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- Seiko Exposes A New Movement In The Presage Sharp Edged Open Heart, Junghans Gives Us A Different Solar Watch and O.G. Watches Is A New Indie With A Stunning Dial
Seiko Exposes A New Movement In The Presage Sharp Edged Open Heart, Junghans Gives Us A Different Solar Watch and O.G. Watches Is A New Indie With A Stunning Dial
Looks like we get one new Seiko model a day, but I'm not complaining
Vuk Radic
April 27, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes
Hey friends, it’s time for It’s About Time, so sit back and enjoy your favorite daily watch newsletter.
In this issue:
New movement for the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Open Heart
Junghans gets a sunburn with two new Max Bill Mega Solar Watches
Chopard’s best Alpine Eagle is a Japan-only LE
O. G. Watches is a new indie watchmaker with a stunning dial
And… invite your friends to win a Seiko Alpinist
Today’s reading time: 7 minutes and 17 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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The Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series has been around since 2020 and is gives the Presage watches an angular silhouette, distinctively patterned dial, and hands and indexes that are equally bold and sharp. It has since been updated with a variety of styles, including a GMT, a power reserve or an open-heart dial. Now, the open-heart dial comes in handy to shows of the new three-day automatic movement and an overall new design with the references SPB415 and SPB417.
The new Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series Open Heart that the brand is launching soon are revamping entirely the concept of the openworked dial revealing the regulator. Movement, design, case and dial… everything is new. And in fact, it goes even further, as these references SPB415 and SPB417 are actually introducing various updates to the overall Sharp Edges style.
Measuring 40.2mm in diameter, 13.5mm in thickness and about 47.5mm in length, the case remains crafted from stainless steel. There are some changes on the case, however, with a dual-curved sapphire crystal making its first appearance in the Sharp Edged Series. Thanks to the new crystal, the dials appear closer and more vivid.
The dial of these new Presage Sharp Edged watches retains the collection’s classic features, but again with updates. The dials of the two new creations bear the asanoha pattern, or “hemp-leaf” pattern, a motif found on Japanese textiles. The dial is available in two colours; a bright and discreet dial on the SPB415, named shironeri and inspired by unbleached white silk; a more striking, gradient blue dial on the SPB417, named aitetsu or indigo iron. Both also feature a new window to expose the escapement at 9 o’clock, which now sits under a metallized, graphic asanoha motif.
Power in these new models comes from an unprecedented movement, the calibre 6R5J with an increased power reserve of three days. Both new references are worn on a 3-link steel bracelet with Super-Hard coating, closed by a three-fold clasp with push-button release.
The new Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series Open Heart SPB415 and SPB417 will be part of the permanent collection and available from June 1st, 2023. Each will be priced at EUR 1,300.
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A solar powered watch is supposed to be a chunky Japanese super-chrono with five million functions, right? Well, maybe not. Because Junghans has a solar powered watch, and it’s inside the very minimalist and Buahaus-inspired Max Bill watch, making it a completely different solar powered watch.
Sometimes it’s easy to see a new Max Bill release and simply write it off as just a novel colorway of the mechanical pieces that have been around for years, but the Junghans Max Bill Mega Solar watches represent significantly different timepieces from a movement and functionality standpoint. The latest new duo of new releases from Junghans for 2023 expand the brand’s solar-powered offerings with two very different colorways for its Max Bill Mega Solar lineup, and the new models ultimately have far more in common with something like a Seiko Astron or a premium G-Shock from a functionality standpoint, while still offering the Max Bill classic overall appearance.
The new Mega Solar models come in a 38mm wide case that’s 9mm thick. The reference 59/4325.02 features a classic polished finish on its case, the reference 59/7324.02 offers the same case with a gold-colored PVD treatment. Inside the new pair is the brand’s Caliber J101.85 radio-controlled connected movement. Developed and manufactured in Schramberg, Germany, the Junghans Cal. J101.85 is powered by a curved solar cell that sits below the watches’ semi-translucent dials, and it also offers a power-saving feature that will allow it to keep accurate time for up to three years in total darkness. The movement also has some hidden tricks - a perpetual calendar, automatic adjustment for daylight saving time, and easy setting and time zone synchronization through either the crown or a smartphone app.
The two models get different dials and straps. The stainless steel variant has a dial with bright red numerals and matching red printing on its calendar disc, while the gold PVD-finished has a dial that offers these same details in a more traditional black printing. The PVD version gets a taupe-colored leather strap, while the stainless gets a bright red vegan-friendly strap made from recycled apple fiber with a tan microfiber lining.
Prices are… fair, I guess? The stainless version is €1,075, while the gold PVD version goes for €1,175.
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Chopard has a wide gamut of watches ranging from “why would anybody every buy this” to “wait, this might be on the verge of serious horology”. But I’ll be honest, I was never a big fan. I am especially not a fan of the Alpine Eagle collection, their entry into the integrated bracelet steel sports watch that’s supposed to compete with the Royal Oak, the Nautilus and the Overseas. Of course, it’s not on that level, but Chopard is really trying to push their way to the upper part of the market. Unfortunately, the looks just don’t do it for me.
