The Supremely Elegant Longines Moon-Phase Gets New Dials; Grand Seiko's Beautiful EU Exclusives; A Revived SAR Watch; March LA.B Puts A GMT Movement In The AM2; The Most Expensive Pun In Watches

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. This edition is super late, and I apologise. Let me just tell you there’s a good reason for that, as I’ve been working on something supremely cool. Can’t wait to show you very soon. In the meantime, I kind of want to get a Marathon watch, never had one.

In this issue:

• Longines Gives The Elegant Retro Moon-Phase Dress Watch Brand New Shiny Dial Colors

• Grand Seiko Takes Inspiration From Japanese Pond Gardens For A New European Exclusive Duo

• Marathon Revives Canadian Issued Search And Rescue Watch With An Even Simpler OSAR-D

• March LA.B Brings A GMT Movement To Their Iconic Square Case With The AM2 GMT

• Slim d’Hermès Flagship Executes One Of The Most Expensive And Most Beautiful Puns Of The Watch World

Today’s reading time: 7 minutes and 56 seconds

👂What’s new

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Longines Gives The Elegant Retro Moon-Phase Dress Watch Brand New Shiny Dial Colors

The Longines Flagship collection is a bit peculiar. It first appeared in 1957 when it represented, well, the flagship watches Longines made. But today, it is the collection that most draws inspiration from the brand’s huge catalogue and this is where they make their most vintage of pieces, but with modern performance. The modern Flagship collection, particularly the Heritage models, are super retro with a small seconds dial and date window. And then a year ago, Longines seemed to start shifting the collection to what it was many years ago, a collection for flagships. They did so with the introduction of the Flagship Heritage Moonphase which brings this elaborate complication to a beautiful watch. Now, they are giving it more dial colors and it’s an even more attractive offer.

On the outside, nothing has changed. It’s made out of stainless steel and measures 38.5mm wide, 12.4mm thick and has a 46.3mm lug-to-lug. So, it should fit fine on most wrists, but would be even better if they managed to slim it down a bit. The case gets a mix of satin-brushed and polished surfaces, with dramatic chamfers on the short lugs. The brushed case and thick profile give off an air of a sporty watch, but the 30 meters of water resistance is decidedly dressy. Especially when you turn the watch over and see the beautiful gold medallion with a hand enameled embossed image of a full-sail caravel and the EFCo (Ernest Francillon & Compagnie) Longines logo. It’s beautiful.

But the case is here just to hold the amazing dials. They are domed, finished in a sunray brushing and come in three colors — a Havana brown, anthracite and dark green. The anthracite has rose-gold plated applied indices and dauphine hands, while the green and beige dial have rhodium-plated indices and same shaped hands. All three have thicker indices at 3, 9, and 12, an applied winged hourglass logo and a beautiful aperture for the moon phase complication, surrounded with a small pointer date.

Inside is Longines automatic calibre L899.5, which is based on the ETA A31.L91, which, in turn, is a significantly updated ETA 2892-A2. It has a silicon balance spring, beats at the slightly unusual 3.5Hz and has a 72 hour power reserve. The watches come on leather straps, a black one for the green dial, anthracite on anthracite and brown on the Havana dial.

The new Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase is available now and it’s priced at €3,400. See more on the Longines website.

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Grand Seiko Takes Inspiration From Japanese Pond Gardens For A New European Exclusive Duo

I often love to make fun of Grand Seiko for the borderline ridiculous attempts by their marketing department to come up with more and more poetic versions of linking their watches to naturally occurring phenomena. It’s ok for a while, to have a bit of a laugh, but it gets a bit annoying after a while. But I can’t really make fun of them, because they really make beautiful dials. Just look at these two new watches, inspired by Japanese gardens and ponds, the SBGW321 Nishikigoi (an iridescent carp fish) and SBGY040 Chisen Teien (actually meaning pond garden). Stunning. If you live in Europe, that is, because these will be exclusive here.

Let’s kick off with the SBGW321 Nishikigoi. Based on the 44GS, the watch comes in the familiar faceted stainless steel case that measures 36.5mm wide and 11.6mm thick. On top is a box shaped sapphire crystal and you get 100 meters of water resistance.

But we’re not here for the case, we’re here for the dial. GS claims that the red dial is inspired by the Japanese Koi fish, with silver hardware and a gold colored GS logo and second hand. The dial has a super interesting spiral pattern that’s supposed to resemble the shimmering scales of the carp. I can’t see it, but who cares because it looks great. Inside is the calibre 9S64 which beats at 4Hz and has a 72 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a black crocodile leather strap.

