Zodiac Goes Actually Tropical With Pineapple Super Sea Wolf, Breitling Creative Director Mashes Up A Calatrava And Cartier Crash, Only Watch Postpones Over Money Controversy, New Watches From Hublot, ID Genève And Urwerk

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. There are some great watches today, but the most heartbreaking story of the newsletter is the postponement of the Only Watch auctions. It’s really not looking good for them not being a scam. Fingers crossed they can prove everything is on the up and up.

I you like this newsletter, you might consider supporting it directly through Patreon. If you were subscribed, you could have already read my lengthy piece on Only Watch and it potentially being the biggest scam of the watch world. Other subscriber-only articles include the Completely Sterile Secret Watches Of MACV-SOG and my choice of 11 vintage Heuer watches that would make the perfect basis for new TAG Heuer recreations, including a possible MoonSwatch type watch that could actually break the internet.

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In this issue:

• Zodiac Goes Actually Tropical With New Pineapple Inspired Super Sea Wolf

• Hublot’s New Collaboration With Samuel Ross Is Very Much Unlike Anything Else They Make

• ID Genève Announces Self-Healing Circular C Just As Leonardo DiCaprio Joins CHF 2 million Investment Round Into Company

• Breitling Creative Director Sylvain Berneron Makes His Own Mashup Of A Patek Calatrava And Cartier Crash

• URWERK Unveils Mesopotamian-Inspired UR-100V Time and Culture 2

• Following Unanswered Questions About Charity Spending And AP Pullout, Only Watch Postpones Auction to 2024

Today’s reading time: 13 minutes and 19 seconds

👂What’s new

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Zodiac Goes Actually Tropical With New Pineapple Inspired Super Sea Wolf

The watch community will come up with some pretty creative proprietary words to describe even the smallest of details. Not only do we give watches ridiculous nicknames (Tuna, Sumo, Pepsi, Rootbeer, Kermit, Hulk, Starbucks), but we give different names to watches that have just a different bracelet (Batman and Batgirl). There’s a word for every part of the watch, every process it undergoes. “Tropical” is one of these words. It’s used mostly to describe dials that have been discoloured, usually due to exposure to the sun. These are often beautiful examples of some of the best looking vintage pieces that have shifted from their original black dial to a creamy light or dark brown.

Turns out, tropical can be used in other ways to describe a watch. A watch, for example, that has been styled after a pineapple, the most ubiquitous tropical fruit. A watch like the new Zodiac, the new Super Sea Wolf called the Pineapple Dream, made in collaboration with aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams. It looks like it fell out of a tropical jungle, with incredible shades of green and yellow, and is the perfect summer watch that comes just as the summer leaves us in the Northern hemisphere.

The Pineapple Dream is in essence a regular Super Sea Wolf. This means you get a 40mm wide, 13.6mm stainless steel thick case with a lug-to-lug of 47.5mm. Like all other Super Sea Wolf watches you get 200 meters of water resistance, but this is where the similarities stop. It’s all about special colors for this watch.

The dial and bezel insert feature same colors that blend from a brith yellow on top of both down to a dark dark green at the bottom. A nice ripe pineapple has this exact same color combination, ranging from green to sweet yellow. Attention to detail is usually high with Zodiac, so this one is no exception. Even the hour markers are outlined in the same colors - five in yellow and seven in green - with a white Super-LumiNova filling. And if all that wasn’t enough, there is a small pineapple that acts as the counterweight on the seconds hand, and the hour and minute hands match the green color of the markers.

Inside is the COSC-certified STP 1-21 chronometer caliber. This is a movement often found in Zodiac watches and is the STP version of the Sellita SW200-1, which in turn is an ETA 2824-2 clone. It beats at 28,800vph and has a 40 hour power reserve. It’s not much of a looker, this movement, but it does come with a solid caseback with an engraving that says “A slice of the good life”. The watch comes on both a five-row bracelet with a brushed and polished stainless steel butterfly clasp as well as tropically inspired nylon utility strap which looks amazing.

The Super Sea Wolf Pineapple Dream will be made in only 500 pieces and is priced at $1,695. If I’m not mistaken, this is a $100 premium over the regular version, so not that much of a jump for a great looking limited edition. See more on the Zodiac website.

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Hublot’s New Collaboration With Samuel Ross Is Very Much Unlike Anything Else They Make

A year ago, Hublot released a collection with artist and designer Samuel Ross that looked unlike anything else that Hublot made. Hublot has been known for their huge, bold and distinctive watches and yet, Ross seemed to be able to make them even crazier with a lot of skeletonization, honeycomb patterns and bright orange colors. Now, the collaboration continues with the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon SR_A by Samuel Ross which looks intense even with a completely monochromatic grey color and even bolder with interchangeable straps in three different colors.

