The Blingy Gold Treatment Comes To The 40mm Tissot PRX, New Ollech & Wajs Is A LE Made With Vintage NOS Parts, Glashütte Original Reimagines The Senator Chronometer And A New Brand Emerges

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. I was about to skip today’s edition as it’s kind of slow again, but then at the last minute a couple of things popped up. It’s Tissot again, for the second day in a row, but I suspect a lot of people will like it

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In this issue:

• Following the 35mm Variant, The 40mm Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Also Gets The Much Desired Full Gold Version

• The New Ollech & Wajs OW 56 M Is A Limited Edition That Uses Modern components In Vintage New Old Stock Parts

• Glashütte Original Reimagines The Senator Chronometer In White Gold With A Hand Finished Dial In Shades Of Silver And Blue

• Miniature Painter Andre Martinez Debuts Own Brand To Show That Watches Are More Than Just A Set Of Parts

Today’s reading time: 5 minutes and 36 seconds

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👂What’s new

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Following the 35mm Variant, The 40mm Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Also Gets The Much Desired Full Gold Version

Yesterday Tissot introduced three new models to the new vintage-inspired Tissot Heritage 1938 collection, almost making us believe that they are ready to move on from the PRX. No luck, as just a day later, Tissot has an update to their most successful line. After 38 different references, spanning quartz and automatic models, time-only and chronographs, with sizes varying from 35 to 40mm, PRX is brining the hit color from the 35mm Powermatic 80 - PVD gold - to the most popular model - the 40mm Powermatic 80.

When Tissot unveiled the 35mm Powermatic edition of the PRX people went crazy for two variants - the mother of pearl dial one and the full gold. And the instant reaction was: when will the 40mm get the gold version, because everybody knew it was coming. Here it is. It has the same PVD treatment that Tissot calls champagne, the traditional tapisserie pattern on the dial, same movement and same case.

All of this means that you get a 40mm stainless steel case with a reasonable height of 10.9mm, finished with vertically-brushed surfaces, polished bevels on the sides and a smooth, polished bezel framing a sapphire crystal. Specifications remain the same, with a 100m water-resistance. Inside is the slightly controversial Powermatic 80 made by ETA. This is a modified ETA 2824 that runs at a slower frequency of 3Hz, but thanks to a reworked kinetic chain it gets 80 hours of power reserve. The controversy comes from recent claims that Tissot doesn’t even attempt to service these movements and they just pop in new ones when you bring your watch in for service.

The watch, of course, comes on the recognizable integrated steel bracelet with a matching gold PVD coating. The watch is available now and part of the regular collection. It will set you back EUR 875. See more on the Tissot website.

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The New Ollech & Wajs OW 56 M Is A Limited Edition That Uses Modern components In Vintage New Old Stock Parts

Most of the watches made by Ollech & Wajs follow a pretty similar template - they are a skin diver-style case made with heavy vintage inspirations and cool uses of colors. Seeing as how vintage-revival watches are becoming increasingly popular, the Swiss brand went a step further and not only based their latest limited edition, the OW 56 M, on a vintage design, but they also used vintage components, including new-old-stock vintage cases, which were originally produced during the 1990s and offer a traditional round profile that recalls the appearance of military pilot watches from the late 1940s.

That special case is made out of stainless steel and measures 38mm wide and 11.5mm thick, with a lug-to-lug of 45mm. It has a brushed finish, a signed screw-down crown and a solid stainless steel screw-down caseback (but despite these two has only 50 meters of water resistance) and a new-old-stock plexiglass crystal that slightly sticks up above the rim of its thin fixed bezel.

The bezel of the 56 M is engraved with a Morse code motif of dots and dashes that spell out “SOS” in white Super-LumiNova as a reference to the brand’s military heritage. The Morse code motif also appears on the matte gray dial, which has also been sourced from the brand’s unused vintage inventory. The dial also takes inspiration from older OW models by printing the entire Ollech & Wajs name on it, instead of the propeller logo.

More vintag stuff can be found inside, where the brand’s last remaining stock of ETA 2824 automatic movements ticks away happily. This 70s designed movement has been fully overhauled and serviced after years in storage. You get a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. The watch comes on a heavy-gauge stainless steel mesh bracelet with a standard stainless steel tang buckle.

Due to the fact that this watch is made out of new-old-stock pieces, it’s quite understandable it’s very limited. Only 56 pieces will be made, which is a nice homage to the year 1956 when the company was founded. Despite its limited nature and vintage components, the Ollech & Wajs 56 M is priced right in line with the rest of the brand’s catalog and will set you back CHF 1,356. See more on the O&W website.

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Glashütte Original Reimagines The Senator Chronometer In White Gold With A Hand Finished Dial In Shades Of Silver And Blue

Over the last couple of weeks, I featured Glashütte Original several times, with some really amazing watches, like the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date and the SeaQ Panorama Date, both of which have the vintage-modern watch aesthetic completely perfected. But now the brand reminds us what they are best at - serious watchmaking. They are refreshing their staple collection, the Senator, with stylistic cues from the original marine chronometers, with a galvanized silver dial and tempered blue indices.

