Baselworld and SIHH might long be over but the industry hasn’t sunk into a lull yet. Quite the contrary, these manufacturers are working up quite the storm with plenty of new watches to covet this month.
Unsurprisingly, Rolex takes the lead for stirring up the most frenzy with yet another “Pepsi” variation. The timepiece must have by now been inducted into the holy-grail-of-the-century Hall of Fame for being notoriously hard to get hold of.
Meanwhile, TAG Heuer and Omega are busy celebrating milestones, while Ressence goes off the beaten track with the help of “the craziest watch retailer in the world”. IWC still manages to keep things exceptionally classy by fashioning its Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in a lighter and sleeker material.
Here are all the new watches to keep time with this week.
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1 /5
Looks like Rolex isn’t anywhere near done with the GMT-Master II “Pepsi” this year. Following the release of the meteorite dial iteration at Baselworld this year, the marque continues to ride its cult-status wave with another 18 ct white gold version, this time with the same blue dial as the original.
Unlike the stainless steel model last year, this “Pepsi” gets the Oyster bracelet treatment, but receives the same calibre 3285, a self-winding mechanical movement with Superlative Chronometer certification for its accuracy, efficiency and exceptional power reserve (amongst plenty of other accolades). As a GMT timepiece, the 24-hour graduated bezel is bidirectional rotatable, and allows travellers to keep time in different timezones effortlessly.
If you hadn’t already expressed your interest with this one, now’s a very good time.
2 /5
The flagship of the Ingenieur family and one of the firm’s most visually stunning timepieces finally gets the grade 5 titanium case treatment — a material often used in aerospace components today. In line with the model’s redesign in 2017, this watch channels utilitarian toughness while reflecting aesthetics of the original models from the ‘60s.
On the slate-coloured dial are a plethora of complications that make this watch so exceptional. Two large digital displays the date and month, each programmed to take leap days into account via the in-house manufactured 89801 calibre automatic movement. The 100-piece limited edition timepiece also has a chronograph function with a 68-hour power reserve, and is definitely one for the collection.
3 /5
The Ressence Type 1 hasn’t stopped evolving since it first saw the light of day in 2014. This year, the curious convex-shaped timepiece gets the blacked-out treatment thanks to the eclectic Laurent Picciotto of Chronopassion, and it embodies the best of both worlds.
Named the Type 1ZZ — a reference to both ZZ Top (one of Picciotto’s favourite bands), and “zwart zwart” (Flemish for “black black”) — the 20-piece monochromatic limited edition sees a matte dark grey PVD dial subtly contrast the black numerals and markings. The 42mm titanium case is treated with matte black DLC in keeping with the theme, making it both discreet and avant garde at the same time.
4 /5
No surprise that TAG Heuer decided to celebrate the Monaco’s big 5-0 in the very city it’s named after. Revealed at the Formula 1 Grand Prix last weekend in Monaco, the brand’s beloved square watch receives a update called the Monaco 1969-1979 Limited Edition, and it’ll be the first of five collector-focused limited editions that pay tribute to the icon.
Limited to 169 units, the watch borrows a colour palette synonymous with the ‘70s, combining a warm green dial with grey subdials and reddish brown hands. Yellow accents complete the motorsports-inspired aesthetic that made it stand out from the rest. Inside, it’s powered by a more modern TAG Heuer Calibre II, which provides 40 hours of power reserve and a chronograph measure of 30 minutes.
5 /5
TAG Heuer isn’t the only one celebrating a golden jubilee; Omega too celebrated 50 years since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history on the Moon in 1969 by releasing another commemorative Speedmaster.
Limited to 6,969 pieces, this new stainless steel Speedmaster has a grey dial with black subdials for the chronograph minutes, running seconds, and 12-hour counter. The most intriguing feature, however, sits at the dial’s nine o’clock, where an image of Aldrin stepping onto the lunar surface is forever immortalised via laser-engraving. The bezel is rendered in the same sleek Moonshine Gold alloy that debuted in the earlier limited edition — a slightly paler rendition of yellow gold that was specially developed for its resistance to colour fading.
While the calibre 3861 isn’t exposed in this iteration, its wearer is treated to another tribute to the fateful event; a laser-engraved image of Armstrong’s footprint on a moon-surface texture, with his now-legendary quote: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”.
Shatricia Nair
Managing Editor
Shatricia Nair has a passion for motoring, beauty, and wellness, and is perpetually knee-deep in the world of V8s, retinols, and latest fitness trends. She has nine years of experience writing for digital media, and her bylines have appeared in Prestige, and Augustman. She'll do (almost) anything for good chocolate chip cookies.
