In this month’s round-up we take a look at our editors’ favorite three-hand sports watches for the summer. And if you are fed up with being on the waiting list for a new Rolex ‘Pepsi’ GMT-Master II, we have a list of alternative watches for your consideration. Since we are on the subject of Rolex, we also have reviews of the Day-Date 40 ‘President’ as well as the two-tone stainless steel and yellow gold Sky-Dweller.
From around the web, we take a look at the history of the Laureato from Girard-Perregaux and also learn more about how we can hasten the process of patination on bronze watches. We also have the remarkable story of René H. Bittel and how he helped Patek Philippe become the brand that it is today.
1. SEIKO RECRAFT SERIES SSC667 & SSC669 CHRONOGRAPH WATCH REVIEW
The Recraft collection from Seiko pays homage to the brand’s vintage models and is home to some interesting pieces that I think deserve more attention. Two such watches are the new SSC667 and SSC669 Chronographs, which boast vintage good looks and a price tag of under $400. At that price, you won’t be getting a mechanical movement but they are outfitted with Seiko’s interesting meca-quartz movement – so when you start the chronograph, the chronograph seconds hand sweeps just like a mechanical watch. They come with NATO-style straps and are solar-powered.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
2. ROLEX DAY-DATE 40 ‘PRESIDENT’ WATCH REVIEW
The Day-Date is arguably Rolex’s flagship watch. It might only have a simple day and date complication, but remember, when it was presented in 1956 some 62 years ago, it was the first watch in the world to display the day and date in full on the dial. It is special today because it is only available in precious metal and it sports a bracelet that was made especially for it – the President bracelet. Here we take a look at the Day-Date 40, specifically the ref. 228239BLRP which comes in, you guessed it, a 40mm white gold case.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
3. RICHARD MILLE’S NEW MILLION DOLLAR RM 25-01 TOURBILLON ADVENTURE WATCH FOR SYLVESTER STALLONE
If you haven’t noticed, watch companies have been cutting back on outlandish pieces for the past few years. Gone are the days of outrageous tourbillons and diamond-encrusted monstrosities. Watch brands are now more focused on creating practical, functional, and reasonable pieces that people can actually afford and wear. One brand, however, is bucking this trend and that’s none other than Richard Mille. In collaboration with noted watch lover Sylvester Stallone, Richard Mille has just created the RM 25-01 Tourbillon Adventure, an imagining of a watch that John Rambo might wear. Apart from the tourbillon, it is also a chronograph and has a mountable compass and even a sealed cache of water purification tablets. This watch is perfect for the billionaire adventurer.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
4. TOP 10 ALTERNATIVES TO THE ROLEX GMT-MASTER II WATCH
The GMT-Master II isn’t one of the most popular GMT watches in the world without reason. It has a versatile design, it is well-made, it is extremely functional, and it is, after all, a Rolex. Unfortunately, its popularity also means that it is one of the hardest Rolex watches to buy at retail, especially if you are eyeing one of the more sought after models such as the recently announced Ref. 126710 BLRO ‘Pepsi’ or the Ref. 116710 BLNR ‘Batman.’ Here are some alternatives.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
5. ABLOGTOWATCH EDITORS PICK THEIR TOP THREE-HAND SPORTS WATCH
If I had to pick one watch that I would wear every day for the rest of my life, it could very well be a simple three-hand sports watch. Think watches like the Rolex Submariner, Patek Philippe Nautilus, and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Their simplicity, ruggedness, and versatility make them suitable for just about every conceivable situation, which in turn makes them ideal for everyday wear. Obviously, there is no shortage of great three-hand sports watches, but these are some of our favorites as of this summer.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
6. ROLEX SKY-DWELLER WATCH REVIEW
It is not everyday that Rolex introduces a brand-new watch. So imagine the excitement around the watch world when, in 2012, they introduced the Sky-Dweller. As the name suggests, it is a watch designed for jet setters and that means it has a dual-time function. It is also an annual calendar, and that makes it currently the most complicated watch that Rolex makes. Over the years, Rolex released numerous versions of it in various metals and even in stainless steel. Today, we take a good look at the ref. 326933, which is the two-tone version in stainless steel and 18k yellow gold.
Source: aBlogtoWatch