We’ll just keep it quick and simple – here are the models (with links to the product pages) and what the discounts are:

• Polar Vantage M
  • For those who train who half marathons
  • Discount: 25% off
  • Price with discount: $209.97
  • Price without discount: $279.95
  • Promo code: FLASH25
• Polar Vantage V
  • For those who train for full marathons
  • Discount: 30% off
  • Price with discount: $349.97
  • Price without discount: $499.95
  • Promo code: FLASH30
• Polar Vantage V Titan
  • For those who train for ultra-marathons
  • Discount: 30% off
  • Price with discount: $419.97
  • Price without discount: $599.95
  • Promo code: FLASH30

Just so we’re on the same page – and in case you’re a new reader – I’ve got a thing for GMT complications. Even though I don’t travel as much these days, I still just plain love the complication. Chronograph? I could consign that to the dustbin of history. A 24-hour hand? You, sir, have my attention. That’s just table stakes. If you can wrap that into a compact case (40.5mm by 11mm thick), then sir, you have my undivided attention.

For me, the Mercer Nomad GMT hits all of the good, classic, GMT notes. You’ve got the 24-hour scale printed on the bezel – which looks to be fixed in place. Some may sigh, but I applaud, as that makes for a slimmer height. The dial comes in either charcoal black or polar white (just like the Crown does). The GMT (and seconds) hand? In orange, also like that brand. It’s even driven by a Swiss movement – the Soprod C125. This is not one I’ve experienced myself, but Soprod isn’t know for turning out a bad movement – so you’ll be good to go here.

The case profile on the Mercer Nomad GMT is a standard look, and paired as it is to a tapering Oyster-style bracelet (with a very slick-looking clasp), you’ve got the classic steel sports watch look, sans crown guards. Things are topped off by a sapphire crystal, and you get a 100m WR rating, so the watch is definitely one that should be ready for most anything your travels will throw at it.

In my book, everything looks to be well-sorted on the Mercer Nomad GMT (even color-matched date discs!) Better, yet, with the Kickstarter, you can get in at just $449 which seems a steal. There’s one slot left at that price, and then it bumps up to $499 which still is a great price for a Swiss-powered GMT with this look and feel. The campaign is running until July 16th, and stands at 78% funded as of this writing. And, fun wrinkle, it they hit the $70k mark, then there will be a third color coming into play (my vote is for a nice sapphire blue). You can check out all the details – and get your pledge in – right here: campaign page

Tech Specs from Mercer

• 40.5 mm 316L stainless steel case; 11mm thick
• Fixed 24 hour bezel
• Flat high-top sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
• Soprod C125 automatic; independent GMT hand
• Matte dial with SuperLuminova BG W9
• Embossed case back
• Embossed screw down crown
• 100 meter water resistance
• 2 year limited warranty
• 316L oyster bracelet with screw in pins and ratcheting clasp for precise adjustment

Quite obviously, this watch is a chronograph (I mean, it’s right in the name). And even from the photos, it’s hard to not notice the panda-style configuration here (so named for the bi-compax layout with the contrasting subdials). To be fair, here, the Ball Engineer Hydrocabon Racer Chronograph comes in panda, reverse panda, and, hmm. Blueberry reverse panda? Regardless, it’s an iconic, classic layout and palette.

Of course, I’d also say that the crown guard / protector system on the Ball Engineer Hydrocabon Racer Chronograph is pretty iconic at this point (or perhaps it’s just due to the number of Ball watches I’ve reviewed over the past few years). It’s robust, it keeps that crown in place, but it’s not so unwieldy that it’s a pain to move out of the way (in fact, for me, it becomes almost like a fidget toy).

With Ball, you know you’re getting into tritium tubes, as they’re the hallmark for the brand (along with robust protection for the movement; check out the specs below). These are the narrower tubes, but they’ll still get the job done. Just don’t try using the chronograph functions in the dark, as those aren’t lit up at all.

In many ways, the Ball Engineer Hydrocabon Racer Chronograph feels like a fairly standard bi-compax, Swiss-powered, chronograph. And there’s nothing wrong with that, as the design has obviously sold well over the years in many brands. Here, you of course have the Ball crown protection system, and their bracelet design which I rather like. Then, they add in one more design twist that you wouldn’t necessarily expect.

