GoS releases their Spring Season watch, in a limited edition of 5. Why they’re releasing the Spring model on the first day of Fall, I’m not sure, but what the heck, they’re Watchmakers, not meteorologists. It is a beautifully crafted watch, like all of the GoS pieces, and features Damascus Steel cases and damascus dials with unique 18k hands.

“GoS proudly presents – Spring – the third model in the Nordic Seasons series of watches that are designed with inspiration from the rich contrasts of the nordic seasons. The dial for the Spring is made in tempered pattern welded steel, also known as damascus steel, that has been hand forged in Johan Gustafsson’s unique Explosion pattern. The yellow tempered coloring of the steel meant to illustrate the return of the sun, which is a very
important aspect of life in Scandinavia.

Since ancient times, people living in the northern hemisphere have had a need to celebrate the arrival of spring with cleansing bonfires and celebration at the end of a cold and dark winter. Swedes do this on April 30, Valborg (Walpurgis Night). Normally, Spring is already well established in the southern reaches of the country, while northerners still have to wait a few weeks longer. Nevertheless, this is the evening when Swedes welcome the Spring.”

Watch series – Nordic Seasons
? Case: Stainless steel and stainless damascus steel 44/45mmx10mm (10ATM)
? Lug width: 22mm
? Glass: Flat sapphire glass with AR coating
? Movement: Swiss manual ETA 6498
? Movement refinement: Refinished and improved to chronometre grade by the swiss company Soprod.
? Dial: Handforged damascus steel
? Index ring/rehaut: Solid gold, shaped and polished by hand
? Hands: Solid gold, shaped and polished by hand
? Crown: 9mm in finegrained stainless damascus stainless steel, double gasket crown inset
? Case finishing: Stainless damascus steel, highgloss polished with GoS logo engraved on case side.
? Strap: Handcrafted strap in soft nubuck leather fitted with GoS stainless steel buckle

Damascus steel movement
? Movement: Swiss manual ETA 6498 : yellow
? Movement refinement: Improved to chronometre grade by the swiss company Soprod.
? Movement modification: 3/4 bridge made in solid handforged damascus steel.
? Limitation: 4pcs, available as an option to the Nordic Season series.

Watch Model – Nordic Seasons Spring
? Dial: Handforged explosion damascus steel, tempered to receive a main nuance in yellow
? Hands: Solid 18K gold in the red swedish gold nuance
? Index ring: Solid 18K gold in the red swedish gold nuance
? Limitation: 5pcs

Presentation Box
? Individually crafted box in svepask technique of birch wood
? Colored with natural pigments mized in linseed oil
? Covered with high grade natural wax and polished to a deep finish
? Protection box of black&grey hard paper
? Guarantee certificate, two years guarantee

I was browsing around on a British Watch forum, and stumbled onto this brand called Pacardt. The cases were really cool, reminding me of Kobold and and another German Boutique brand – UTS, both of which have caught my eye at one time or another. Pacardt leans towards the chunky side, but maybe not quite as chunky as UTS. The watches have a minimalist style, with a less-is-more approach to dial design.

Currently all their watches appear to use what they call the 1T case style and come in PVD as well as plain Stainless Steel. They have an impressive 1000m water resistance, with the help of a 5mm sapphire crystal. Price is €440-750, which is pretty reasonable. Interestingly, right now I can’t tell where you can buy these aside from eBay.

Case diameter: 45.5 mm
Case thickness: 15.5 mm
Case material: stainless steel
Case back: screwed
Crown: screw-down
Bezel: unidirectional rotatable, 120 clicks
Movement: automatic, ETA2824-2 Swiss Made
Water resistant: 1000 m
Date: yes
Crystal: Sapphire crystal, 5 mm, screwed with case
Luminous hour markers: Super-LumiNova Grade A
Luminous hands: Super-LumiNova Grade A
Bracelet: silicone strap
Lug width: 24 mm, screwed
Buckle: Pin buckle, screwed

Website: http://www.pacardt.com/

Another new “Midnight Carbon” model, aka Black Steel, from Breitling. This new special limited edition Bentley Barnato is limited to 1000 pieces worldwide, and features the smaller 42mm diameter. Movement is the Caliber 41B. A cool take on one of the best Breitling for Bentley models to be released in a while.

