Looking back at last year's Watches & Wonders highlights
We're only days away from travelling to Switzerland again (yes, finally!) and meeting up with our friends and colleagues from the watchmaking industry and affiliated media outlets. It will be stressful, running from appointment to appointment and seeing tons of watches (boohoo, have pity on us) and get the news out to you as soon as possible so you're all caught up on all the novelties to come. And as ever, when looking forward, it never hurts to look over one’s shoulder in the process. So with that in mind, we've looked back and listed what we think were the five stand-out novelties from Watches & Wonders 2021.IWC Big Pilot's Watch 43mmOut of the five selected watches, this one has certainly caused a lot of debate. While we applaud the introduction of the smaller, wrist-friendlier IWC Big Pilot's Watch 43, we also feel for the fact some people do not consider it a true Big Pilot's Watch. As it does without the emblematic 7-day power reserve indication or at least a subdial o

Hands-On - ACE x NOMOS Club 36 Blue Limited Edition (Specs & Price)
The watch industry is full of fun, exciting and successful partnerships. Not only between watchmakers, or craftsmen and -women creating unique elements in a watch, but also between artists, retailers and other like-minded people. One such example is the collaboration between NOMOS Glashutte and the Amsterdam retailer Ace Jewelers. Already in its fifth year, this joint venture results in special Limited Editions every year, the latest being this Ace x NOMOS Club 36 Blue Limited Edition, and we've gotten our hands on it for a while.ACE JEWELERS & NOMOSAce Jewelers is a leading omnichannel retailer based in Amsterdam but operating on a global scale. They were the first to embrace eCommerce and obtain authorization from Swiss brands to sell watches online. This adventure started back in 2000 but took until 2007 to materialize, mostly due to the reluctance of Swiss brands. The first manufacturer to step up was IWC, and many followed since. Today, eCommerce is a key marketing strategy fo

Hands-On - The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1
Renowned as the blueprint for modern dive watches, Blancpain's archetypal Fifty Fathoms of 1953 is coming up for its grand 70th birthday. As an essential player in the development of scuba diving and the watch chosen by elite diving corps worldwide, the heyday of the Fifty Fathoms spanned from the mid-1950s to the early 1980s. Following a period of dormancy, Marc A. Hayek, Blancpain's CEO, decided to revive the Fifty Fathoms in 2003, coinciding with its 50th anniversary. Three series of 50 watches were unveiled in 2003, marking the definitive return of this icon. Today, 70 years after the debut of the Fifty Fathoms and 20 years after its rebirth, Blancpain kicks off a year of celebrations with a new 42mm model offered in three series of 70 pieces each, available for pre-order on Blancpain's website in January 2023.ClarificationIt might seem a bit confusing that there are three series of one watch (a total of 210 watches). However, each series is reserved for a specific region of the wo

Oris Aquis Depth Gauge (Specs & Price)
Rumour has it that the Oris Aquis Depth Guage is going to be discontinued soon and that Oris is working on a follow-up timepiece. The original Oris Aquis Depth Gauge remains a quirky, yet emblematic watch and a perfect statement as to why the Holstein-based brand is so popular among watch enthusiasts. The bang-for-buck philosophy, mixed with unconventional yet useful features is a strong selling point. As I recently acquired one for my personal collection, we thought it would be good to offer you a closer look at this cool instrument.Personally, I always liked the Oris Aquis Depth Gauge from the moment it was first released in 2013 in a steel case with a black rubber strap or a matching steel bracelet. A year later this black DLC-coated version was released, this time with a bright yellow rubber strap matching the yellow details on the dial. Compared to the steel one, it featured several other changes that gave it more appeal – to me at least. Even though this is a seven-year-old

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton
For this 2020 edition of Watches & Wonders, Vacheron Constantin presents its Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton, a stunning display of watchmaking prowess housed in a luxurious pink gold case with an ultra-slim height of just 8.1mm. Nothing has changed regarding the case, its proportions, the layout or the beating heart of the movement powered by Vacheron's prestigious Calibre 1120 QP. The novelty of this 2020 edition lies in its intrepid skeletonisation. Hand-finished movement parts, in line with the Maison's longstanding tradition of Haute Horlogerie, are combined with grey NAC-treated parts for a contemporary face in keeping with the sporty spirit of the Overseas.Brief Background of the OverseasIn 1977, Vacheron Constantin introduced reference 222 to mark the brand's 222nd anniversary. Designed by Jorg Hysek, the 222 was a high-end sports watch with a tonneau-shaped 120m water-resistant case, a serrated bezel and an integrated bracelet. Reinvented in 2016, under the