Their new 100-piece limited edition of the Alpine Eagle exclusive to Japan is really trying to change my mind. While the rest of the watch is the same, the dial is inspired by a jet-black tone known in Japan as shikkoku. This intense black colour is obtained from the millenary Japanese lacquerware technique known as urushi.
Sharing specifications with other 41mm time-and-date Alpine Eagle models, the novelty here is the intriguing matte black dial with the characteristic striated pattern to suggest the iris of an eagle’s eye. To consolidate the dial’s dark, almost lava-like mood, the applied Roman numerals, indices and hands are also a glossy black colour and enhanced with Cool Grey Super-LumiNova that gives them a stony appearance.
The Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 Shikkoku is a limited edition of 100 pieces and will be available exclusively in Japan. The retail price is JPY 2,156,000 (or EUR 16,600 with taxes in Europe).
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You can call URWERK many things, but understated they are not. Colourful accents, sci-fi-inspired cases, and displays unique to the watchmaking world are their bread and butter. But every now and then they try to tone it down, especially with their UR-100 collection. Now they might have just come out with their most monochromatic version yet - the UR-100V Magic T.
This is not the first time that URWERK has released a UR-100V as a full titanium watch. The difference here is the added Magic T. As they point out in the brand, they wanted to use raw titanium, but give it “full brilliance, thanks to light, refined shot-blasting.” The case is finely blasted, offering a delicate texture, a brighter colour and far more brilliance and reflections. The 41mm x 49.7mm case, as well as the entire bracelet and the crown, are executed in this newly finished, brighter titanium. New also is the work performed on the elements of the dial. These have been reworked slightly to bring better contrast, more complexity and improved legibility.
As for the rest, and mechanically speaking, the UR-100V Magic T remains the same horological UFO as in other editions. And it’s not only because of its unique display but also due to two extended recessed areas on the sides of its satellite carrier indicating the distance travelled on Earth (at 10 o’clock) and distance travelled by Earth (at 2 o’clock). The back of the watch reveals the same calibre 12.02 as other models. The back also reveals the full rotor governed by a profiled airscrew known as the Windfänger, a device that minimises shocks and reduces wear and tear.
The URWERK UR-100V Magic T is released as a limited edition of a still unknown number, and the price is set at CHF 58,000 excluding taxes.
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Independent watch brands are a dime a dozen out there. Some concentrate on haute horology with extremely high prices, while other partner with large Chinese manufacturers to produce huge numbers of relatively cheap watches. Then there’s the few in the middle, like Oliver Gallaugher, a Bristol based watch lover and self-taught designer who just launched his first watch under the O. G. Watches brand.
Oliver promises a brand that will produce watches in small runs, each with their own unique themes. That’s the case with the first watch, the Deep Space. The watch is equiped with a truly stunning pitch black dial, brushed diagonally to represent the night sky, onto which stars are engraved by hand. The dial is practically empty, with just a great looking logo printed at 12 o’clock, while the minutes track is applied to the sapphire crystal.
The case is a simple 41mm steel affair, with contrasting brushed and polished surfaces. The crown is oversized in a nod to vintage watch design, and also to more fully engage with the hand wound movement, which O.G is calling GUY-1 caliber. It uses a classic Unitas 6498 as a base, but has been heavily modified to O.G’s specifications, which include a redesigned mainplate and bridges, decoration in gold perlage, polished chamfers, and jewel countersinks.
The assembly and the decoration of each watch takes place in Glashütte, and is done by DK Precision Mechanics. In fact, O. G. Is completely transparent about where all of the parts are sourced from. The case is made in Hong Kong and Moscow, the dial and hands in Moscow and Glashütte, and the movement in Switzerland and Glashütte.
The Deep Space is being produced in a run of just ten watches, at a retail price of £7800. That’s a radically high price for a watch that basically has a hand wound Unitas caliber. But the work put into the dial and case looks like it could bring it at least close to that price.
🫳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
Aaron Sarauer, a Canadian-born indie watchmaker is set to launch his newest watch, the Ref. 119C. And even though Aaron has studied watchmaking at the WOSTEP institute in Neuchatel, Switzerland, his atelier is based in Saskatoon, Canada. Not the first place to think of when it comes to high-end traditional watchmaking, but we’ve learned that location should not be an obstacle, really. And as far as traditional mechanical watches are concerned, the Sarauer Ref. 119C is quite a good one
⏲️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
There is much hysteria going around about how AI will take over our world. Legendary computer philosopher Jaron Lanier argues that “it’s not about the robots taking over and obliterating the human race, it’s about putting people before machines, about prizing clarity of intent, purpose, and collaboration for the benefit of all”
Watch owner often fancy themselves to be adventurous. And yet, not many of us are even up for a bit of camping. So how about we get some tips from Papa Ernest Hemingway on how to camp and get to it.
Sometimes, and adventure turns into something so much more than what we asked for. Like it did for this group, which decided to take a weeklong trip to Alaska which was supposed to be just an adventure. In an instant, it become an experience that defined them all
👀Watch this
One video you have to watch today
It’s impossible to define who Van Neistat is or what this video on success and luck is. But it’s worth ten minutes of your life.
💵Pre-loved precision
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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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