Yema Jumps On The Super Compressor Bandwagon; Longines Does The Mini DolceVita In Gold And Diamonds; MeisterSinger's Power Reserve; Elka Teams Up With Whiskey Brand; UN Partners With Grueling Race

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. Every time I see an Elka watch, I get a bit weak in the knees. Look at that dial. Tell me there’s a better colored dial at that price point out there (keep in mind the price includes a bottle of whiskey).

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In this issue:

• Yema Jumps Onto The Super Compressor Bandwagon With Their Navygraf Super Compressor

• Longines Now Has Gold Versions Of The Supremely Elegant Mini DolceVita

• MeisterSinger Adds The 365 To Their Primatic Collection, A One-Handed Power Reserve Watch

• Elka Watch Co Is Part Of A Different Kind Of Collaboration With Sister Whiskey Brand Loch Lat

• Ulysse Nardin Makes A Special Edition Diver Net For The Grueling Vendée Globe Sailing Race

Today’s reading time: 7 minutes and 35 seconds

👂What’s new

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Yema Jumps Onto The Super Compressor Bandwagon With Their Navygraf Super Compressor 

It sure does seem that every single brand in existence is planing on coming out with their version of the Super Compressor dive watch. If you’re unsure what the Super Compressor is, it refers to the type of diving watch case that is instantly recognizable for its internal dive bezel and two crowns — one to set the time, the other to operate the crown. But there’s much more to it — the Super Compressor case was patented by Ervin Piquerez S.A. (EPSA) in 1956 and featured a spring-loaded caseback that sealed more tightly as the external pressure around the watch increased, effectively making the watch more water-resistant the deeper it went. This style of diver became increasingly popular in the 1960s, but EPSA went out of business in the 70s and brands turned to different ways of waterproofing. Today, there’s a bunch of Super Compressor-type cases, watches that imitate this style, but only a handful of real SC cases: I recently reviewed the Sherpa one, while the only other two, I believe, are the Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor and the Circula Super Sport. Now, the French powerhouse Yema joins in on the Super Compressor party, but only with a SC-style case. But still, the new Navygraf Super Compressor is quite cool.

The new Navygraf Super Compressor comes in a polished stainless steel case — quite a choice for a diver, but very in line with with early EPSA cases — that measures 38.5mm wide, 11.15mm thick and has a lug-to-lug of 46mm. The case has a vertical brushed inner bevel, faux-twisted lugs and a double dome sapphire crystal. On the right side are two oversized and deeply cut crowns, the bottom sets the time, the top moves the bi-directional internal bezel. Water resistance is set at a pretty great 300 meters.

There are two dials to choose from — and all black or an all blue version. This means that both the dial and the internal bezel have the same color. The minute track and bullet-style markers are printed on in white lume, glowing green in the dark. The hands are simple pencil-shaped, polished and filled with a thin strip of lume.

Inside is the brand’s second-generation in-house Yema2000 calibre, which is their version of the basic ETA and Sellita movements. Yema was heavily criticised online for their in-house movements that have had quality issues, but these problems seem to be limited to their older movement and the issues appear to be handled. It beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of 42 hours. The movement is regulated in 4 positions to a precision of -/+ 10 seconds/day. The watches can be had on one of three bracelets — a Milanese mesh, a black rubber tropic strap or a black FKM Viton rubber strap that comes with a deployment buckle.

The new Yema Navygraf Super Compressor is available for order now and will be shipped in late November. Price is set at €949 on the tropic strap, €990 on the mesh and €1,129 on the FKM Viton. That’s quite a premium for that FKM rubber and deployment buckle. See more on the Yema website.

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Longines Now Has Gold Versions Of The Supremely Elegant Mini DolceVita

There’s very few more iconic things than a small square watch. And while Longines was not the first one to do it, not by a long shot — they started in 1997 — their Mini DolceVita collection has become a very nice alternative to the often more expensive originals. They kept that price low thanks to the fact that they use readily available movements and, more importantly, make them out of steel. But, what if you want an expensive Longines Mini DolceVita? Well, now they have you covered. Longines just introduced a bunch of gold versions of their iconic Mini DolceVita.

All of the new Mini DolceVita models share the same case, the same that can be found on the steel versions. It measures 21.50mm wide, 29.00mm tall and 6.75mm thick. There’s a number of options when it comes to materials — you can have it in either yellow or rose gold and if you get it on a leather strap, the case is just gold. If, however, you opt for their gold-matching brand new bracelet made up of five rows of square-shaped links, you’ll get a case that has 38 diamonds on the sides of the sapphire crystal. Water resistance on these watches is 30 meters, but I wouldn’t expect much more.

