Seiko Shrinks Down And Redesigns Samurai; Breitling Teams Up With Giannis Antetokounmpo; Jacques Bianchi's Fully Lumed Diver; Merci And Hodinkee Collab; Daniel Arsham Teams Up With Hublot

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. What a wild lineup today! From a Seiko Samurai that’s equally exciting as it is disappointing, to a very cool Jacques Bianchi, all the way to two strange watches - one which is cool and the other which is corny.

In this issue:

• Seiko Shrinks Down And Redesigns Their Most Angular Diver, The Samurai

• Breitling Teams Up With NBA Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo For Two Limited Editions

• Jacques Bianchi Teams Up With Fratello For An All-Black JB200 PoulPro With Fully Lumed Dial

• French Retailer Merci And Hodinkee Release Their Second Collaboration, The Interesting Looking Beaumarchais H02

• Hyper Popular Artist Daniel Arsham Reimagines The Pocket Watch For Hublot

Today’s reading time: 8 minutes and 38 seconds

👂What’s new

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Seiko Shrinks Down And Redesigns Their Most Angular Diver, The Samurai

The Tuna, the Turtle, the Marinemaster and the SKX007 are among the most popular divers from Seiko. But I always had a soft spot in my heart for the Seiko Samurai. It came out as a bit of a surprise 20 years ago to the year and was a huge watch with a lot of angles. It was a much more modern take on the dive watch from a company that perfected the traditional dive watch. The Samurai went away and came back but now, Seiko is giving it a total redesign. The new Samurai is smaller, much less angular. I like it less than the original Samurai, but I still like it. These are the red SRPL11K1, the black SRPL13K1 and all black SRPL15K1.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the new Samurai is not a small watch. Made out of steel - with the SRPL15K1 getting a black coating on the case - it measures 41.7mm wide, 12.3mm thick and has a lug-to-lug of 49.5mm. But while Seiko has shrunk down the width of the watch from the original 43.8mm, and the thickness from 13mm, it has elongated the lug-to-lug from the original 48mm. So I wonder how much this shrinking has contributed to wearability, as the original actually didn’t feel as out of place on smaller wrists as the width measurement would have suggested.

In addition to the size change, the entire shape of the case gets an overhaul, with thinner and more curved lugs which still retain their facets and angles. There’s just a little bit less of all the wild cuts of the original which I loved so much. On top is the unidirectional bezel retains the classic knurling and a metal insert with a 60 minute dive scale. Water resistance remains 200 meters.

The watch gets a new dial with applied bullet-style markers filled with white lume on the black and red versions and cream on the all black version. The same lume color can be found on the hands, which are a bit sleeker than the original Samurai. The black versions have a black dial and black bezels, while the red SRPL11K1 has a red dial and red bezel. Seiko still insists on putting the date window at 4:30 and it has a black date disc on all three versions.

Inside is the very expected calibre 4R35. It’s not the best of movements, as we all know. It beats at 21,600vph and has an OK power reserve of 40 hours. Most controversial is the accuracy rating of the movement, which Seiko states between +45/-35 seconds per day, which really isn’t that great. However, in reality, the majority of these movements perform much better. The SRPL11K1 and the SRPL13K1 come on a steel three link bracelet, while the all black SRPL15K1 comes on a black silicone strap.

In a world of increasing prices, this has happened to the Samurai collection as well, with it getting a €200 bump. The steel versions are priced at €650, while the all black SRPL15K1 sells for €600. I really, really like the red Samurai, but I think I would maybe opt for the Shu-Iro of the previous version. See more on the Seiko website.

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Breitling Teams Up With NBA Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo For Two Limited Editions

Not only has Breitling been on white the roll with some very interesting releases, they have also been collaborating with some strangely compelling personas. Who would have thought that Breitling would have teamed up with Victoria Beckham, right? Well, now they have a new collaboration, this time with NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s three versions of the Chronomat, two of which people will be able to buy and one that’s build as a one-off for him.

Starting off with the ones that will be available to the public, it’s the Chronomat GMT and a Chronomat B01 chronograph in gold. Both watches feature a special shade of green with a bunch of Antetokounmpo-specific details. There’s the GA initials that serve as a counterweight for the central seconds hand and the chronograph gets a basketball emblem cleverly incorporated into a chronograph counter Additionally, the closed caseback of the Chronomat GMT features Antetokounmpo's signature.

Other than that, these are pretty much standard issue versions of the existing watches. That means that the GMT comes in a stainless steel case that measures 40mm wide and has 200 meters of water resistance. Inside is the automatic COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 that has a 70 hour power reserve. It comes on a beautiful stainless steel Rouleaux bracelet with butterfly clasp. The Chronomat B01 42 comes in a solid 18k red gold case and measures 42mm wide. Inside is the COSC-certified Breitling caliber 32 which has a 42 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a green Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap or 18K red gold Rouleaux bracelet with butterfly clasp.