You see, the Ball Engineer Hydrocabon Racer Chronograph has a cyclops on it’s date window. Rather than cutting into the chronograph register, however, they’ve placed it up at the 12 o’clock position. This is something you do not really see, and is certain to draw the attention of your watch pals, as it’s a super-unique feature.

As with other Ball offerings, the Ball Engineer Hydrocabon Racer Chronograph is definitely in luxury tool watch territory, albeit with a watch that will certainly last (with regular maintenance) well past the half-life of those tritium tubes. If you want to have this one zooming onto your wrist, bring along $3,599 for the pleasure. For me, it’s not quite my bag (it IS a chrono, after all) but no denying the appeal of that uniquely-placed cyclops. ballwatch.com

Tech Specs from Ball

• Movement
  • Automatic caliber BALL RR1401-C
  • Chronometer certified COSC 
• Functions
  • 15 micro gas tubes on hour and minute hands and dial for night reading capability
  • Chronograph with accumulated measurement up to 45 minutes
  • Tachymeter
  • Hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds and date
• Shock Resistance: 7,500Gs
• Water Resistance: 100m/330ft
• Anti-magnetism: Anti-magnetic to 4,800A/m
• Case:
  • Stainless steel with ceramic bezel
  • 42mm, height 15.2mm
  • Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
  • Patented crown protection system
• Band
  • Tapered stainless steel bracelet with patented folding buckle and extension system
• Dial
  • Black, blue or silver
  • Date at 12:00
  • BALL logo at 12:00
• PRICE: USD $3599.00

The watches run a Spring Drive movement and come in a 39mm stainless case. They’re riced at $5,000, however, so you’d better really love autumn or love the design. That said, Seiko is really selling it in their marketing material:

The new timepieces celebrate s?k?, the end of Autumn, when the first frost embraces the forest. The green accent colors featured on the seconds hand and power reserve indicator epitomize the life of the Arashiyama2 bamboo forest in Kyoto in its peak season at the end of Autumn. The vertical texture of the dials reflects the majestic stalks of the bamboo. Together, the 39.0mm timepieces pay tribute to this moment in nature, when its green hues are dramatically enlivened in the contrasting expression of “light” – silver dial of SBGA427 and “shadow” gray dial of SBGA429. These remarkable timepieces display the deeply satisfying beauty created by the highest level of Japanese craftsmanship unique to Grand Seiko.

Personally I love the green and orange on the darker SBGA429 and, although you can’t quite hear the rustling of the bamboo in these watches, the color and design is aimed at making you feel the magic of shorter days and longer nights.

The new timepieces celebrate s?k?, the end of Autumn, when the first frost embraces the forest. The green accent colors featured on the seconds hand and power reserve indicator epitomize the life of the Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto in its peak season at the end of Autumn. Arashiyama’s bamboo forest in Kyoto, Japan is globally acclaimed for its majestic bamboo stalks and the mesmerizing slashes of light as sun filters through the densely packed grove. The stroll through Arashiyama has been described as dreamlike for the soothing sound of the rustling bamboo Arashiyama is one of the many beautiful bamboo forests in Kyoto, and they have been selected as one of the “100 Soundscapes of Japan” by the Japanese Ministry of Environment.

And in a world of insanity, isn’t it nice to remember the seasons?

The watches are available now.

Why Holstein? It’s not for the cow, my friends. No, this is the town that Paul Cattin and Georges Christian first setup shop (in June of 1904). Obviously, they’ve come a long way since then, and one of their more recent hits – the Oris Divers Sixty-Five – became the foundation for this new limited-edition watch.

Looking at the photos of the Oris Holstein Edition, you might think they’ve gone for a full rose-gold treatment, but they haven’t. In something more keeping with brand – at least to my thinking – they’ve gone ahead and made both the case AND the bracelet from bronze. That they managed to find an alloy mix that (at least in the photos) manages to give that rosy tone while still maintaining hard-working tool watch ethos in materials, that’s just some fun icing on the cake.

While the main parts of the Oris Holstein Edition are not gold, the dial itself is gold-plated, and the indices are rose-gold-plated. This helps those chronograph registers stand out in sharp relief., and the lumed hands and indices pop quite nicely as well, if you ask me.