If you follow Hublot, then you’ll know that this watch looks very much like the first Samuel Ross collaboration, with pretty much the same case but instead of the case having orange polymer bumpers, this one is made entirely out of micro-blasted titanium. The sae is 44mm wide and 13.75mm thick. You would expect a luxury sports watch like the Hublot to have amazing water resistance, but you would be mistaken. You only get 30 meters, but I guess that has something to do with the hundreds of holes drilled into the case.

Like the original, a flat sapphire crystal forms the lower surface of the watch, although sitting right under the crystal is a honeycomb-pattern titanium plate that occupies the entirety of the caseback and matches the skeletonized structure that forms the integrated lugs and the sides of the case. In addition to functioning as the baseplate for the movement, the skeletonized plate also serves as a backdrop for the various movement components that appear to float above it on the dial side of the watch.

Inside the watch is the same in-house Caliber HUB6035 automatic movement from the previous mode. It beats at 21,600vph and has a power reserve of 72 hours. It also features a tourbillon at 6 o’clock and a micro-rotor which can be seen on the dial side of the watch at the 12 o’clock location. The watch comes with a trio of rubber straps in black, white, and a vivid shade of neon green, all of which are great companions to the stark grey of the case and dial.

The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon SR_A by Samuel Ross will once again be limited to 50 pieces and it’s not gently priced. Expect a retail price of $127,000. It’s an impossible amount of money but I’ll say - I don’t hate the watch. Sure, it’s crazy, but I like it. See more on the Hublot website.

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ID Genève Announces Self-Healing Circular C Just As Leonardo DiCaprio Joins CHF 2 million Investment Round Into Company

It is not uncommon for watch brands to chose one “gimmick” and stick to it. Gimmick might be a harsh word, but you know what I mean - Bell & Ross does plane instrument aviation-inspired watches, Zodiac focuses on diving watches and a brand like Serica will always be a great option for a field watch. And increasingly, the gimmick of choice is environmentalism. More and more brands are including sustainable materials into their manufacturing process and some are even putting out reports on their impact on the environment. While we should always see more of these initiatives, there are brands who are popping up with the sole purpose of being more sustainable. And some of these brands get really interesting as they can create completely new products that don’t endanger their regular lineups.

One of these brands is ID Genève, a Swiss company started only three years ago. They made their name in such a short time with the Circular, a line of watches that focus on circular ecosystems, manufactured with low environmental impact and a high percentage of recycled materials. They had some huge news last week when they announced that Leonardo DiCaprio, famous for his environmental work, was joining a CHF 2 million investment round into the company. Now, ID Genève is announcing a new watch, the Circular C with a bunch of new materials inside it that are supposed to decrease it’s impact on the environment.

The Circular C comes in a 100% recycled 316L stainless steel case that is 41mm wide and just 9.5mm thick. While previous Circular models have used recycled steel, the C debuts a new material - a regenerative carbon material, developed with Comp’Pair and sourced from turbine manufacturing waste. You will find it on the bezel and the sides of the case, the portions that might be bumped up to something more often than not. They use this material not only because it’s lightweight, but also has a unique ability to regenerate itself. If you scratch it or even chip it, you need to heat it up and the material is supposed to fix itself.

The same regenerative carbon is on the dial, where it just serves a decorative purpose. Since this carbon is also 100% recycled, ID Genève claims that 100% of this watch has been made out of recycled materials. How, you ask, is this possible. Sure, the case, bezel and dial can be made out of recycled materials, but what about the movement. Well, ID Genève has sourced overstock ETA 2824 automatic movement from other manufacturing and has overhauled them with a thorough service, making them technically recycled. The strap is also made out of recycled rubber, cork powder and mineral colorants that do not contain any petrochemicals or plastic. Even the packaging is sustainable. Buy it in a boutique and you will get it in a box made of seaweed, while those who order a watch will get it in a box made of compostable mycelium.

All of this sounds amazing. Even if you are not that into sustainable living, you can’t deny that it’s nice to see a brand making so many strides to make products that lower their impact on the environment. Where everybody might stumble is the price - CHF 5,540. That’s a hell of a lot of money for a simple watch powered by an ETA 2824. But there isn’t really anything we can compare it with. And seeing how only 20 pieces will be made, I don’t doubt they can find enough people who will care so much about the environmentally friendly tech. It would be nice if they could increase production and lower costs, but we’ll see where they go. See more on the brand’s website.

