Welcome to our first regular series on Man of Many: The Wind Up, which covers the latest watch news from around the globe to keep you updated on all things horology.
SevenFriday V-Series V3/01
A brand that you either love or hate, SevenFriday has been making waves in the world of watchmaking over the past couple of years. Their newest addition to their V-Series line will surely add to that fire. It is a piece that is enduring to the steampunk movement while going against the grain and creating its own niche in watch marketing and publicity. It represents originality and gives the wearer enough machoism to compete with the more expensive steampunk-type pieces. The dial is busy and not dissimilar to a modern-day car’s dashboard. The carbon effects, hour markers, and hour hand colour differentiation help to liven up the dial, while the day-night indicator is a cool little feature that keeps the piece interesting. From there, a small window at 6 o’clock shows the wearer the not-so-great but efficient enough Miyota 82S7 movement. The case is nicely finished, but at 49.7 mm wide, it won’t be for everyone. A solid piece with a price tag that reflects its aesthetic design more so than any outstanding technical features. All show, very little go.
Piaget Altiplano Chronograph
Welcome to the world of Piaget. Of fine horlogerie. Of ultra-sleek, minimalistic timepieces. Of designs that reflect multifaceted complications hidden behind a veil of simplicity. Of innovation and the constant expansion of boundaries that were once unapparent and overlooked. Piaget presents their Altiplano Chronograph, the world’s thinnest hand-wound flyback chronograph with a GMT function. Let us begin with the dial, and let me tell you, it is superb. Clean and direct, the focus is on simple functionality. Thin hour markers, beautiful gunmetal grey hands and slim Arabic numerals on the sub-dials make this piece extremely pleasant. The case finishing is standard Piaget, superb and refined. Oddly enough, though, the sub-dial at 9 o’clock acts as the piece’s GMT function rather than an hour counter. Turn the piece around, and you can see the wonderfully thin calibre 883P manual wind movement. At a depth of just 4.65 mm, it is paper-thin. Encompassed with the movement, Piaget has managed to fit in a flyback chronograph with a vertical clutch and column wheel, a GMT function and a power reserve of 50 hours. No easy feat. Movement finishing is excellent: circular Côtes de Genève, bevelled bridges, circular-grained main plate and engraved main plate with the Piaget coat-of-arms. Presented in both rose gold and white gold with a diamond bezel, this is a piece true to Piaget through and through.
Omega Seamaster 300 Spectre Limited Edition
Omega and James Bond. James Bond and Omega. They go together like macaroni and cheese. Or bread and butter. Or Mario and Luigi. Either way, they just work. Omega’s newest piece for the James Bond franchise is a remake of the classic Omega Seamaster 300 from the 1950s. The dial is simple and to the point. You have your traditional Omega Seamaster insignia with a two-line title script near 6 o’clock, telling us she isn’t just a show pony. The hands fit the piece’s persona, and the hour indices only enhance the dial’s aesthetic. The hand and hour indices’ natural patina is a nice vintage touch. The ceramic bi-directional bezel is finished in LiquidMetal, and the 41 mm case is made of stainless steel with a shiny polished finish that offsets the matte dial delightfully. The NATO strap propels this piece’s vintage-looking appeal, and I prefer it to the steel bracelet. Very pleasing to look at. The movement is Omega’s automatic calibre 8400 with anti-magnetic features of up to 15,000 gauss and a power reserve of 60 hours coming from its two barrels. In keeping with James Bond’s infamous agent number, Omega has only released 7,007 of these limited edition Seamasters, so you should act quickly if you want to add it to your collection. A cool piece by a company that deserves more recognition than it has been given recently.
MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual Calendar
Every so often, a watchmaker releases a new piece that takes the horological world by storm. Now, the storm is brewing, but it hasn’t fully hit. But let me tell you, it will. And when it does, you best be prepared. Enter MB&F’s newest creation: the Legacy Machine Perpetual Calendar. I have nothing but praise and admiration for this watch. I can sum this piece up in one word and not have to say anything else. It is mega. It is something that makes you want to stop, look and appreciate. If I ever saw one on someone’s wrist, I would have no hesitation in stopping them, buying them a coffee and talking about their watch. It’s that awesome. The deal is less of a dial and more of a way for MB&F to show just how incredible their watch is. You can see the balance wheel and hairspring seemingly suspended in mid-air. The sub-dials placed at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock are perfectly sized and give you all the information you will ever need.
The finishing on the main bridge behind the skeletonised dial is superb, and if you buy the platinum version, you get a fantastic blue main bridge that looks stunning. The depth of the piece is astounding, and that is expanded upon by the domed crystal. The movement is a work of art. It consists of 581 parts working at 2.5 Hz, giving the piece a power reserve of 72 hours. The piece’s aesthetics have been designed around accommodating the movement, which is not far from an engineering triumph. Pricing is irrelevant, it costs what it costs and if you have to ask then know you (and me) won’t be able to afford it. This thing just jumped to the top of my grail list.
You’ll also like:
The Wind Up – Watch News #3
The Wind Up – Watch News #2
The Wind Up – Watch News #1
