affordable brand in the group, Swatch, also just released four new watches, each inspired by a sport that will appear at the Summer Olympic Games that are about to start in Paris in a bit over a month. I don’t cover Swatch that much on here, which is a bit of a shame, seeing as how their most recent design language is speaking to me quite a lot.

Starting off with the Purple Rollshot, you get a watch inspired by volleyball. It comes in a purple bio-sourced resin case that measures 34mm wide, 8.7mm thick and has a 39.2mm lug-to-lug. On top is a bio-sourced plastic crystal, but keep in case that in both the case and crystal, the bio-sourced plastic/resin actually just means plastic, don’t expect any special feeling or looking materials. Water resistance is 30 meters, and underneath the crystal is a dark purple dial with pink and white details, as well as a dual day/date display at the 3 o’clock location with contrasting light purple and pink calendar discs. Quartz powered, it comes on a silicone strap with a dark purple gradient finish and is priced at $75.

Next is the Green Backside Wave, inspired by surfing, an Olympic sport since 2020. Interestingly, since ocean surfing is not that amazing on the French coast, the competition will take place in Tahiti, a part of French Polynesia, at the mythical Teahupo'o reef. The watch comes in a dark green bio-sourced resin case that measures 41mm wide, 9.85mm thick and with a lug-to-lug of 47.4mm. The dial is dark green with white and green accents. Just don’t wear this watch while actually surfing, as water resistance is, again, just 30 meters. Also powered by a time-only ETA quartz, the watch comes on a silicone strap with a green gradient finish and a pink underside. Priced at $85.

Lastly - at least when it comes to regular Swatch models - is the Blue Heelflip, dedicated to skateboarding. This is a chronograph Swatch, which measures 42mm wide, 14.03mm thick and has a lug-to-lug of 50.1mm. The dark blue resin case with light blue pushers and a pink crown is matched with a dark blue gradient dial with a gold seconds hand and pink, white, and light blue accents. In addition to the chronograph complication, the ETA quartz movement also has a date window at 4:30. The watch comes on a dark blue silicone strap with a pink underside. The watch is priced at $130.

The fourth watch is part of the Flik Flak family, Swatch’s children’s watch line. It comes in a transparent blue resin case that measures 31.85mm and 9.25mm thick, with no lugs which means that the case is just 30.6mm long. The dial is white with red and blue accents, while the recycled PET fabric strap features the “Phryges” characters, the official mascots of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This one will set you back a mere $40. You can see more about these watches on the Swatch website.

 4/

Direnzo Relaunches The Smaller DRZ 02R Aerolite For 2024 With, Unbelievably, Even More Colors

Not all microbrands are created equal. And the best example of this would be Direnzo, founded by designer Sergio Godoy. Direnzo has made their name with deliberate design that’s a combination of industrial and futuristic, with incredible use of color and sandwich dial construction. This brought them a GPHG nomination last year in the Challenge category and a cult following. I’m not sure how the brand started exactly, but one of their first watches has been the DRZ 02 (I’m assuming it’s their second watch). Last year they brought back the DRZ 02 back for a limited run with the DRZ 02R ‘Aerolite’ in which the R stood for Reduced, meaning a smaller case. This year, they’re bringing the watch back once more, with most of the colors from 2023, plus a new red variant and a new Limited Edition with an incredible sandblast finish.

The case of the DRZ 02R is incredibly unique, inspired by Bugatti automobiles and the soft lines that run up the left and right flanks are bordered by a polished chamfer, but what remains is an expanse of brushed steel. The case measures 39mm wide, just 10.8mm thick and has a lug-to-lug measurement of 44mm, so you can see that it’s perfectly compact. On top is a flat sapphire crystal, surrounded by a super simple fixed bezel. Water resistance is 100 meters. There are six brushed cases and a seventh limited edition which comes in a sandblasted case.

The differences in the seven models mostly come from the dial colors, but all seven have a similar approach. All the dials are dish-shaped and with a sandwich construction with lume underneath which allows the design to either have a bright color as the base color of the dial and a more subdued lume color seen through the dial, or a more traditional dial with a wild color for the lume. The handset has a tapering lumed areas sitting in polished steel frames, and a lume plot on the second hand. You can opt for either a dateless version or one that has a date window at 6 o’clock with a very nice looking aperture. In terms of colors, you can have a blue dial with blue Super-LumiNova, a red dial with BGW9 Super-LumiNova, a burnt orange dial with BGW9 Super-LumiNova, a grey dial with orange Super-LumiNova and a purple dial with BGW9 Super-LumiNova, a black dial with BGW9 Super-LumiNova, while the limited edition gets a dark grey dial with green Super-LumiNova.