The dials are very familiar. They have the same flinqué texture as the rest of the collection, Roman numerals and blued sword-shaped hands, all surrounded with a square minute track. At 12 o’clock is the Longines logo with gold wings, and at 6 o’clock is a square small seconds display.

Inside all of the watches is the L178 quartz movement. There’s nothing particularly special about this movement, and it’s the same one used in all the other Mini DolceVita models. Like I said, the watches can be had on gold bracelets that feature 106 staggered links and a triple-security clasp, or black leather that has a quick-release system and a gold buckle.

The new gold Mini DolceVita models are available now, priced at $5,975 on leather and a significant $25,000 for the bracelet version. But that’s what a lot of gold and diamonds will cost you. See more on the Longines website.

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MeisterSinger Adds The 365 To Their Primatic Collection, A One-Handed Power Reserve Watch

I think this is the fourth release from MeisterSinger in as many months. This still very under appreciated brand specializing in watches that indicate time with just one hand has been on quite a roll. And I love how many complications they have managed to put into their watches, despite having only one time-telling hand — there’s the recent update to the chiming Bell Hora series, the moon phases, the jumping hours… They even have GMT watches which gives you two time-telling hands that tell different time zones. But their latest release is an addition to the Primatic line. The Primatic is best known for its power reserve indicator complication, and the new Primatic 365 features a historical dial design.

There are two versions of the new MeisterSinger Primatic 365, but they come in the same case made out of polished stainless steel and measuring 41.5mm wide and 10.5mm thick. On top is a domed sapphire crystal, out back is a mineral glass caseback, and surrounding the crystal on top is a sloping fixed bezel. Water resistance is 50 meters.

You can have a choice of dial colors — Sunburst Bordeaux and Sunburst Steelblue, both of which, obviously, have sunburst finishes. What MeisterSinger considers “historic” designs is their use of decorative lettering and gold accents on the hour markers and lower end of the power reserve gauge that sits at 6 o’clock. And like most other MeisterSinger watches, the minute track is marked in 5-minute intervals, with “30” placed on the sloping inner flange to denote each half-hour. And like others, this one features a simple single white hand to tell the time, which is reflected in design on the power reserve dial.

Inside, coming as no surprise, is the Sellita-made SW270-1 movement, based on the ubiquitous SW200 platform which beats at 4Hz and has a 38 hour power reserve. It just goes to show you how wide the SW200 family is, as they seem to have a movement for every application. The watch comes on a cognac or brown crocodile-embossed cowhide leather strap.

The new MeisterSinger Primatic 365 watches are available now and they are priced at €2,490. See more on the MeisterSinger website.

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Elka Watch Co Is Part Of A Different Kind Of Collaboration With Sister Whiskey Brand Loch Lat

I very much like Elka watches. And I’m not exactly talking about the old Dutch-based brand that I don’t really know much about and that went out of business years ago. I’m talking about the new Elka watches, revived by Hakim El Kadiri. I had their collaboration with Ace Jewelers, the D-Series Essence, in for review and fell in love a bit. Their watches are uniquely minimalist, unlike pretty much anything else on the market. Especially at this price point. When I saw on Instagram they were pairing up with a whiskey brand, I thought it to be just another collaboration that made sense. But it’s actually a bit more, as Loch Lat is a Le Locle-based whiskey brand launched by Hakim El Kadiri, Elka’s owner. That’s kind of a cool crossover. And the watch is very pretty.

On the outside, this is the same Elka S Series we’ve seen before, with a very elegant case that sounds large at 40.8mm wide and 10.85mm thick, but thanks to nifty lug placement it measures just 46.5mm from lug-to-lug and sits very nicely on wrist. On top is the now signature domed sapphire crystal and almost invisible bezel.

The dial is just as minimalist as the D-Series Essence I had in for review. It is devoid of nearly all markings, with just the Elka Watch Co and Automatic text above the handset and a tiny Swiss made at the bottom. But the color… oh the color. I have seen what Elka can do with a blue dial, one of the best looking dials I have ever seen, and I can only imagine what this one looks like. It takes on the color of whiskey, a deep amber in the centre that gets darker towards the edges. Awesome.

Inside is the La Joux-Perret G100, which has proven to be somewhat loud, mostly due to its fast-turning rotor, but is a really nice alternative to the ETA 2824 clones. It has the same 4Hz beat rate as the clones, but offers a much, much better power reserve of 68 hours. The watch can be had on either a brown leather strap or a beads-of-rice steel bracelet.

