Sometimes we look for the next cool watch and overlook a well made, but not overly exciting watch. I am not going to say I overlooked the Brigadier, but it did take me a little while to get to writing about it. And it is a watch worth writing about on its own, since the Mercer Watch Company Brigadier on Kickstarter is a pretty three hander that looks like it is well designed and made, even if it is not super exciting.
It’s a brand new month, and that means one thing here at WWR – it is time for a new giveaway! This month, we have teamed up with Swedish brand TRIWA to give away their Walter Lansen Chrono.
I don’t really care for smartwatches. The ones that most interest me, thus far at least, have been ones like the Withings or Hoptroff that integrate a smartwatch feature into an analog watch. Well, the LG G Watch flipped that technique, taking the look of an analog watch and integrating it into a full blown smartwatch. It is, in my opinion, the best looking smartwatch out there.
Who doesn’t like a little glow in their lives? I think that may be what Ziiiro is hoping for with the release of the Metalic version of the Ziiiro Eclipse. The updated version offers one completely new color and new stainless mesh straps on their two hand watch which uses a ring of lume to illuminate the time, and a bit of your night life.
I am not a fan of the direction of most smart watches. I don’t need another screen on my wrist to give me my texts and emails. If the notification is so important, then I will look at my phone or computer. But I do see the utility in getting some notifications, especially if it is in a fairly unobtrusive manner. And this is where connected analog watches enter the field. Devices like the Nevo Watch connect to your smart phone and display limited information in the background, while the primary look of the watch is an analog watch.
When it comes to the Swatch brand, most of our mind share has been focused on their quite clever Sistem51. They do, of course, have quite a few other watches on offer. One of the more popular collections has been the Swatch Irony, and they just introduced a new extension of that line – the Swatch Irony XLite.
You know who we have not had on our pages in some time? Fossil, that’s who. While they are ostensibly a more fashion-oriented brand, they do offer a large variety of styles at rather affordable price points. Today, we have a hands-on look at a watch they consider to be in their dressier collection, the Fossil Machine.
Whytes Watches Mk1 02I enjoy a nice, slim, Bauhaus inspired, minimalist 3 hander as much as the next guy. I have more than one in my assortment of watches, but I see them too often to have them really pique my interest most days. What I do enjoy is seeing something different when it is well done, attractive and wearable. I see these qualities when I look at the Whytes Watches Mk 1 models, the Pioneer and Discoverer, currently seeking funding on Kickstarter.
I am a fan of Trintec, after finding one of their designs on Kickstarter, then reaching out to the brand for a review on the Zulu-03, the same watch we have up for our current monthly give-away. The brand built the first aviation instrument inspired clock, and now makes aviation and nautical inspired watches and clocks. Their latest watch, the Trintec Zulu-07 Professional, is currently on Kickstarter.
If you are not familiar with Magrette, you need to be. I was presented one as a most unexpected gift this last holiday season, and it has become my most worn watch of the year (yes, I am tracking what I wear on a daily basis). The brand is from New Zealand, so that alone gives it a different feel, but they produce really nice looming watches that generally feature cushion cases and very readable designs. A Panerai for the masses, but not an homage to the Italian watch maker. Right now, there is a sale of Magrette Watches on Touch of Modern, a members only sale site that I have used from time to time (join through this link if you are not a member).