The Grand Seiko SBGW321 Nishikigoi goes on sale on November 1st and will be limited to 300 pieces, sold only in Europe. Price is set at €6,100. See more on the watch here.

Next up is the SBGY040 Chisen Teien (actually meaning pond garden), a much different watch. It’s based on the GS Elegance case. Made out of 18k rose gold, it measures 38.5mm wide and 10.2mm thick. On top is a double domed sapphire crystal. It’s a much dressier watch, so it only goes down to 30 meters. New is the dark blue dial which is supposed to mimic ripples in the water of a pond. The pattern on the dial is supposed to mimic the Japanese Wagara decoration technique that almost look like a wicker basket surface. The dark blue is paired with rose gold hardware.

Inside the watch is the hand-wound Spring Drive calibre 9R31. It gets you 72 hours of power reserve and a monthly accuracy of +/- 15 seconds. The watch comes on a matching blue crocodile leather strap.

The SBGY040 Chisen Teien also goes on sale on November 1st, but it’s way more limited — only 20 pieces will be made, also only available in Europe. Price is set at €31,100. See more on the Grand Seiko website.

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Marathon Revives Canadian Issued Search And Rescue Watch With An Even Simpler OSAR-D

If there’s one thing that Marathon Watch Company is best known for is their work with militaries of the world and governmental organisations like firefighters and paramedics. But they are particularly well known for their work with Canadian agencies. One of the most iconic watches that they made was the SAR-D made for the Canadian and US Search and Rescue units in the 2000s. Good luck getting your hands on one of those watches. But you don’t have to, as Marathon just released a recreation of that watch, just a little bit more simplified. This is the OSAR-D, which stands for “Original Search and Rescue with Date.”

Technically, this is the same watch as the GSAR, but with a new dial. One that might be much more appealing. The stainless steel case measures 41mm wide, 14mm thick and with a 48mm lug-to-lug. It’s a chunky case, this is an actual tool watch that can stand up to the rigors of search and rescue. On top is a sapphire crystal, out back is a closed steel case-back and water resistance is rated at 300 meters.

The dial is important here, but there’s not much to it. It’s a black base with oversized circular markers, rectangles at 6 and 9 o’clock, and a triangle at 12 o’clock. At 3 o’clock is a date aperture with a cyclops above it. The markers and military-style pencil hands are just full of MaraGlo lume and it looks great at night. Other than that, there’s a red tip to the seconds hand and three lines of text.

Inside the watch is the very familiar, reliable and easily servicable automatic Sellita SW200-1 which beats at 4Hz and has 41 hours of power reserve. The watch can be had on either a rubber strap or a simple stainless steel bracelet.

You can get the Marathon OSAR-D now at a price of $1,680 on the bracelet or $1,380 on the rubber strap. See more of the watch on the Marathon website.

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March LA.B Brings A GMT Movement To Their Iconic Square Case With The AM2 GMT

March LA.B is a curious company. Technically, they are based in Los Angeles and Biarritz, an unlikely pairing, and take a huge amount of inspiration from Paris, like for their Mansart collection which is inspired by Place Vendôme. That’s one interesting thing. The other is their use of shaped cases, a wonderful combination of curved squares and sharp facets. Now, they’re expanding the AM2 model with an expected GMT complication, and it’s cool.

The case of the AM2 is an unusual mix between a rectangle and an octagon, very reminiscent of watches from the 1970s, made even more special with the position of the crown at 4 o’clock. It’s made out of stainless steel and measures 39mm wide, 12.5mm thick and has a 44mm length. It does have slightly wider than regular lugs at 22mm, but at least it’s not 21mm. On top is a box-shaped sapphire crystals and it has a cool green-tinted caseback window out back. Despite looking like a dress watch, water resistance is 100 meters. Three version will be available — two stainless steel with brushed and polished surfaces, and one with a black DLC coating, which has all brushed surfaces and stainless brushed accents on the crown.

There are also three dials to choose from — a green or black on the stainless steel versions and a black on the DLC version. All of the dials feature applied hour markers, a date window at 6 o’clock and a centre section that has a diamond pattern stamped into it. Surrounding the dial is a 24-hour scale with a split-color finish. The hands are super thin, with thin strips of lume on the hour and minute hand, and there’s an additional perforated arrow-shaped tip GMT hand done in green.