The white gold case of this new Senator Chronometer has a 42mm diameter and an 11.4mm case thickness. Glashütte Original is known for its dial work, and the new Senator doesn't fall short in this department. Finished by hand, the lustrous silver tones are achieved by taking a mixture of silver, salt, and water to the dial blank before rubbing it into the surface. After this, the dial receives a galvanic grey coating to enhance the vibrancy. The silver of the dial is enhanced by the all blue details of the leaf hands and Roman numerals.

Inside the watch is Glashütte Original’s manual winding caliber 58-05, which as a unique mechanism for its stop-seconds functionality. Pull out the crown to set the time, and the seconds hand will instantaneously jump to zero and stop to efficiently coordinate with a reference time down to the second. The minute detent system also jumps the minute hand to position with a pleasant haptic click to ensure the minutes and seconds are in exact alignment. The movement has an official chronometer certification.

This is a beautiful watch with incredible attention to details. That’s why it’s expected to be much pricier than other watches we have looked at previously from the brand. However, $32,300 might be a bit steep, regardless of the amazing stuff you get by buying this piece. Regardless, it’s likely to find a lot of happy customers. I don’t see the watch yet on the brand website, but it should show up soon. Keep an eye out here.

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Miniature Painter Andre Martinez Debuts Own Brand To Show That Watches Are More Than Just A Set Of Parts

Spanish miniature artist Andre Martinez is perhaps best known for his intricate miniature acrylic paintings that have shown up on watches and jewellery of brands like Bovet and Van Cleef & Arpels. However, in order to fully display his vision, Martinez is now starting his own brand, launching with five watches and possibilities for unique commissions.

Martinez and his miniature art is greatly admired in the world of customised watches of this calibre, despite the fact that his technique of acrylic painting is less desirable than enamel. But what acrylic does allow him is much more freedom in the way he paint and the details he can achieve. Having the luxury to customise the motif that appears on the dial is a great bonus, with no restriction on subject or motif. The only thing that will stay the same is the naturally occurring mother-of-pearl canvas.

What’s interesting in purchasing a watch like this is that all the focus is on the dial, with the rest of the watch being completely secondary to the buyer, despite the high price it sells for. Sure, you get an 18k red or grey gold (which contains palladium) case that’s 42mm wide and 9.6mm thick, but inside is a pretty basic ETA 2892. A fine movement, but more appropriate for the likes of a Longines Master Collection Small Seconds, where it’s also found in slightly modified form. Even worse, the movement quite doesn’t fill the 42 mm case, and has been given fairly basic machine finishes. The only real modification that is visible is the addition of a gold rotor matching the case metal stamped with “L’Art du Temps”.

Unusually for a watch like this, the watch is finished off with a rubber strap moulded to simulate crocodile leather. It is available in a number of different colours with an 18k gold pin buckle. The choice of strap material is deliberate: Mr Martinez opted for rubber as a matter of sustainability and to avoid using animal hides. Martinez also points out that these rubber straps cost more than using alligator ones.

These watches are technically not limited editions, as each one is a unique creation, so they are only limited by how many Martinez can make and the customers imagination. They start at CHF 40,000 and only go up, which shows that watches can be more than the sum of its parts. In fact, they can carry all of its value in just one part - in this example, it’s the dial. See more on Martinez’s website.

🫳On hand

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⚙️Watch Worthy

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

Monterey I & II: The (Almost) Forgotten First Watches of Louis Vuitton

The Monterey is anything but mainstream. Its crown protrudes from the top of the case, earning this watch the nickname “unicorn.” The dial seems to be the reverse of most watches with Arabic numerals to mark the hours in the middle encircled by a railroad track for minutes, while the date numerals in bright red occupy the outer perimeter. The watch also lacks lugs; instead, a single-piece strap is pulled through the back of the watch. It is fitted with a clasp similar to that of Louis Vuitton bags and suitcases.

⏲️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

• Have you ever wondered what happens to the stuff you return to a store? A hundred years ago, David Owen tells us, about two percent of purchased goods were returned to the store. Now, the rate is over 20%, and clothing is double even that. However, while online retails accept returns, virtually none of the stuff returned gets sold as new—and Owen’s examination of “reverse logistics” explores the many solutions, from liquidation lots to straight-up incineration.

• In yet another true crime story—but one that can still surprise—Margie Palm gets kidnapped by serial killer Stephen Miller and talks about her religious beliefs until he finally lets her go. Julie Miller recounts the bizarre, terrifying day and the even more bizarre friendship that followed. By smartly delving into the background of both characters she provides the necessary context to understand an otherwise unfathomable scenario.

• The fashion world was a bit surprised when Luis Vuitton appointed Pharrell Williams as their creative director. His first creations are out and reviews are pretty much favorable. What the rest of us are waiting for is what he will do with LV watches, not only because he is a notorious watch aficionado with impeccable taste, but also because the LV owner LVMH is becoming more serious about timepieces in their portfolio. GQ has an inside look at how his first months in the company have been.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

Yesterday I featured the fantastic Fortis Stratoliner S-41 White Dust Supernova in the newsletter. The watch has been to space and Fortis made a whole documentary on the process. The cool thing is this isn’t just a 20 minute commercial for the watch, it’s an actual documentary about the monumental Suborbital Express 3 Mission by the Swedish Space Corporation, launched from the snowy landscapes of Kiruna in northern Sweden.

💵Pre-loved precision

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