We are always on the lookout for new and interesting watches to bring to your attention, and while we have not written about many Defakto watches previously, one of their latest well and truly caught my eye. The Defakto Kinetik may be just a simple three-hander, but you will no doubt see that it is unlike any other you may have thought about putting on to your wrist.
When the biggest name in the watch industry decides to get into the smart watch/fitness tracker business, you expect a watch that is made for the masses. What you don’t expect is a watch made for a niche sport; but then again, Swatch does not do things in the normal way. The Swatch Touch Zero One is, as the name implies, the first watch in a planned ecosystem of fitness watches tied to the sports that Swatch supports.
As I have mentioned previously , there is just something about a steel-encased three-hander that makes for a very flexible watch. There are, of course, no shortage of options, and I have recently run across one from a brand that we have not had on our pages in some time – Momentum. With the Momentum Logic, there also exists the possibility for you pick up a his-and-hers combo, were you so inclined.
There is just something appealing about a good sport watch. Sure, there are plenty of other styles to choose from – classic or otherwise – but a sport watch has that great capability to work for a variety of situations. While a dive watch may not look right with a suit, and a dress watch looks odd on the trail, a sport watch can manage to bridge that gap quite nicely. Throw in some ceramic surfaces and the Germanic attention to detail, and you have the new Junghans Spektrum Automatic.
I recently had a chance to check out the line of Sinn Watches at a WatchBuys Road Show, and the first watch that caught my eye was the new T1B in titanium. Sitting next to it was the T2B, a smaller version of the watch, also in titanium. Depending on your size preference, the Sinn T1B and T2B are really attractive with the new blue dial, are very light, and have a hidden feature to make that bezel especially secure.
If you have been reading our site for a while, you should be familiar with the TokyoFlash brand. They make playful digital watches that are sometimes a little… obscure… in how they are read. Straightforward or not, the brand like to play around with how time is represented on the dial. Both Patrick and I have had the chance to check out various models in hand, and I can attest that the build quality of the watches is solid, at least on an initial review. Now, the brand is announcing two new variations, both TokyoFlash Japan wood cased watches, the Radioactive and the Vortex.
Mokume-gane is a traditional Japanese metalworking technique where different metals are fused together in order to create a billet with a layered look, which is then worked into whatever shape is needed. This 17th Century technique was developed for ornate Samurai swords that were decorative status symbols. Now, this layered look is being used as a watch case in the H2O Kalmar 2 Mokume Gane Watches, available for pre-order on their web site.
We first brought you word of the Manchester Watch Works Vergennes and Westminster watches not all that long ago (link). Of the two trench watch-inspired pieces, I found myself drawn the most to the white-dialed one. As fortune would have it, there was one of those available for us to go hands-on with, even though the Kickstarter project (link) is still running. Without further ado, let’s get into our review of the Manchester Watch Works Vergennes.
I have never owned a Steinhart, nor have I had the chance to check one out in person, but the general reputation of the brand is that they produce well made timepieces that are affordable. Based on what I am seeing with the Steinhart Ocean Titanium 500, you can add a host of premium features to the mix of quality and affordability. Clocking in at just over $550 (based on exchange rates and no VAT), this is a classic diver that will not break the bank.
The big date complication is one of those things that I never really expected to like – or see a need for – but it certainly has grown on me. Then again, my eyes are aging a bit, so perhaps that is the impetus. Whatever your reasoning may be, it is of note that our friends in Poland, G. Gerlach, now have big date models back in stock.
