by Nancy Olson
The bad news first: I’ve neither seen nor touched most of the following watches (or most of my loved ones and friends, for that matter) since the COVID-19 pandemic reared its ugly head.
Yes, the novel coronavirus has kicked the heck out of the spring watch fairs and other watch-centric gatherings, where many of us timepiece fans would have had the unbridled joy of viewing and playing with new products.
The good news? Brands are continuing to introduce interesting timepieces, and on my worst days of social distancing this helps me envisage a happy, almost-back-to-normal future.
Here are a few notable and affordable timepieces I plan to experience firsthand sometime soon.
Tissot Seastar Professional 1000
The Tissot Seastar Professional 1000 is limited edition of 1,000 pieces meeting the ISO 6425 criteria for a professional diving watch, and although its name suggests water resistance to 1,000 feet (300 meters), it actually goes beyond that, satisfying the ISO standard of 375 meters.
Tissot Seastar Professional 1000 with lume showing
The timepiece is equipped with various features for the (professional) diver including a patented helium valve at 10 o’clock and a locking bezel. The watch also offers optimum legibility thanks to its (large) Super-LumiNova-coated skeleton hands and indexes.
Tissot Seastar Professional 1000 in case
Its blue dial morphs seamlessly to black at its edges, with 30-minute and 12-hour chronograph counters at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock respectively. The transparent crystal case back, push buttons, and crown are screwed down.
The watch is fitted on a three-link, rapid-extension steel bracelet and also comes with a black rubber strap. No tools are required to facilitate your choice.
For more please visit www.tissotwatches.com/en-en/collection/all-our-watches/t-sport.
Quick Facts Tissot Seastar 1000 Professional
Case: 49 mm, stainless steel with helium release valve
Movement: automatic ETA Valjoux Caliber A05.H21, 4 Hz/28,800 vph frequency, 60-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds; day, date, chronograph
Price: $2,200
Limitation: 1,000 pieces
Availability: TBA
Oris Lake Baikal Limited Edition
Oris has several noteworthy limited-edition dive watches under its belt, many of which incorporate a philanthropic cause. In this vein, the brand recently introduced the Lake Baikal Limited Edition.
Oris Lake Baikal Limited Edition in an environmentally friendly cardboard case
The watch was created in partnership with the Lake Baikal Foundation to help raise funds to conserve the world’s deepest freshwater lake, which is threatened by man-made pollution. Lake Baikal, situated in Siberia, contains more than 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water. In American-speak: we’re talking more water than the five Great Lakes combined.
Oris Lake Baikal Limited Edition
Based on the Oris Aquis diver, the watch has a gradient blue dial and blue ceramic bezel, and its case back features a “frosty” décor inspired by the winter ice of Lake Baikal. The 1,999 pieces in the series refer to the year Russia adopted the Baikal Law protecting the body of water.
Sales of the watch help raise funds to support Point No. 1, a historic scientific research center that has been monitoring the lake’s freshwater reserves for 75 years. The timepiece comes in an environmentally friendly cardboard case.
For more please visit www.oris.ch/en/watch/oris-lake-baikal-limited-edition.
Quick Facts Oris Lake Baikal Limited Edition
Case: 43.5 mm, stainless steel with ceramic bezel
Movement: automatic Oris Caliber 733 (based on Sellita SW 200-1), 4 Hz/28,800 vph frequency, 38-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, center seconds; date
Price: $2,400
Limitation: 1,999 pieces
Availability: as of February 2020
Rado Captain Cook Automatic
The Rado Captain Cook collection, first introduced in 1962 and revamped in 2017, welcomes three new timepieces: one in bronze and two in steel. Each of the models subtly recalls the original, but with an updated edge.
Rado Captain Cook Automatic 42 mm on the wrist
The first is housed in a 42 mm brushed bronze case whose earthy look contrasts so well with the green ceramic dial. This classic combination is a bit vintage-looking, ramped up by yellow indexes visible below the box-shaped sapphire crystal.
The bezel, too, is bronze and boasts a green ceramic insert. The watch comes on a simple, sturdy-looking leather strap that further complements the classic vibe.
The all-steel (42 mm) version with a three-link steel bracelet offers a NATO strap option for a different look/different purpose. This model also features a sunray-brushed dial and a ceramic insert set in the steel bezel.