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Breitling Creative Direcor Sylvain Berneron Makes His Own Mashup Of A Patek Calatrava And Cartier Crash

You can feel the change that has come to Breitling in recent years. Ever since they appointed Sylvain Berneron as creative director five years ago their watches have become more playful, got a touch of vintage flair and have generally increased in attractiveness. So, it was obvious that Berneron really knew how to design a watch. Now he proves it to even to those who doubt him the most, with the release of this first solo project, the Berneron Mirage, a very funky mix of a very classic dress watch like a Patek Calatrava and the avant-garde melting of the Cartier Crash.

According to Berneron, the project is called “Mirage because it's all the 'don'ts' of the watch industry grouped into one piece that'll exist on its own, almost an illusion.” And it gets weird right from the movement. Berneron has worked with movement manufacturer Le Cercle de Horlogers to develop an asymmetrical movement for the Mirage. The result is a caliber with gold main plates and bridges that measures just 2.3mm thick, and it will be the thinnest gold movement currently in production. It’s rare to se an asymmetrical movement as it decouples the movement's use from the case, meaning that you can stick it into any other round case and make it work. Not so much with this one - it only works in the Mirage.

Then there’s the design. Berneron cites traditional time-only watches from Breguet, Vacheron, and ultimately, the Patek Philippe Calatrava as inspiration on one side and the shaped work of Gilbert Albert, Rupert Emmerson (designer for Cartier London in the '60s and '70s), and Eric Giroud, the designer behind many of MB&F's watches on the other.

The yellow or white gold case measures 33.5mm wide and 42mm lug-to-lug. This is a very well thought-out watch, as even the spring bars are made out of 18-karat gold. Both feature a sector dial-inspired layout with a font designed by Berneron. The gold hands are also curved; because of this irregular shape, they can't be produced using the same tools as for straight hands and are milled and polished by hand.

Only 24 pieces of the Mirage will be made per year for a total 10-year run of 240 watches. Half will be made in white and the other in yellow gold. His first subscription delivery will come in the first half of 2024, with the first standard delivery coming in the second half of 2024. The subscription cost is CHF 44,000, with prices steadily increasing for each standard delivery window after that. See more on the Bergeron website.

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URWERK Unveils Mesopotamian-Inspired UR-100V Time and Culture 2

Experimenting with time telling methods is always fun. It was at one point reserved for high end watchmakers like Urwerk, but now brands like Atowak and BA111OD do the same thing at a fraction of the price. And still, Urwerk is here to point out how attention to detail they put into there products. Their new piece is called the UR-100V Time and Culture II, and boy is it something.

Urwerk has embarked on another historically inspired journey with its latest timepiece, the UR-100V Time and Culture II, also nicknamed the “Sumer.” This watch collection delves into the core of Mesopotamian civilization, specifically spotlighting the ancient city of Ur, a significant source of inspiration for the brand. Further inspiration is derived from the fact that the Sumerians of Ur, back in 3000 BC, pioneered the initial unit of time, establishing the basis for modern time measurement. They revered the number 60, which is mirrored in the 60 seconds and 60 minutes we use today.

Beneath the sapphire dome of the UR-100V Time and Culture II, aka “Sumer”, stands a tribute to these remote and ancient divinities. The sun god, Utu, takes central presence here: depicted in the original form from over two thousand years ago, the four-pointed sun representing the four cardinal points is surprisingly contemporary. Between the lugs, the moon god Nanna, chief divinity of the city of Ur, await in the shadows as if floating in orbit.

The choice of blue as the primary colour of the UR-100V “Sumer” is no coincidence. This chromatic choice references lapis lazuli, the stone associated with Innana, goddess of love, war, and fertility. Space-related shapes in the periphery convey the Sumerian contributions to astronomical knowledge, with their authentic sky charts and planispheres. Looking at its technicals, the UR-100V “Sumer” boasts a self-winding UR 12.02 movement, with a 48-hour power reserve.

The watch is set to retail at a price of CHF 72,000. It is assumed this will be a limited edition, but Urwerk has not revealed how many pieces will be made. Urwerk has still not added the watch to their website, but I assume they will soon, so keep an eye out on it.

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Following Unanswered Questions About Charity Spending And AP Pullout, Only Watch Postpones Auction to 2024

If you happen to be a subscriber to my Patreon, you might have read my piece on a huge controversy going on in the watch world not covered by the major outlets. A couple of weeks ago, major watch collector Santa Laura posed a question online - what’s up with all the money that Only Watch has raised? Since then, hundreds of other shave joined in to ask what is going on with the largest watch charity in the world, leading to AP pulling out of the auction and now Only Watch postponing the auction until they manage to explain what’s happening.

