Too often, we’re guilty of lusting after high and mighty examples of haute horology. So, this month, we bring you a collection of ‘affordable,’ yet fine, timepieces that work stunningly well for everyday wear.
As with most things in life, it’s easier to produce a no-holds barred luxury timepiece that only the privileged few can afford. However, as most companies know, the real challenge lies in producing an affordable timepiece that looks like a million bucks while costing a fraction of the price. In this issue, we look at some of the elegant everyday dress watches that you can buy without breaking the bank.
BAUME and MERICER CLASSIMA
Perhaps the most classical looking of all designs in this lineup, the Classima does present a rather clean and old-school look to a traditional dress watch. But, there’s one other major difference here – this is the only watch here with a Quartz movement. Now, before you revolt in horror, for a large number of consumers, that’s actually no bad thing and, at its price point, the Classima offers a nice combination of old-school design and new technology for those not stuck up with only owning a mechanical watch.
NOMOS GLASHUTTE AUTOBAHN NEOMATIK 41
Featuring the traditional minimalist styling aesthetic of Nomos, the Autobahn is no stranger to understated elegance. Featuring a 41mm case, the Nomos features an in-house caliber with a 42-hour power reserve. It also features a date display at the bottom of the dial. The real appeal of the Nomos Autobahn, however, lies in the clean look of the watch that gives it a rather ‘avantgarde’ look and makes it appear quite contemporary.
OMEGA SEAMASTER 1948
Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the iconic Seamaster, Omega has released a limited production of watches that point to the rich heritage of this famous product line. Naturally, to do so, the brand has gone back in time to pick designs that are similar to watches that were sold in the 40’s and 50’s. And, I have to say, the small seconds version of the Seamaster 1948 is a stunning watch. With a 38mm stainless steel case, domed silvered dial and classic applied indices, the Seamaster is a look most of us could carry off with relative ease. And the ability to buy a classical looking timepiece with the reliability of a modern chorographical movement is certainly an added boon for any watch aficionado.
LONGINES HERITAGE 1945
One of the simplest, yet most elegant, designs to emerge from the Longines catalog in recent years, the Heritage 1945 is a class act. Inspired by a very traditional 1945-era timepiece, the Heritage features a beige dial with a hint of copper. Featuring a 40mm steel case, embellished with a strap that appears aged, this heritage timepiece also features blue steel hands and Arabic numerals on the dial. Equipped with a L609.3 self-winding movement, the watch features 42-hours of independent operation. Expect this gorgeous timepiece to make it to India in the second half of this year.
TISSOT HERITAGE
Modelled on a timepiece designed by the brand in 1943, the new version of the Tissot Heritage collection is a beautiful and timeless watch design. Featuring a rather large – 42mm – stainless steel case, the Heritage timepiece also features a domed dial, which is highlighted by a gorgeous silvery dial. The vertically brushed finished gives the watch face a lot of depth, which highlights its leaf hands and Arabic numerals. Powering the watch is an ETA 6498-1 manual movement with 46 hours of power reserve. And with the beautiful open-back finishing of the movement, this remains, for me at least, one of the finest and most affordable fine timepieces of 2018.
