But I guess these guys haven’t figured that out – good thing we’re telling you about it on a Monday, eh?  Any which way, our buddy Matt H has been on the search for an inexpensive automatic chrono, and ran across this one on Friday.

As I mentioned yesterday, things got a little hectic so I need a break this weekend.  But that means you get a chance to let us know what you’d like to see on these pages!

While yesterday’s post left the door wide open, I’d like to focus this one in on the historical angle we’ve been doing on the Sunday posts.  With the amount of time the watch industry has existed, there should be plenty to pull from.

Is there a particular brand that’s disappeared into the fog of history you’d want me to feature?  Or perhaps there’s a movement that has had a major impact you’d like more information on.  Frankly, it could be just about anything, so long as it’s rooted in the history of the industry.

Like questions, no suggestion will be considered dumb.  I want to hear what you’re looking for, so we can be sure to create content that is of interest to you (and likewise, if you like what we’re doing already, feel free to let that vote be known as well).

You can post your thoughts up here in the thread, or feel free to send me an email.

I finally grabbed a link to my piece in Wired for you all to read. It came out really well and I encourage you to buy the tablet edition and share the story far and wide to show Wired that they need more watch content. It’s a great nerd topic that is far underserved.

Enjoy the read and let me know what you think. As always, please sign up for more info on the book as I approach the end of this long, weird journey.

That’s right, dear reader – it’s time to make your thoughts known!  And, sure, things got crazy here so I need to take a slight break this weekend, but that doesn’t make the questions I’m about to ask any less important.

I’m just curious what you’d like to see here on the blog.  To be sure, hands-on reviews will continue as we get review samples in, so no worries about those going away.  Although, here, let me know if you think there’s a brand (or specific model within a brand) you’d like us to dig into.

With the other articles, though, we’ve got flexibility.  Do you want to see more on high-end pieces?  Is there a  specific segment or price point you think we’re ignoring?  Should I dive into components of movements?  Or is there something else?

Like questions, no suggestion will be considered dumb.  I want to hear what you’re looking for, so we can be sure to create content that is of interest to you (and likewise, if you like what we’re doing already, feel free to let that vote be known as well).

You can post your thoughts up here in the thread, or feel free to send me an email.

Today we’ll wrap up our review of the latest Bomberg models (previously, we look at the Maven and 1968 watches), with a look at their Semper model.

While I didn’t expect it when the samples arrived, this quickly became my favorite of the group (we reviewed ref. SP42CHPGD.BR0.1.LBR).  I think this was primarily due to the rose gold (or copper, depending on the lighting) tones used on the 42mm case and hands, as well as the deep brown on the dial.

As with the other models we reviewed, this is a quartz chronograph, powered by the Miyota OS21 movement.  The subdials for the chrono are right where you’d expect (want) them to be, presenting a nicely balanced dial.  This also means that you’ve got the (initially) busy-looking chapter ring on the outside of the dial ready for tachymeter (and/or telemeter) duties.

All of these various elements combined, along with the font used for the 12 and 6, make for a sort of nouveau-vintage feel with the watch (which if you put their ref. SP42CHSS.BE0.1.LBR on a brown strap, you’d have for sure).  I realize that particular style isn’t for everyone, but it just clicked for me.

There was one design element that I wasn’t as much of a fan of, however, and that is the handset.  At first blush, the polished, beveled, and hollowed hands are nice, and complement the other finishes.  In practice, however, they were more difficult to pick out against the dark dial than I would have hoped for.

Given the prevalence of white elements on the dial, I think a lume-filled handset would greatly increase readability during the day (as well as nighttime).  And this complaint is more specific to this model – most of the others in the lineup seem to have a better contrast.

As with the other models, you need to be in the right spot to see one of these up close.   If you’re near one of their stores, you can find the range (and try one on) between $495 and $580 (the rose gold model is this high-end price).

Here’s the trick: it’s only available on the tablet edition. You can download the versions here for iOS, the Fire, and the Nook. Regardless, it’s a fun read.

If you’re into the book, please sign up here for more information. The book should be rewritten in a few weeks and I may be ready to release it digitally in just a little while. Here’s hoping it all goes according to plan.

Today, we’re continuing our tour through the Bomberg catalog.  While yesterday we saw the more conventially-styled Maven, today brings us to the boldest piece, the bullhead 1968 chronograph.

For this model, we were sent two samples – a “back in black” (ref. NS44CHPBA.BA0.3.LBA) and the “vintage pilot” (ref. NS44CHSS.SI0.1.LBE), which present differing feel – much more than you’d think a simple color scheme change would actually net you.

First and foremost, the design of this watch really grabs the eye.  Looking at it straight on, you noticed the unbalanced lugs (long on bottom, short up top) and the crown and pushers up at the 12 o’clock position.  The lug variability allows the watch (ostensibly) to be positioned to ease readability, as well as accessing the pushers.

Another neat trick is that you can use the watch in a more traditional stopwatch-style hold when you take it off your wrist.  And, unfortunately for me, I had these off the wrist more often than I had them on.  With the lug style, this will allow the case to hug your wrist – and it does.

