A Modern Classic - Tudor Heritage Black Bay

Of all the retro-themed, vintage-inspired watches that have been launched to date, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay (or BB, as it's more commonly referred to in horro circles), has to be the most highly sought after. Since it's first appearance at Basel last year, almost everyone who has seen it on the web, has been eagerly anticipating it's launch, collectors and almost every other Joe on the street.

When it first arrived on our shores, the initial batch were snapped up before your can even say "Tudor Heritage Black Bay". It didn't help that most were already pre-allocated to valued customers of the AD's that managed to get stock of this much coveted model. So popular was it that retailers did not offer any discounts, at least not to the average Joe like me. 

I've pretty much given up all hope of owning one when on the Eve of the recent New Year's eve, a mate informed me that one of our regular AD has just received a shipment of the BB. I was on the phone with the my regular sales guy within seconds of this tip off. He even offered me a slight discount, too. And 2 hours later, the watch was on my wrist.  Oh! And the icing on the cake? The missus came along and decided to foot the bill as the present for my coming birthday, which was 2 weeks away. A sweet end to the year indeed!

Now I've spent some time with this much-desired piece of art, it's time for a little walk through.

This piece is based on the very successful Tudor Sub of days gone. There are several design coups that make this watch visually stunning. The First thing that is visually captivating about this watch is the burgundy coloured bezel. This particular hue is very retro in itself. It brings back memories of the laid back 60's and glorious 70's. A very apt colour for a vintage-themed watch. 

However, the eye-catching bezel is not all form and zero function. It requires 60 precise clicks to complete a full rotation. Each turn is registered and confirmed by a loud, crisp click. there is absolutely no free play.

Complementing the bezel perfectly, is the matt dial with gilt round indices and dark golden minute markers. The next design coup is the signature (gilt) snowflake hands. This further adds to the vintage theme.

I am particularly pleased with the crown design. Unlike most watches, it does not sit onto the case directly. It sits on the stem housing (dressed i the same burgundy hue), thus leaving a gap between the crown and the case, making it easy for short-nailed folks like me to operate the crown.

The stainless steel case is beautifully finished with brushed and highly polished surfaces, while the large crown is signed with the Tudor Rose.

Being a relatively small case (41mm) the lugs are set pretty low. This is the perfect position for this watch as it allows the straps to drape over the wrist for a comfortable fit.

The case back is finished in the same spartan, utilitarian fashion, common with Tudor (which is a tad less spartan than Rolex, IMHO).

The final aspect of the design coup, imho is the distressed leather strap the design team has picked. this further adds to the vintage theme of this modern day classic.

Oh, I forgot to mention another feature I like about this watch - the domed sapphire crystal.

The straps are fitted to a brushed and polished stainless steel folding clasp. It is signed on the main clasp as well as the secondary locking catch. And in case you have not noticed it yet, when locked in place, it transforms into the second Tudor emblem - the Tudor Shield. A clever and well thought out design.

The BB looks as good in the dark as it does in the glorious light of day. The lume is so bright it looks like it's electrically charged!

This beautifully crafted masterpiece sits very comfortablly on my 6.75' wrist. There isn't any overhang despite the relatively straight lugs. this is due to it's rather modest 41mm case diameter.

This watch comes with an additional fabric strap. But I'd much prefer another pair of distressed leather. It's also available in stainless steel bracelet. I personally feel that the leather version beats the bracelet variant hands down in the looks department. The bracelet makes the watch far too stiff. It's like hiding a beauty like Jessica Alba under a Hijab. I'd go for the leather option anytime.

I'm not an expert in the world of horology, and neither am I any authoritative figure in that elite group, but my gut feel tells me that ti is going to be Tudor's biggest commercial success to date. It's simplicity exudes an understated beauty that doesn't bore nor wear out with time. It possesses a certain elegance that's enveloped in a quite ruggedness. IIn a nutshell, it's a must have! And I'm glad I've got one!

Specifications:

Case diameter : 41mm.

Movement : ETA 2824.

Lug size : 22mm.

Power reserve: +/- 36-38 hours.

Crystal : Domed sapphire.

Pros:

- Beautiful simplicity.

- Easy to use crown.

- Case design and finishing - top notch.

- Lume.

- Comfortable fit.

- Value for money. 

Cons:

- Still rather limited stock.

- Might not be cheap to most people (for a 2824 movement).

- Identical after-market distressed leather hard to come by.

- Possibly high cost of strap replacement.

- Relatively low power reserve.