Inside is a movement we don’t see very often — the La Joux-Perret Caliber G110 automatic. It’s supposed to be LJP’s answer to the Sellita SW330-level movement and it’s equipped with a caller style GMT function. It beats at 4Hz and has a 68 hour power reserve. The watches come on material and color matching stainless steel H-link bracelets that taper from 22 to 18mm. You also get an additional silicone strap.

The stainless steel versions of the March LA.B AM2 GMT are part of the regular collection, while the DLC version is limited to just 133 pieces. The non-limited version is priced at €2,078, while the black version is priced at €2,494, both without tax. See more on the March LA.B website.

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Slim d’Hermès Flagship Executes One Of The Most Expensive And Most Beautiful Puns Of The Watch World

It’s often said that the watch is the last piece of jewellery that’s socially acceptable for a man to wear. And regardless of what you think of that claim, I find that a bit funny since the majority of watches are silver circles with black dials. That’s why I’m very happy to see a watch that takes a different path and actually creates a piece of jewellery or art that you can strap to your wrist. But to get this one, the Slim d’Hermès Flagship, you will need to have a lot of money to do so.

The watch is based on the very familiar Slim d’Hermès model line, which means that it measures 39.5mm wide and it’s made out of yellow gold. It’s a simple case, with beautifully elegant lugs and a subdued gold bezel. But who cares about the case, it’s all about that dial. And the dial is a bit of a play on words to create one of the most expensive puns in the watch world.

The pun comes from the flagship, a term that we use to describe, among other things, the central sales location for a brand, their largest and most impressive boutique. So, Hermès have rendered their flagship boutique at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris as an actual ship on the dial, floating through a star filled sky. To do that, Hermès uses aventurine glass, engraving and micro-painting. It’s an incredible display of creativity from their Metiers d’Art department.

Inside is the ultra-thin H1950 automatic movement which has a 48-hour power reserve. The watch comes on a blue leather strap. Only 12 pieces will be made and prices are, of course, on request. I would tell you to check the Hermès website for more details, but I doubt they will put this watch into their regular lineup.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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A review of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph

2/

Hands-On with Three Grand Seikos Only Available In Japan

3/

A review of the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Titanium

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

The Beaufort Fiordland GMT, An Affordable ’50s-Inspired Travel Watch

The Fiordland GMT is the fourth Beaufort model. Thor previously covered the brand’s Seatrekker dive watch and the Pulsatimer Chronograph. Both watches perfectly show how Beaufort gets its design inspiration from different eras of watchmaking. The Seatrekker is clearly inspired by the iconic dive watches from the 1970s, while the Pulsatimer is inspired by the great chronographs of the 1950s. With the new Fiordland GMT, Beaufort has once again used several ’50s design elements and combined them with a modern set of specs.

Read the whole review on Fratello

⏲️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

• For Hakai Magazine, Kimberley Brown reports that the violence in Ecuador from gangs, drug cartels, and other armed and criminal groups is threatening the livelihoods of cangrejeros, people who catch and sell crabs. These cangrejeros, who are part of traditional crabbing collectives on the Ecuadorian coast, also help to protect the country’s mangrove ecosystems. Brown spends time with some of these longtime crabbers, like Marcos Ruiz, who are trying to support their families and preserve their way of life.

• In this excerpt from The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs, marine biologist Richard Smith recounts some of the incredible seahorse behavior he’s witnessed with his own eyes: a pregnant male pygmy seahorse giving birth, courtship dances, male seahorse brawls, and even a ménage à trois. It’s an awe-filled look into Smith’s doctoral research on the biology and conservation of gorgonian-associated pygmy seahorses.

• Don’t own an EV yet? Do the current options on the market bore you? Dive into Rosecrans Baldwin’s GQ piece about Kindred Motorworks, a San Francisco startup modernizing and electrifying classic cars, like vintage Ford Broncos and Volkswagen microbuses. Baldwin tours the company’s HQ—”basically a gigantic toy shop for car nerds”—and gets to test-drive a few fun cars.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

Vice is refusing to die, despite breathing out its last breaths fore at least two or three years. And they just released what might be one of their most important videos — how they managed to get to all the crazy places on earth. The company was built on the premise that they could film weird mini-docs in locations that were off limits — Afghanistan, cartel-controlled Columbia, Congo. And here’s a video on how they got cameras to location.

💵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 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