Inside all variants is a very familiar movement, the Sellita SW-200-1, which comes in its Elaboré grade. The movement beats at 28,800vph and has a power reserve of 38 hours. The watches come on a nice looking stainless steel bracelet with half-links and a butterfly clasp.

The limited edition is limited to 40 pieces and priced at CHF 830, while the regular edition is priced at CHF 730. Both of these prices are valid during the presale period which launches on June 29th, and after its over the price goes up to CHF 880 and 780, respectively. Deliveries are expected in early September 2024. See more on the Direnzo website.

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Gerald Charles Gives The New Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon A Stunning Hand-Hammered Gold Dial

The Gerald Charles brand was founded by the late Gerald Genta in 2000. The famous watch designer founded Gerald Charles a year after selling his eponymous Gerald Genta brand in 1999. Ownership didn’t last wrong as Genta sold the brand in 2003, but stayed on as chief designer until his death in 2011. For a while, the brand existed in relative obscurity and produced special models exclusively for collectors. Since 2019, however, they have been building up their portfolio with a strong focus on their Maestro line - a dress watch with a recognizable look that has, over the years, evolved into an increasingly more sporty watch. The latest release in the Mastero family is still sporty, but with a very elegant, very eye-catching, dial. This is the new Maestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon.

The new watch comes in Gerald Charles’ signature stainless steel case with an irregular, elongated octagonal shape and a curved side at 6 o’clock that measures 39mm wide, 9.3mm thick and has a 41mm lug-to-lug. Every details on this watch is something special. Just look at the crown. Instead of a regular knurling, this crown has a Clous de Paris pattern made up of tiny pyramids. On top is a stepped bezel made out of grade 5 titanium that undergoes a galvanic treatment that gives it a blue color. Water resistance is 100 meters.

The showstopper is the dial made out of rose gold and completely hand hammered to create a wonderful and unique texture. The watch gets applied Roman numerals at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock outlined in blue and filled with lume, while at 6 o’clock you’ll find a titanium cage that holds the tourbillon. The blue element of the tourbillon doubles as a seconds hand. The central hands are baton shaped and, just like the numerals, framed in blue and filled with white lume. There are so many subtle colors at play here you really need to stare at the dial.

Inside is the calibre GCA 3024/12, a manufacture movement made by Vaucher. It beats at 4Hz and has a 50 hour power reserve. It can be seen through the caseback and you will want to look at it a lot. It features colimaçon, Cotes de Genève and perlage finishes on the bridges, while the rotor is made out of 22k rose gold with a sandblasted finish with the Gerald Charles honeycomb design. The watch comes on a blue alligator strap with a folding clasp.

The new Gerald CharlesMaestro 9.0 Roman Tourbillon is limited to 50 pieces and priced at CHF 82,400. See more on the Gerald Charles website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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A review of the Boldr Odyssey Black Dragonfish GMT

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Hands-On with the new Louis Vuitton Escale Time-Only Automatic

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A review of the art deco Second Hour Memoir

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

The Retter Mistral explores depth with a thin, retro-style case

A quick glance at the Mistral is all it takes to realise it’s not something off-the-shelf, with a modernised take on the soldered lugs of the 1950s Vacheron Constantin Cornes de Vache. Instantly the associations of grandeur are there, evoking the style of antique furniture in steel instead of mahogany. It’s not overly dainty either, seeming relatively stocky thanks to the thick slope of the polished bezel and the small chamfer on the lug edges.

Read the whole review on Time + Tide

⏲️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

• I have always had a strong dislike for Birkenstock. I got why they were popular among people who needed them, but they quickly became a fashion staple, which was just puzzling. Turns out, there was a Succession-level family drama behind the scenes of the 250-year-old German orthopedic shoe company to turn it into a luxury behemoth.

• Remember the LiveStrong bracelets that everybody wore? Twenty years ago, a small Texas nonprofit launched a yellow wristband. It became a must-have accessory and a talisman of hope that changed the fight against cancer forever.

• A digital sleuth named Bryan Hance has spent the past four years obsessively uncovering a bicycle-theft pipeline of astonishing scale. The fanciest stolen bikes from the west coast of the US seem to be trafficked by one mastermind in Jalisco, Mexico.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

This is a camera review. I guess. Only, it’s not. Yeah, the video is about a camera, but it’s also a short movie with Blade Runner-level set building, incredible cinematography and a feeling that it should have cost at least $30,000 to produce. And all of his videos are at this level. It’s incredible.

💵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

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-Vuk