- It's About Time
- Posts
- Seiko Introduces Four New 38mm Seiko SKX, MeisterSinger Goes Nostalgic And Swatch Is Seriously Basing Their Sales Tactics On Full Moons
Seiko Introduces Four New 38mm Seiko SKX, MeisterSinger Goes Nostalgic And Swatch Is Seriously Basing Their Sales Tactics On Full Moons
Seiko is following trends with downsizing, while Swatch thinks they are more exclusive than Patek
Vuk Radic
April 05, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time, the watch-themed newsletter that's always on time. We have some big news coming up next week, but in the meantime keep in mind that this is the last week for out Tissot PRX giveaway, so make sure to invite five of your friends for all of you to be entered.
In this issue:
Seiko goes small for the SKX line
MeisterSinger goes nostalgic
Rado goes different
Norqain goes gold
And Swatch goes super limited instead of hyper limited
And… invite your friends to win a Tiffany PRX
Today’s reading time: 5 minutes and 5 seconds
This is the last week to enter our giveaway. We are giving away TWO of this year’s hottest watches, The Tiffany Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
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
👂What’s new
1/
The second I clicked publish on yesterday’s edition, the one with all the Grand Seikos, I see that Seiko has released four new watches. But, alas, it was too late. So here we go, welcome the very interesting Seiko SKX in 38mm, as their midsize models in four new colors.
The basics are still the same… A dive-inspired sports watch with classic Seiko style, all the design attributes that made the SKX007 a classic, but now in line with the trend of downsizing watches - from 42.5mm to 38mm with a hight of 12.1mm and a lug-to-lug of 44mm. I’m not joking when I say everything else is the same - 100m water resistance, same unidirectional bezel, same dial layout and day-date window at 3 o’clock, same calibre 4R36 inside.
What’s different are the colors - the SRPK29 with a black dial and bezel, the SRPK31 with a light cream dial and dark grey bezel, the SRPK33 with a mint green dial and black bezel, and the SRPK35 with an orange dial and black bezel. All versions come on a steel bracelet.
In store soon and a price that should hover at the EUR 290-300 mark.
2/
I have a soft spot for MeisterSinger. It’s a funky one-hander that looks remarkably retro. And their new models, the Neo 36mm and Neo Plus 40mm Azure Blue models are very cool.
MeisterSinger has made the Neo collection for almost a decade, and through all the years they have held on to a classical vibe. A vibe that is now emphasized even more by the use of Azure Blue tones, something that perfectly echoes the 1950s and 1960s. MeisterSinger presents the Azure Blue models in two sizes, and two distinct combinations.
A two-piece stainless steel case comes in either 36 or 40mm, with a thickness of just under 10mm. The curved hardened acrylic crystal gives the watch an almost bezel-less look. The main difference between the two models is in the dials. The bright Azure blue dial is reserved for the smaller of the two, with the 40mm size being fitted with a black dial. Both feature MeisterSinger’s trademark timing track, in either white and black on the Azure blue dial or white and Azure blue for the black one. A single white hand rotates once every 12 hours to indicate the time. Powering both Neo models is a Sellita SW 200 automatic movement.
The MeisterSinger Neo 36mm comes on a black suede leather strap, and the Neo Plus 40mm on a black Cordovan strap. Prices are EUR 1,290 (Neo 36mm) or EUR 1,390 (Neo Plus 40mm).
3/
You probably know Norqain for their robust field-style watches that I featured here several times. In case you missed it, they also make a sporty chrono model and are now introducing a slightly fancy-sporty variant with the Adventure Sport Chrono Day/Date 41mm with splashes of 18K 5N red gold.
And splashes they are. The red gold shows up on the bezel, its knurled perimeter solid gold and its aluminum insert plated on its timing scale, and the dial – where the hands, chamfered counter frames, and applied hour indices are gold-plated. The rest of the watch is stainless steel, with a case that measures 41mm in diameter and 15mm thick.
Inside is the automatic Norqain day/date chronograph calibre NN17 that is based on the Sellita SW500 with 62 hours of power reserve. You can get the watch on a black rubber strap or a funky stainless-steel bracelet that mimics the brand logo with a four-link structure.
Priced at $5,290 on rubber and $5490 on a bracelet.
4/
Rado is a tough brand to crack. They have some fantastic watches, but also a lot of bizarre stuff that you would find at malls and wouldn’t give a second look. There’s also a lot of heritage in the brand, what with all the pioneering use of ceramic in watch cases all the way back in 1986.
Then there’s the True Square, a watch that has for years utilised high-tech, forward thinking materials in distinct ways. It’s a different kind of square case watch. Now the brand has a few new versions out, all in skeleton form. The 38mm monoblock case is available in white, black and metallic plasma, all constructed from high polished ceramic. Inside is the R808 movement, a derivation of the base ETA 2824-2, which can be seen through the skeletonized dial and actually looks very good.
5/
The public was not particularly impressed when Swatch introduced the Mission to Moonshine Gold MoonSwatch. It was just another MoonSwatch with a gold plated chrono hand. While there is nothing wrong with that, what was disappointing was the severely limited nature of the release - you could only get it at Swatch stores in London, Milan, Tokyo and Zurich.
We had a good chuckle at the time - especially with Swatch going all in on the Moon connection, saying that they gold plate the hands only during a full moon, lol - and carried on like nothing happened. But Swatch is back to troll us some more and they are biting down hard on the full moon thing.
Swatch has just announced on Instagram that the Mission to Moonshine Gold is going on sale once again, but this time in 14 cities. And once again, only during a full moon. Really? It’s not as cute as they think it is.
The watch will still cost you $285 and you can get them this time in Berlin, Madrid, New York, Macau, Geneva, Rome, Yokohama, Sydney, Toronto, Mexico City, Seoul, Manchester, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Also, if you’re wondering, Swatch hasn’t improved availability of the regular MoonSwatch.
🫳On hand
Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon
1/
2/
⚙️Watch Worthy
A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually like
China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of watches. Bigger than Switzerland, bigger than Japan, bigger than all of them. Although most are seen as “cheap” and inferior to counterparts from Switzerland. Bucking the stereotypical perception of Chinese watchmaking is CIGA Design, which not only produces watches with Swiss or European desirability, but its Blue Planet Titanium won the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Challenge Award in 2021.
⏲️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
Is It Still Possible To Start A Watch Collection With €100? Fratello watches has a nice guide to starting a watch collection on a very limited budget.
When’s the last time you saw a movie like The Fugitive? Probably not since The Fugitive. There’s a reason, unfortunately, why such movies are not made any more.
The same quartz crystal that powers a quartz watch is used in the production of phones. It’s an interesting process, check it out.
👀Watch this
One video you have to watch today
One of the best watch YouTube channels out there, Watchfinder & Co. has a fantastic overview of all the insane watches you would never want to wear.
💵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
SOLD: Rolex Explorer I 39 mm Mark I, ref. 214270. Great condition, no box or papers. €7250, OBO. Reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch
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.
Reply