My Knuckle Duster - Oris Pro Diver Chrono

Like most working folks, I need my drinks. On Mondays, to beat the blues. On Tuesdays, to drown the stress. On Wednesdays, to celebrate my ability to survive till the half-way mark. On Thursdays... Well, you catch may drift, I suppose.

My usual buddy on these self-prescribed therapy sessions is none other than my trusty knuckle duster, I mean my Oris Pro Diver Chrono. Well, you never know when some drunken moron will drag you into a bar brawl, right? So, always go drinking well armed!

How is this harmless timepiece possibly be a defensive weapon? Simple. Size matters.

This may not be the largest watch on the market but it's the biggest I have that can fit comfortably on my poor excuse for a wrist. I bought this at a relatively decent deal from a local AD when I first caught the diver's watch infection. For a full titanium (both case and bracelet) piece, I must say the price I paid is a bargain (my apologies that I am bound by blood oath never to reveal the price I paid to anyone, except my family, best friends, golden retriever etc).

This beast is by no means intimidating. Despite it's full titanium construction, it's not too light (unlike the Tudor Pelagos). It boast a pretty comfortable heft. Not too heavy, but just right. Sitting next to some of it's average sized stable mates, it looks quite a fair bit larger.

For a watch of this girth, it is no surprise that it is reasonably chunky as well, about 18mm, actually. This, however, means it is not easy to tuck under shirt cuffs. In addition to a traditional uni-directional, it is equipped with a bezel lock system, which Oris officially dubbed it as the Safety Rotation System. 

The ceramic bezel can only be turned when it is unlocked by pulling the bezel upwards. to lock it, one simply needs to push it back down to snap it in place on the case. To ensure easy turning of the bezel, the design team have fitted a vulcanized rubber bezel ring as well. 

The bezel is a breeze to operate. It ratchets with confident clicks that lock the bezel in place with each turn. There is no free play at all. The vulcanized rubber ring is soft to the touch but yet rather hardy and durable, although it looks kinda plasticky.

As it is made for professional divers in mind, it is not surprising to find a HRV on the case.

Unlike the Rolex Deep Sea Sea Dweller, and the Seiko Sumo, the lug size to case diameter ratio is more proportionate - 28mm. However, I echo the common gripe that almost every Oris diver watch owner share. The lug design limits the watch to using the proprietary bracelet and rubber straps.

The dial is well laid out. The designers have made full use of the large surface area to arrange the sub-dials and indices properly to ensure legibility and ease of reading the dial, well almost. They got it right except for one area - the minute counter of the chronograph sub-dial at the 6 o'clock position. It's unnecessarily cluttered. The checker-board layout helps to a certain extent but I personally feel that alternating the Arabic markers would have made it less busy looking.

The date window, in my opinion, should be placed in a less cluttered position instead of within the minute counter of the chronograph sub-dial at the 6 o'clock position. It would have been better at the 3 o'clock position.

The dial features the signature wave pattern featured on most Oris divers. The depth rating is indicated at the 3 o'clock position on the dial. The fang-like sliver markers is another neat touch, in my opinion. It differs it from most of the other diving watches on the market.

To ensure an absolutely tight seal, Oris has fitted screw-down pushers and crown. Despite the big, signed crown, the relatively huge crown is not easy to pull out. thanks possibly to some seals (o-rings) in the crown housing and the shoulders that act as crown guards.

Note that the lugs are heavily curved. This is essential for big cases as it ensures that the watch contours as much to the wrist as possible. Straight lugs would make the watch a difficult fit for many.

The case bace is engraved with the usual literature covering the basic specs of the watch as well as a meter/ feet scale.

The brute of a case is fitted to a tapered titanium bracelet (screwed links) which ends in a signed folding single-lock clasp. The bracelet tis a mix of polished and brushed surface.

The clasp features the requisite diver's extension which operates easily. The clasp is not the most awe-inspiring. It is operated by two pushers on each side of the main clasp housing. It unclips far too easily does not inspire confidence. As a professional diving watch, a double lock clasp, that can even be found on entry level divers like Seiko's offerings would have been more adequate. 

The lume is an awesome sight. Somehow, auqa-marine comes to mind. They look like bright turquoise neon sticks.

Thanks to the curved lugs, the watch wears pretty comfortably on my insignificant 6 3/4" wrist.

The watch comes with an additional rubber strap and strap changing tools. 

This is a handsome beast. Being large, and chunky, one has to be careful as they are natural ding magnets. However, it's well laid out dial and overall construction makes this a truly value offering. Don't leave for the pub without it!

Specifications:

Case diameter : 51mm.

Lug width : 28mm.

Movement : ETA Valjoux 7750.