Additionally, Breitling made a special watch for Antetokounmpo, a one of one. It’s the same solid gold Chronomat B01, with the same green dial, but this one gets golden Arabic numerals, a white inner bezel, and white contrasting chronograph counters.

While you wont be able to buy the one of one, the GMT will be offered in 1,750 pieces for $6,150, while the chrono is limited to 250 pieces and is priced at $23,000 on rubber and $42,500 on the bracelet. See more on the Breitling website.

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Jacques Bianchi Teams Up With Fratello For An All-Black JB200 PoulPro With Fully Lumed Dial

Jacques Bianchi might not be a household name, but they sure have a very loyal following. The company was started in Marseille back in the 1980s and launched with their JB200, which was a quartz dive watch at one time issued to combat divers of the French Navy. The brand struggled and went under, only to be revived recently. In 2021 the brand launched a Kickstarter campaign for the reissue JB200, a classic looking diver powered by the Seiko NH35 movement with a crown on the left side and a drawing of a diver on the dial. It was interesting enough that they managed to raise almost €800,000. Since then they have put out a couple of very cool octopus-dialed watches, and now they have teamed up with the Fratello online magazine to release the JB200 PoulPro “Night Diver” limited edition with a fully lumed dial.

The JB200 PoulPro is very much in line with what you would expect from a diver. It measures 42mm wide, 13.3mm thick and has a 47mm lug-to-lug. Made out of steel, it has a black PVD coat. It veers away from the traditional dive look by using a destro configuration, meaning that the crown and its respective guards are situated on the left side of the case. On top is a flat sapphire crystal and 60-click unidirectional bezel with a black aluminium insert that has a lumed 60 minute scale. Water resistance is 200 meters.

As with many JB watches, the most attractive part of it is the dial. They have become famous for their illustrations of an octopus on the dial, and it looks even better on this limited edition. The black octopus pops out of the greenish-white base color of the dial and at night the entire dial glows a bright green. All the other hardware on the dial is black, makign for great contrast.

Inside is the Soprod P024 automatic movement. This is another clone of the ETA 2824, which means that you get a beat rate of 28,800vph and has a 38 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a Tropic-style strap with a matching black PVD buckle with an additional black Perlon strap.

The Jacques Bianchi × Fratello JB200 PoulPro Night Diver is limited to 250 pieces and an be purchase right now from JB. Deliveries are expected to start on June 17th and if you want one it will set you back €1,162.50, without taxes. See more on the Jacques Bianchi website.

 4/

French Retailer Merci And Hodinkee Release Their Second Collaboration, The Interesting Looking Beaumarchais H02

I’ve been thinking about Merci Paris ever since Hodinkee announced they would be collaborating with them for the second time. I can’t think of a single fashion retailer that has their own watch line, so it’s quite an interesting concept. But I feel that their watches are a bit of a letdown, especially since they all look a bit like generic Ali Express pieces. Regardless of their other watches, this collaboration with Hodinkee called Beaumarchais H02 is a very nice looking watch at a great price, so good on them!

The Beaumarchais H02 uses a special case that doesn’t appear in Merci’s catalogue. It has a super interesting octagonal case that measures 36mm wide and has very short and angular lugs. There’s also a lot of finishes going on. The top parts of the case and the flat - also octagonal - fixed bezel feature deep brushing, while the sides of the case and the facets of the bezel are polished. It is equally modern and very retro. The retro feel is enhanced with the domed sapphire crystal on top that distorts the numerals a bit. Water resistance is 100 meters.

The dial also balances the retro and modern looks. It has a distinct art-deco/mid 40s look, with a number of nice detailis. There’s a brushed steel rehaut, an anthracite grey hour track, and a vertically brushed center. The hour markers are very simple and blocky Arabic numerals, while the seconds hand is painted blue. The central disc also features the text Paris - New York at 6 o’clock, noting the headquarter locations of the two companies.

Inside is the Miyota caliber 9039, a reliable movement which beats at 4Hz and has a 42 hour power reserve. The watch comes on an 18mm wide honey brown leather strap.

The Merci Instruments Beaumarchais H02 Limited Edition is limited to 500 pieces and can be purchase from the Hodinkee store for a perfectly-acceptable €675. See more on Hodinkee.

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For Their Debut Watch Newcomer Anoma Chooses A Boldly Sculptural Triangle Shape

If you brows through new microbrand releases, be it on Kickstarter or on one of the many blogs that cover new brands, you’ll notice that they often have a very significant issue - they all look the same. There are a handful of categories - divers, small dress watches, maybe a handful of field watches - that they cover and it’s all just a matter of small details changing. Then, there’s Anoma, a brand started by Matteo Violet Vianello, an indie watch retailer with A Collected Man. For their first watch, Anoma is releasing the A1, an incredibly shaped watch that defies definition and gives of a mid century modern vibe.