Rado’s Captain Cook Automatic in steel in 37 mm
A 37 mm all-steel version on a steel link bracelet offers a more demurer choice.
For more information, please visit www.rado.com/collections/captain-cook/captain-cook.
Quick Facts Rado Captain Cook Bronze
Case: 42 x 12.5 mm, brushed bronze; bronze and ceramic bezel
Movement: automatic ETA Caliber C07.611 Powermatic 80, up to 80 hours power reserve, 3 Hz/21,600 vph frequency
Functions: hours, minutes, center seconds; date
Price: $2,600 / €2,620
Availability: as of April 2020
Quick Facts Rado Captain Cook Steel
Case: 42 or 37 mm, polished stainless steel; steel and ceramic bezel
Movement: automatic ETA C07.611 Powermatic 80, up to 80 hours power reserve, 3 Hz/21,600 vph frequency
Functions: hours, minutes, center seconds; date
Price: $2,100 on steel bracelet; $1,950 on NATO strap; $2,000 in 37 mm with steel bracelet
Availability: as of February 2020
Hamilton PSR
It all started in 1970 with the introduction of the then-revolutionary Hamilton Pulsar, the first digital wristwatch. The Hamilton P1 and P2 followed shortly thereafter, in 1972 and 1973 respectively, each contributing unique attributes to digital timekeeping.
Hamilton PSR in yellow gold PVD plating
Inspired by this icon of the 1970s and in honor of its fiftieth anniversary, the retro-cool new PSR offers a low energy-consumption hybrid display that mixes reflective LCD (liquid crystal display) and emissive OLED (organic light emitting diodes) technologies.
Pressing the button on the side of the case once will engage red OLED numerals in the well-known “digit dot” style, while the LCD display allows the time to become visible in daylight conditions.
Hamilton PSR in steel
The Hamilton PSR comes in two versions, each with the same wide cushion profile of the P2 and, interestingly, with the very same dimensions: 40.8 x 34.7 mm. One new model is in stainless steel, while the other is stainless steel coated with yellow gold PVD.
The latter is a limited edition of 1,970 watches commemorating the original rollout.
For more information, please visit www.hamiltonwatch.com/psr.
Quick Facts Hamilton PSR
Case: 40.8 x 34.7 mm, stainless steel or stainless steel coated with yellow gold PVD
Dial: LCD and OLED hybrid display
Movement: digital quartz
Functions: hours, minutes
Price: $745/€695 in steel; $995/€945 in yellow gold PVD version with special packaging
Limitation: yellow gold PVD version 1,970 pieces; stainless steel unlimited
Longines Heritage Military 1938
Inspired by a military watch produced by Longines in 1938, the 43 mm stainless steel Heritage Military features a variety of details reminiscent of the timepiece on which it is based, including its beveled bezel and ribbed sea urchin-shaped crown.
The brand-new Longines Heritage Military 1938
The matte black dial provides the backdrop for easy-to-read cream-colored Arabic numerals and baton hands, both coated with Super-LumiNova. A cream-colored chapter ring surrounds the display. Inside, a hand-wound mechanical movement based on the tried-and-tested Unitas 6498 drives the functions.
The original Longines Heritage Military from 1938
The watch comes with an interchangeable charcoal gray leather strap and a cognac-colored NATO-style leather strap. A tool to facilitate the switch is included in the watch’s presentation case. There are 1,938 pieces in the edition, each numbered.
For more please visit www.longines.com/en-gb/watch-heritage.
Quick Facts Longines Heritage Military 1938
Case: 43 mm, stainless steel
Movement: hand-wound Caliber L507.9 (based on ETA Unitas 6498), 46 hours power reserve, 2.5 Hz/18,000 vph frequency
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds
Price: $2,450
Limitation: 1,938 pieces
Availability: as of March 2019
You may also enjoy:
3 New Watches For 2020 From Cartier, Montblanc, And Roger Dubuis
5 New Bronze Timepieces From Tudor, TAG Heuer, Bell & Ross, Hentschel Hamburg, And Oris
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The Tissot does not grab me but the rest are very nice. And I have a soft spot for Rado. I have only ever bought more than one model from two companies. One of them is Rado