Power reserve : +/- 42 hours.

Crystal : domed sapphire.

Pros:

- Value for money.

- Use of modern, high-end materials (full titanium, vulcanized rubber, ceramic bezel).

- Domed sapphire.

- Bright and beautiful lume.

- Avant-garde yet simple design.

- Well laid out, uncluttered dial.

- Bezel "Safety Rotation System".

- Curved lugs.

- Tight but easy to rotate bezel with no free play.

- comfortable heft.

Cons:

- Single lock clasp.

- Clasp unclips too easily and doest not inspire confidence.- Ding and scratch magnet.

- Chronograph minute counter too cluttered.

- Position of date window.

- Lug design.

A Classic Reborn - Rolex Explorer 2 (Ref 216570)

What is a classic? What defines a classic? To a wine freak like me, a well aged burgundy like a DRC, Vosne- Romanee or even a new-world pinot noir, like a Dry River or even a Scorpo, comes to mind. To my wife, it's an iconic handbag like a Chanel 2.55 with a vintage buckle. To the true admirer of the female form in me - Michelle Pfeiffer, Cate Blanchette. But let's not go there...

But as someone who spends a coupla minutes every morning pondering over which watch to wear, the Rolex Explorer 2 has always topped my list. Strangely enough, this was an unplanned purchase. I thought the 42mm case was a tad too small. The hype building up to its release did not help either, egging retailers to add a premium on the watch.

I was actually holidaying with the family in Hong Kong last March when I chanced upon a retailer that had stock of this model. I was actually getting bored of not having anything to buy there. When I was quoted the price of SGD9,500, I could not resist. It was retailing at around SGD13,000 back home then.

The latest incarnation of this iconic piece (one of many from the Coronet's stable) boasts several new features  and advances over the previous model. Firstly, it's grown by 2mm, it's got a new heart, and most noticeably, an orange hand for the second time zone.

The orange hand is a salute to the original Explorer 2 (ref. 1655) that was first released in 1971. In my opinion, the orange hand and text stands out better on the matt black dial than the white dial. I had first asked for the white dial at the shop but decided on the black because of this reason. The Mercedes hour hand adds a classic yet modern look to this classic.

Another plus for the black dial is the "phantom effect" hands. It makes it seem like the hour, minute and orange hands are floating on the dial. The clean and simple dial gets my vote. More is really less in this case. Looking it straight in the face, it's hard to find any flaw with this design and construction. It's perfectly proportioned in almost every aspect.

The simplicity extends to the case back. Although this is typical of Rolex, I reckon the usual literature, e.g. model reference, water resistance etc be engraved on the case back.

The slim profile of the case renders it easy to tuck under shirtsleeves as well. The engraved screw-down crown is easy to operate. The marking on the crown tells users that it's a twin lock as well. However, as with most Rolexes I've come across so far, the logo never seems to be positioned upright when screwed down completely.

The case is finished with both brushed and polished surfaces. The bold 24-hour markers and brushed stainless steel bezel are handsome touches as well. the lug ends on this latest model do not just out like the previous model (ref. 16750) and not as sharp as well.

The tapered, brushed stainless steel bracelet is another classic touch. All the links are solid. the gaps in between are tiny and closely meshed as well.

The latest Explorer 2 is also fitted with a new clasp that is chunkier and sturdier. However, the main clasp feels a little loose and far too easy to remove. It unclips with almost zero effort.

However, the main attraction of this new clasp is the micro-adjustor. It allows micro adjustments to be made effortlessly. All you need to do is clip and unclip. I never realise how useful this is until I started using the watch. It's usefulness is obvious when you are exposed to temperature fluctuations, e.g. moving out of an air-conditioned environment into an unsheltered area bathed in bright high noon heat.

This pieces has one of the most beautiful lume as well. It glows with a beautiful turquoise hue.

This watch fits perfectly on my 6 3/4" wrist. There's no overhanging lugs and it doesn't feel awkward either. It looks and feel better than the previous 40mm model.

This "grown up" Explorer 2 really is a beautiful watch from almost every perspective. It's versatile enough to be worn on the weekends or tucked under shirt sleeves on work days. It simply exudes classic elegance, but not in a dressy way.

Specs:

Case diameter : 42mm.

Lugs : 22mm.

Crystal : Sapphire.

Movement : Rolex in-house Calibre 3187.

Pros:

- Versatility.

- Simple, clean design.

- Excellent fit and finish.

- Micro-adjustment clasp.

Cons:

- Price.

- Main clasp doesn't inspire confidence.

- Logo on crown does not align upright.