The new Elka Loch Lat is available now, but limited to just 25 pieces. Each one comes with a bottle of Loch Lat whiskey. However, this offer seems to be available only within Switzerland, most likely due to international law. Price is set at CHF 1,625 on leather and CHF 1,662 on steel, including the whiskey. See more on the Elka website.

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Ulysse Nardin Makes A Special Edition Diver Net For The Grueling Vendée Globe Sailing Race

Every four years, a group of wild sailors board their high-tech multi-million-dollar sailing yachts and sett of on a race that will take at least 70 days and see them covering 25,000 kilometers in extreme conditions all over the globe. That race is called the Vendée Globe, allegedly the only solo unassisted non-stop sailing race around the world, and is just about to start with a record 40 participants. Marking that occasion is a new watch from one of the sponsors of the race, Ulysse Nardin. This is the new UN Diver Net Vendée Globe.

On the outside it’s a familiar Diver Net watch that is made as sustainably as possible. It has a recycled stainless steel core, with case flanks and lugs made from a combination of polyamide from recycled fishing nets and upcycled carbon fiber. On top is also an upcycled carbon fiber bezel made out of hulls of racing sailboats. This is a chunky watch, one that measures 44mm wide, 14.81mm thick and with a 50mm lug-to-lug. Water resistance is an appropriate 300 meters.

The dial has a sandblasted gray finish, with polished stainless steel applied indices and a red, white, and blue colorway on the details. For example, the blue-on-white date wheel has a red font for the 10th, paying homage to the 10th running of the race and the start date of November 10th. A power reserve display is at the top of the dial, and a small seconds indicator sits at the bottom.

Inside, you’ll find the UN-118 automatic, which beats at 4Hz and has a 60 hour power reserve. Oh, and speaking of sustainability, even the silicon escapement is made from upcycled silicon-wafer-production waste. The watch comes on a red strap that closes with a hook and loop system, made from recycled fishing nets.

The new Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Vendée Globe is limited to 300 pieces and priced at €14,400. See more on the Ulysse Nardin website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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A review of the Seiko 5 Sports Denham Limited Edition

2/

Hands-On With The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour

3/

A review of the Hautlence Retrovision ’47

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

The Otsuka Lotec № 7.5 Is a Japanese Artisanal Watch in a Class of its Own

Officially, the Otsuka Lotec Model № 7.5 design is inspired by vintage 3-lens turret 8mm cameras, yet it reminds me of a Halter Barnes Antiqua, which I consider one of the most significant watch designs of the last 30 years. In many ways, the № 7.5 feels like a tribute to this important piece, whether intentional or not – the camera connection feels more appropriate, maybe, just like the Model 6 was inspired by analogue gauges. Considering all the above, I have to say that I’m captivated by the Otsuka Lotec № 7.5, and I hope you will be too.

Read the whole review on Monochrome Watches

⏲️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

• Nigel Pickford has spent a lifetime searching for sunken treasure. He’s not the only one, of course. But he is special for never having left dry land. This is the story of the Shipwreck Detective.

• Should you ever doubt humanity’s endless creativity, consider the list of ways weed scientists have devised to kill the pesticide-resistant weeds we’ve had a hand in creating: Steam. Lasers. AI. Pulverizing machines. Electrocution. Irradiation. Main’s piece is an engaging and accessible jaunt through the efforts weeds make to live, and the pains we increasingly go to in the name of our kale caesars.

• In the arena of “avoidable pain,” there’s very little like the kind the plagues you somewhere after Mile 18 of a marathon. (I do not know this from personal experience, never having ventured past half marathon territory, but I also have zero trouble believing it.) But there’s also very little like the unalloyed bonhomie you get running a major marathon like the one that took over Gotham last weekend. Long a (drunken) spectator, Will Leitch ventured to the other side of the divide and learned this the hard way—and the result is a perfect psychic balm for a stressful week.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

I love Letters Live, a series of live events celebrating the power of literary correspondence. In this clip, the iconic Matt Berry reads what has to be one of the dirtiest memos ever written. Prior to the release of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut in 1999, the movie's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, were asked repeatedly by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to alter the film in order for it to gain an R rating rather than an NC-17. This is the now-legendary memo sent by Stone to the MPAA, in response to such a request. Please, do not watch this at work, do not watch this around other people and do not watch this if you are easily offended.

💵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

-Vuk