Whenever a new iteration of the Christopher Ward C60 is introduced, I pay rather close attention. This…
ManchesterWatchWorks is one of those brands that we have gotten to watch grow over the past year or so, and we have sampled quite a few of their watches. We have of course taken a look at both their TatoskoQ and TatoskoK, as well as the more recent Westminster and Vergennes. While the more recent watches were trench watches, for this new release, MWW is getting back to where they started – a dive watch. So, let’s have a look at what the newest ManchesterWatchWorks Armada has on offer.
When it comes to watches on Kickstarter these days, there are a great many of what I have taken to referring to as “me too” watches – another inexpensive slimline quartz that is barely distinguishable from those that preceded it. Not that that is anything particularly wrong with a slim quartz watch – it is just that there are so many of them without any real variation in design or styling. In the midst of all of that, we do get gems popping through from brands we have never heard of, and the Concept Watch O1 is certainly one of those.
The diver’s chronograph is an interesting combination of features, and the Christopher Ward C60 Trident Chronograph Pro 600 is the latest entry, and the brand’s first, into that category. Now, I own a diving chrono (not from CW, another brand), and I like the look, but the complication is certainly not going to be useful for diving. With the screw down protectors for the pushers, it can’t be operated underwater, so it is a stylistic choice here. You want a diver as you swim deep into the paperwork at your desk, and you like the features of a chronograph. The usefulness of the complication aside, I do think it is a very attractive watch.
The Caliper View watch offers a tightly designed modern automatic watch that should make every architect and engineer cry. This is a new watch company taking its namesake from the tools used to measure distances between two sides of an object. I got to wear the prototypes to see how they measure up. Read on for my impressions!
There is something elegant about a simply executed three hand watch. And the new Christopher Ward C5 Malvern Slimline Squared (or Slimline² for the mathematically inclined) is certainly elegant. Now available for pre-order (watches will ship in mid-February) for $549 on your choice of straps, this is a dress watch for everyone from a recent graduate to the executive that cares more about the watch than the brand.
LIV watches is back on Kickstarter with their send watch, a three hand automatic, the LIV Genesis X1. Their first watch was a Swiss made quartz chronograph. The new watch has a strong visual tie to the first, with a very similar looking sandwich dial, red ringed crown and oversized bezel. LIV did a great job on marketing the watch before it was released, catapulting them beyond the initial funding threshold immediately on launch (they are sitting on nearly $250K in pledges as of this writing). For all you future watch builders out there, take note of how important thus pre-release advertising is.
While we have featured a lot of different watch brands at WWR over it’s 11+ year history, I am fairly confident that Richard Mille is not one to have graced our pages. This is not due to their watches being bad (they’re not) or some other snub. No, simply put, what they offer, while exciting, does not mesh with our mission to bring you news from the more affordable end of the market. This does not necessarily change with the Richard Mille RMS05 Fountain Pen – but when I saw it, I knew I had to write about it.
You know who we haven’t heard from in awhile? Projects Watches, that’s who. Late last year we had a good spate of coverage on different watches they’ve released, and we even ran a giveaway for a Michael Graves-designed Newark (LINK to original writeup). Well, they are back again with another Graves design, but this time this is a watch definitely intended for the fairer sex. Let’s have a look at what the Projects Watches Scallop Watch has in store.
I have been aware of the Minuteman brand for some time now, but the watches they were creating really never piqued my interest. Sure, the concept behind the brand – using watch sales to assist veteran’s charities – is admirable, and now they finally have a watch that I think merits some discussion, regardless of whatever other good work may be done by the brand (just consider it a bonus). So, with that, let’s see what the Minuteman Independence has to offer.