Where the problem lies for me, with this model (and my 7.25″ wrist) is that, when I had the strap adjusted to comfort, it was just slightly loose enough that the top-heavy case would rotate down, throwing off viewing angles (when brought up), as well as making it more likely to bang those on the desk – so I took them off.  If I tightened up the strap one notch, it did hold things in place – but it was then too tight to be comfortable for me.

While I won’t call it a design flaw (because it isn’t), it will be something you should be aware of, depending on how you like to have your strap adjusted in normal wear.  Oh, and with the strap, it has a drivers glove look to it, but the straps are not perforated all the way through.  Not a deal breaker for that one point, but it would be nice to see a fully-perforated strap, at least as an option.

Housed within that oblong case you have a lovely, crystal-clear dial.  Both variants were very readable, and presented different looks.  The stealthier version managed to somehow be bold and subtle at the same time – and the blue lume was a nice change of page.  On the flip side, the vintage style was that sort of aqua-lume (when not glowing) that we associate with older styles, and helps to push the funky case to a more traditional look.

On top of the dial, you have a mineral crystal with AR and sapphire coatings (the black model presented this as a bluish hue); under the dial you have the Miyota OS11 chronograph movement keeping track of everything.

For me, personally, this would not be a good watch to pick up, just due to the fit.  That aside, this is a very bold and interesting design, and would no doubt garner some appreciation from even the non-watch oriented folks in your circle.   If you’re near one of their stores, you can find the range (and try one on) between $625 and $675.

So, perhaps you had your interest piqued by our review and giveaway, or perhaps by the discounts when Skywatch showed up over on ToM.  If so, today is your lucky day.

Over on UrbanDaddy Perks, they’ve got a promotion going where you can pick up one of nine different models, with the 25% discount dropping the price to $296.  Not a bad bit of savings if you were headed towards picking one up, or were on the fence.

Today, we’re taking a look at the first of three different watches that were sent over from review by the folks at Bomberg.  While they’re a fairly new brand, they’re definitely hitting hard on their first outing.

You’ve no doubt seen their blitz showing up with information on other blogs and review sites, and even some news out of Basel.  Many new brands will start out cautiously, opening up one design with some variants in color or straps.  Here, Bomberg actually has three distinct models on offer, with a variety of options in all three lines.

The model we’ll be taking a look at today is the Maven (our review sample was ref. MV44CHSS.GY0.3.NGY), which features the following:

• 44mm sandblasted stainless steel care
• Mineral crystal with AR and sapphire coatings
• 100m water resistance rating (screw-down caseback)
• Miyota OS25 Chronograph movement (retrograde 1/20 sec)

The whole lineup features a uniquely embossed dial, which adds a nice bit of texture to things.  This then extends into the woven nylon strap (which has a leather backing), which is a nice use of the theme.  They dial and strap also follow a similar color pallete, here shown as primarily grey with orange accents.

Of course, you can tell from the dial (and the movement used) that this is a chronograph watch, and the Miyota movement is a nice, known quantity that handles timekeeping, date, and timing duties without any issues.  The raised indices definitely make telling time quite easy, as do the lumed nickle hands.

In daily wear, the watch felt just fine – not too heavy, but a tad bulky.  I think in many ways this was due to the stiffness of the strap, and it’s multiple layers (nylon and leather).  I also had it fit a bit looser than it could have been, but to get it snugged in there, it was just too tight for my personal comfort (this is on my 7.25″ wrist; you may have a different experience of course).

This is all moot, however, unless you live in Switzerland or Central America (or will be travelling there).  The watches aren’t available online, and they’ve got a very targeted market at the moment (store listing).  If you’re near one of those stores, though, $645  (PVD adds another $50; will net you the Maven shown here.  Past that, one can only imagine that, should things pick up, availability will become more widespread.

There’s been many a-story about the rumored Apple iWatch, and of course we’ve had all manner of strap + case combos to turn your iPod nano into a wrist watch.  To my knowledge, though, no one has come up with a method of attaching a watch movement to your iPhone – until now, thanks to WATCHe.

Of course, strapping a watch to your phone (it should be noted, the movement can be mated to a strap for a more traditional wear) is an exercise in pure redundancy, since you’ll have a large screen with a perfectly serviceable clock on the flip side.  Then again, at the prices they’re asking (just under $6000), this falls more into the category of flaunting it (whether “it” is wealth or watch nerdery, I’ll leave to you).

As to the watch itself, it’s a stunning movement, which is a Swiss-made manual wind model, with a 46 hour power reserve.  When it’s mounted in the frame, you can swivel it around to see either the clock face (and it’s lumed hands) or the skeletonized movement.

Now, on to the  frame.  It can be positioned at a couple of different angles, to either have it act as a stand (albeit, a pricey one) or to be able to display the time while you charge the phone.  While the frame itself is fairly light (2.1 oz in total), it does appear to add a decent bit of bulk to the phone itself.

In the end, it’s an interesting exercise in some regard, but in many ways it’s just unrealistic.  Though, if you did get one, I suppose it would make you stop worrying about what happens to your phone when you drop it – you’ll be far to worried wondering what the cost to service the movement will be.