Breitling for Bentley Barnato 42 Midnight Carbon
Specs:
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Calibre Breitling 41B
Water Resistance: 100m
Strap: Black Rubber
Case: Midnight Carbon Black Steel

A black-clad sports model

Barnato. The name of the most famous among the “Bentley Boys”, the men engaged in a passionate pursuit of victories and accomplishments that included winning the Le Mans 24 Hours Race no less than five times between 1924 and 1930. Also the name of an exceptional chronograph combining superlative style with peerless performance. Breitling for Bentley now interprets this sporty model in a 1,000-piece limited edition entirely clothed in black – from the case made of a steel that is the color of night thanks to a highly resistant carbon-based treatment, through the dial to the supple and sturdy rubber strap. The “instrument panel” appearance is reinforced by the chromed steel-rimmed counters, the red accents and a tachometric scale on the inner bezel. The generous size of the bezel heights the effect of the elegant raised knurled motif inspired by the famous Bentley radiator grilles. The large hour-markers and the oversized hands enhanced by a luminescent coating guarantee easy reading of the time in any circumstances, even in the heat of action. This ardent and sophisticated sports model is powered by a selfwinding chronograph movement chronometer-certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) – the ultimate token of precision and reliability. Bentley Barnato 42 Midnight Carbon: the stuff of a champion.

I met up with a buddy the other night, and he picked up a new watch the day before and brought it over to show me. What a treat! I got to handle, admire and try on a beautiful H. Moser & Cie Perpetual 1 with Fume dial in Palladium! The Moser Perpetual 1 is the ultimate clean and understated dress watch that has just the right touch of modern styling combined with classic lines. This is beautiful timepiece.

The beautifully crafted 40.8mm Palladium case is 11.05mm thick and is paired with a unique Sunburst patterned Fume dial which changes color from the middle to the edges and at different angles as well. It wears on the large size for a 40.8mm case size, which is fine by me as I think the size is perfect. The front features a power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock and a large aperture perpetual flash date display at 3 o’clock. This means the date knows which month it is (even though it doesn’t display it) and changes the date accordingly. Additionally, at the end of a short month, the date changes instantaneously to the 1st without slowly cycling through the remaining “extra” dates. The leap year indicator is present on the back through the exhibition caseback.

Here is the left side of the case, which has a single pusher at 9 o’clock. The sides of this palladium case also feature some polished, scalloped areas that really bring the case to another level. VERY nice touch and sets off the impeccable casework. The flats on the sides of the watch are brushed as you can see giving the watch a nice two-toned finish.

The crown side of the watch is equally stunning, with a nice large slightly oversized crown which compliments the case very nicely. The crown is signed with a large M, presumably for “Moser”. The Palladium case reminds me a bit of Platinum in its color, but is less dense and weighs less. This also means the raw material will end up costing less since it is cheaper to begin with and also will weigh less for a given amount. Oddly, this doesn’t always translate to a lower price for a watch – we’ve seen many a Panerai in Palladium value quite high. I don’t have the MSRP prices for these watches so I can’t say for sure whether this palladium is more or less than the platinum and gold versions.

Now there’s the shot many of you were waiting for – the exhibition back. The hand-wound movement in the Moser Perpetual 1 is the Calibre HMC 341.101. The movement is Swiss crafted, with a 7 day power reserve, features some serious stuff like a perpetual flash calendar and an interchangeable escapement with straumann double hairspring among other noteable features which are listed below. Overall, its a beautiful movement, beautiful watch, and just kicks serious ass. I love it.

One final shot to show off the beautiful sunburst Fume dial. The photos on the website show a bit too much color range as its mostly greyish with inflections of brown. It looks more brown on the website than in person. I am really happy for my buddy with his recent acquisition of this watch, but it has me really pining for one of my own now! Can’t have the same one, but I have my eye on a Moser now!

Moser movement cal. hmc 341.101
Hand-wound with true bevel wheels
Double barrel, min. 7-day power reserve
Moser tooth system in wheel train and pinions
Power reserve display
Perpetual flash calendar display
Calendar adjustable forwards and backwards at any time via the crown independently of the movement
Double pull crown mechanism
Hacking second
Screwed gold mounts
Moser interchangeable escapement with straumann double hairspring
Pallet fork and escapement wheel made of solid white gold
Fumé dial with sun pattern ground finish
Three-part, round case in palladium
Discreetly convex sapphire glass
See-through sapphire glass back
Alligator leather strap with solid white gold folding clasp

Graham released a new Chronofighter GMT Steel style, this one with a Pepsi style bezel a la Rolex GMT of the 90’s. I do like the somewhat more subtle sensibilities of this new Chronofighter and the oeverall direction the company has taken with its design.

Functions: Chronograph (seconds, 30 minutes counter). GMT / second time zone. Big date with double discs at 12 o’clock Hours, minutes, seconds
Calibre: Calibre G1733, automatic bi-compax chronograph, 28’800 A/h (4 Hz), Incabloc shock absorber, 28 jewels
Power reserve: 48 hours
Case: 47 mm steel case with fine-brushed horns Steel with black PVD left hand fast-action start/stop trigger and reset pusher Aluminium bezel – Blue and red with GMT scale. Domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating on both faces. Smoked sapphire case back
Water resistance: 330 feet / 100 m
Dial: Black dial with silver counters. White Super-LumiNova central, seconds counter hands and numerals, white skeleton GMT hand with white Super-LumiNova head and red contour, red chrono and minutes counter hands
Strap: Integrated black croco
Price: 10,400 CHF