While the shape of the watch might seem to be a lovechild between the Cartier Pebble and the Hamilton Ventura, it actually draws its inspiration from a 1950s table designed by Charlotte Perriand, architect and Le Corbusier collaborator. Made out of mirror polished stainless steel, the watch has a very smooth surface which helps accentuate the flowing shape. Since the watch doesn’t have a traditional shape or lugs, the measurement is listed at 39mm x 38mm and a 9.45mm thickness. The watch is curved so Anoma claims that it wears both thinner and smaller. Both the lugs and the crown are hidden inside the case, making it look like an alien object on your wrist.

The dial is just as exciting as the case. It matches the shape of the case and comes in two tones of blue lacquer - a lighter area with a brushed finish and a triangular chapter ring in a darker midnight-blue colour with white hour markers. The leaf-shaped hands are laser-cut and then curved to match the rounded contours of the case.

This watch is all about the design of the case. But it’s also about bringing interesting design to as many people as possible, so they wanted to keep costs low. That’s why you’ll find an off-the-shelf Sellita SW100 automatic movement inside. It beats at 4Hz and has a 38 hour power reserve. The watch comes on either a grey or sand-coloured leather strap.

The Anoma A1 will not be limited in production numbers, but will be limited in the pre-order window. Everybody who orders between June 6th and July 6th will be guaranteed the Anoma A1, but once pre-orders close, there goes your chance of ever owning one. The first 100 watches will be numbered. Price is set at £1,300, without tax. See more on the Anoma website.

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Hyper Popular Artist Daniel Arsham Reimagines The Pocket Watch For Hublot

While at a lunch during a visit to the Frieze Art Fair in London five years ago, I heard someone give the best description of contemporary art superstar Daniel Arsham. “He is Jeff Koons for hypebeasts,” they said and couldn’t be more spot on. While Arsham has some interesting looking pieces, he has completely perverted his art, turned it into a commodity in an ever constant pursuit of money and fame, with less and less substance behind the art. If I had to describe Arsham in words that watch enthusiasts would understand, he would be the Hublot of the art world, as Hublot, despite making some truly stunning watches, has the same issue plague it - lack of substance, insane pricing and a clientele you wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time with. Well, surprise surprise, Arsham and Hublot have teamed up to create the Hublot Arsham Droplet, part sculpture, part pocket watch, all questionable, despite being good looking.

The pocket watch comes in a strange shape, made out of two droplet-shaped crystals that are combined on the sides with a microblasted titanium frame. It measures 52.6mm wide, 73.2mm long and 22.5mm thick and the frame is protected with rubber bumpers that are colored in Ashram’s signature green color. Hublot points out that the watch is put together with 17 o-ring seals and Hublot H-shape screws, but then you get only 30 meters of water resistance. I’m not saying people will go diving with this watch, but why point out the dozen or so o-rings. Weird.

There’s no dial to the watch, only a direct look at the Hublot hand-wound Meca-10 calibre. It actually looks very interesting, with sandblasted anthracite parts and twin barrels that give it an impressive 10 day power reserve. On top of the openworked movement, you’ll find a green colored flange that holds the hour markers, and the same color appears on the small seconds display and the hands.

There are three ways you can carry this pocket watch. You can either attach it to a titanium pocket watch chain, hang it off a titanium necklace or insert it into a glass and titanium stand that turns it into a combination of a glass sculpture and a table clock.

The Hublot Arsham Droplet pocket watch is limited to 99 pieces and priced at $88,000. See more on the Hublot website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

1/

A review of the ADPT Series 1 Dual Time

2/

Hands on with the VPC Type 37HW

3/

A review of the Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

The new Frederique Constant Classics Premiere is a compelling mesh between old-school and modern dress watch design philosophy

There’s a pleasingly busy, ornate feel to the layout here, but the overall design is far from muddled or baroque when on the wrist. On the contrary, there’s a handsomely balanced, open, and airy feel here, with each element acting as a visual counterweight to the others. Standout elements like the dual chemin de fer minutes scales, blacked-out Breguet handset, and the mix of applied Roman numerals and baton indices keep the design language firmly traditional overall, but Frederique Constant adds its own personal spin to these familiar parts through judicious use of texture.

Read the whole review on A Blog to Watch

⏲️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

• Emissions trading was supposed to save the planet. But fraudsters quickly learned how to rip the system off, making themselves spectacularly rich. Then some of the major players started turning on each other. These are the warring conmen at the heart of a €5bn carbon trading scam.

• Ozempic, the semaglutide weight-loss miracle has a dark side: As desperate patients contend with shortages and sky-high prices, a world of criminals and con artists are filling the void with life-threatening fakes. Katherine Eban investigates our alarmingly active pharmaceutical underground.

• This is the strange journey of Lin Rui-siang, the 23-year-old accused of running the Incognito black market, extorting his own site’s users—and then refashioning himself as a legit crypto crime expert.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

Alien was a hugely important film in my life. It set me on a path that led me here, I’ll tell you the story of how that happened one day. But for now, here’s the trailer for the new Alien movie and it looks extremely promising. I like the director Fede Alvarez. Not only did he remake Evil Dead and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and didn’t mess those up, which is a feat in itself, but he also made Don’t Breathe, a fantastic slow burn of a movie.

💵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