Way back in 2005, Only Watch was created by Luc Pettavino to raise funds for research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). It is a horrible condition that causes one’s muscles to waste and Pettavino’s motivation for the charity came from tragedy - DMD took his son’s life at the age of 21. The concept was simple - watch brands would enter piece uniques into the charity and all proceeds would be donated to DMD research. It took some time for the concept to catch on, but since 2005 the charity, which is held every second year, has raised $100 million. It was also the auction that saw the sale of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010, the most expensive watch ever sold at auction for the eye watering price of $31 million.

Trouble for Only Watch started a couple of weeks ago when their Instagram account was flooded with questions demanding to know where the money went. The issue was that Only Watch didn’t publish any audited accounts or financials for the charity and comment upon comment want to know the same - what is the money used for. And pretty much everyone expected, especially after a few very influential blogs picked up the story, Only Watch to come out with a quick response that breaks down all the financials, despite the fact that they were not obliged to publish those numbers under Monaco law.

Oh boy… Were we all wrong. It took weeks for Only Watch to release the data. Not only was this very suspect, the released numbers seemed to work in their favour, if not for one huge issue - virtually all the money was all controlled by one person with barely any oversight. In a statement Pettavino opened strong, saying that only about 50 million of the 100 million since 2005 has been donated so far. Only Watch says running costs of the charity represent around 1% of the auction result and it has financed more than 50 researchers around the world and connected more than 200 of them through roundtables and initiatives meant to create synergies and accelerate the work. Pettavino points out that Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies (AMM) has created two biotech companies that will own all the research on the condition and, hopefully, rights to a drug they might produce. And it seems that they are close to creating a drug - one of the companies, SQY Therapeutics, is currently launching a clinical trial on a muscular dystrophy drug.

The issue blew up when it became apparent that SQY, which has received 40 million out of the 50 allocated is owned 51% by AMM (which is controlled by Pettavino and his daughter) and the other 49% by parents afflicted by the disease. Turns out Pettavino and his daughter own an additional 15% of the 49%, making him the majority decision maker in a corporation that was given 40 million from the charity and would get an additional 40 from the 50 that was in the Only Watch account.

Nobody wanted to believe that Only Watch is a scam. But with AP pulling out, the incredibly shady money paths and complete lack of oversight, it’s a good thing they postponed the auction until next year and until Pettavino can explain what is actually happening with the money. Read the Only Watch press release here.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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Hands on with the Hamilton Khaki Field Expedition

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A look at the Alpina Alpiner Extreme California

⚙️Watch Worthy

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

The Héron Marinor is a classy Canadian dive watch with a tough secret

What’s that tough little secret, you may ask? Well, the Héron Marinor’s 316L stainless steel case and bracelet have been treated with a proprietary hardening treatment, giving it a hardness of 1,200 Vickers. For comparison, that’s about 6 times as hard as regular 316L stainless steel, or about 3.5 times as hard as titanium. Indeed, 1,200 Vickers is comparable to ceramic. Because of this, Héron claims that the Marinor offers “a virtually scratch-proof experience”. Read the whole story at Time+Tide.

⏲️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

• Don Starkell wasn't the kind of guy to shy away from improbable odds. So when people told him his dream of paddling a canoe from Winnipeg to the Amazon was impossible, it fuelled his determination to do it. The epic trip would stretch nearly 20,000 kilometres, through 13 countries, and would include life-threatening tropical storms, fierce waves and a near-execution in Honduras. “If we’d known what lay ahead,” Don wrote years later, “we certainly would not have gone. Against all odds, Don and his son Dana would complete the trip in just under two years, setting a Guinness World Record for the longest canoe trip ever taken. This is a great interactive story with a bunch of great photos.

• You must have heard about the Gilgo Beach Killer. It was a huge case that appeared to be solved at the start of this year and made even more scandalous when it turned out that in the 13 years police was aware of the person who they now suspect to be the killer but failed to scrutinise them. The New York Times asks why it took so long to look at the right suspect.

• Throughout history, devotional attention to time encouraged the development of devices to measure it. The most ubiquitous instrument was the sundial, mounted on most parish churches. The thinking man’s timepiece, however, was the astrolabe, first developed in Greece but significantly improved by Arab astronomers and mathematicians in the tenth and eleventh centuries. This is a great story from the London Review of Books on the history of timekeeping devices.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

Have you ever heard the name Dick Proenneke? If not, you’re in for a treat. After retiring from the Navy, Proenneke decided he would try something new. So he left his family and moved to the remote wilderness of Alaska to become a naturalist, conservationist, writer, and wildlife photographer. For thirty years he took video, documented nature and wrote books, all virtually completely divorced from civilisation. I had to drive through rush hour traffic today to pick up my wife from work. I think I now completely understand Dick.

💵Pre-loved precision

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