Over the past year or so, I have come to appreciate the Graham Chronofighter, and have been fortunate to review a couple different variations. While the large trigger over on the left side of the case initially seems like it would be rather unwieldy, it works rather well in practice, and gives things a much smaller appearance when the watch peeks out from under a cuff. Now, they have released a new version of the Graham Chronofighter that is a collaboration with the Navy SEAL Foundation.
While we here at WWR like to primarily feature watches that fall into the affordable category, we do take the occasional foray into the world of higher-end, or luxury, watches when one catches our eye. It is interesting to see how brands that make up that higher end segment differentiate their products from the other end of the spectrum, which often takes the form of higher-end materials and different movements than we might expect to see; that is what we have here with the Meerson D15.
When it comes to MeisterSinger, most people immediately think of their single-hand watches. While that particular style is not to my own preferences, I have become a fan of their models that also incorporate a jump hour complication. This of course keeps the single hand aesthetic while still giving you accurate time telling. While that is certainly what I would opt for, their latest model – the MeisterSinger Benjamin Franklin – offers up something rather more intriguing.
Chronographs are one of the more popular complications for watches, though their actual usefulness can be debatable. I have one chrono which I wear quite often, though I use the chronograph function fairly infrequently when it is on. As a timing device, I find that a rotating bezel is usually good enough to time when I put the meat in the smoker, when I need to get back to the parking meter, or how long I have until the laundry is done (have I missed anything?). But if you want a chronograph to actually time things, the bullhead arrangement, where the pushers are located at top of the watch, is a useful arrangement. Which brings me to the CJR Watches Velocita currently seeking funding on Kickstarter. CJR was nice enough to lend me their two prototypes for a hands on review before the funding period ends on August 20.
One of the benefits of being a watch reviewer is that we get to see a lot of watches, particularly when new ones come on to the market. Or are in the process of coming, which means that on some rarer occasions we do get to go hands-on with a prototype. This is what we have today with the R. Paige Crash of ’29, which is the result of a collaboration between Richard Paige and Mark Carson of Individual Design. Let’s take a closer look at what this collaboration has wrought, shall we?
We have written about a few different watches from Michelsen, and their Arctic Explorer (abtw link) remains one of my favorite watches. Of what I have covered, though, none of them were from the more limited-edition collections that the brand has produced. Well, that changes today with a quick overview of the Michelsen Watch Reykjavík 64°N/22°W.
It is always rewarding when brands reach out to us, especially those that are putting out their first models on crowd funding sites. Recently CJR Watches did just that, hoping to showcase their new line of quartz and automatic bullhead chronographs, the CJR Watches Velocita.
Prior to be contacted for this review, I was blissfully unaware of Æther Watch Co., which is surprising, given the level of quality that I saw in my time with the watch they sent over. Hailing from Phoenix, AZ, Æther Watch Co. started up shop in 2012, designing watches here in the USA, with assembly happening in Pforzheim, Germany. While they only have two models currently on offer (and one is a limited edition), what they have created for their entry-level piece is certainly an excellent first outing. Without further ado, let’s dig in to the Æther Watch Co. Æ01.
We are fans of Christopher Ward here at WWR, I think that is pretty evident. I purchased my CW before I started writing reviews, and it is still one of my go to watches when I am not wearing a watch for review. If you are not familiar with the brand, they are a London based company that sells Swiss made watches direct over the internet, with no brand ambassadors. They have recently starting flexing their watch making chops, creating a new in-house movement. The Christopher Ward C9 5 Day Small Second Chronometer uses the in-house SH21 hand wound movement to produce a COSC certified dress watch.
Here we are for the mid-July edition of Watching the Web, where Patrick or I get to point out interesting watch related articles that we have run across on the net, and highlight the most popular articles from our own site as well. This week, ABTW featured the exact type of watch that made me into a fan of high end watches, Worn and Wound has a nice watch from the other end of the price spectrum, and Wound for Life has an article on the benefits of silicon (in your watches). From our own pages the Mark Carson Ka La GMT, Patrick’s Historical review of the watches of Jacques Cousteau, and an older article on Ingersoll watches were all popular.