Bronze, of course, is a material that will start to oxidize, and develop a patina, as you wear it, so the watch will of course become a reflection of you and your environment. While the caseback (featuring the Oris Bear) is steel, you may still run the risk of some green marks on your wrists. If that’s a particular concern, you may want to look at the strap options (Oris clasps on textile straps are among my favorite).

If you want to get one of the new Oris Holstein Edition watches, you’ll want to move quickly – only 250 will be made. How to get one, though? Well, you see, this also coincides with the launch of their “Oris Limited Edition N° Selection Tool” as part of their e-Shop, which is where you can get this watch. You can then also choose to have it shipped direct to you, or your local boutique or AD. The price tag of CHF 4,800 (approx $5,045) is a bit of a surprise for the Oris line, but I’ve a feeling this one will be a quick mover. oris.ch/holsteinedition

Tech Specs from Oris

• Case Multi-piece bronze case, uni-directional rotating bronze bezel with bronze insert
• Size 43.00 mm (1.693 inches)
• Dial Gold-plated with black chronograph counters, rose gold-plated indices
• Luminous material Hands and indices with Super-LumiNova®
• Top glass Domed sapphire with anti- reflective coating inside
• Case back Stainless steel, screwed, special engravings of the Oris Bear
• Operating devices Bronze screw-in security crown and pushers
• Bracelet Multi-piece bronze bracelet with folding clasp
• Water resistance 10 bar (100 m)
• Number Oris 771
• Functions Centre hands for hours, minutes and chronograph 1?4 seconds, two subsidiary dials with continuous seconds at 9 o’clock and a chronograph 30-minute counter at
  3 o’clock, fine timing device and stop-second
• Winding Automatic
• Power reserve 48 hours
• Limited edition 250 pieces, available through Oris boutiques, the Oris e-Shop, and retailers with access to the Oris e-shop. Online tool to choose your limited edition number.
• Swiss retail price CHF 4,800
• Available June 2020

From the top view, the Timex Q is a very 1970s shape, with hidden lugs that shroud the top of the bracelet end link. The usual Timex Q has a very 1970s bracelet, with short links, 7 links across.

And it’s a very comfortable 1970s size, in 38mm, 11.5mm thin. What’s really nice is that the Q has such a vintage profile, with a mid-case side that recalls really cool vintage divers.

And it doesn’t stop at the side – the bezel is grippy only at the top, just below the domed crystal. This is vintage, cool, and functional.

What makes a Todd Snyder X Timex Q different from the usual Timex Q line?

For one thing, the bracelet. The Todd Snyder gets a beautiful mono link style bracelet – each link is articulated on the back side, for a clean, almost Giugiaro-look on the front.

The usual Timex Q has a bi-color bezel. Here, Snyder has given it an all steel appearance.

The Timex Q dial is a flat one with lumed dive markings for the hours. The Todd Snyder X Timex Q gets applied metal indices, stick hands instead of dive hands, and is generally dressier in every way than the dive oriented Timex Q.

If you want a Todd Snyder X Timex Q, they’re limited edition. Good news! It won’t cost you anymore than the regular Timex Q, at $179 USD. The Todd Snyder X Timex Q is available from Timex.com.

At first, you might be tempted to just dismiss this as a simple marketing ploy (ie, who could pay the most to the Sinatra family for the rights). I can’t say that there wasn’t a bidding war, but Bulova does have some history here. They were the primary sponsor of the The Frank Sinatra Show in the 1950s, and apparently ol’ Blue Eyes was known to wear Bulova as well.

The Bulova Frank Sinatra collection is made up of four different designs with varying case shapes and color schemes. The ones that seem the most period-appropriate to me carry the name ‘My Way’ – that’s the tank-case watch you see up above. Regardless of the case and dial finish (two options) both are powered by the Miyota Caliber 1L45 and have gold-tone accents on the dial.

Next up, you’ve got the ‘Best is Yet to Come’. This is a modern take, with a 40mm case and honeycomb bracelet. This design also has Sinatra’s autograph prominently displayed, capped by his trademark hat. If the quartz in the first watch disappointed, you’ll be happy to know that this one features the Sellita SW215 manually-wound movement.

If that prior one felt a bit too modern, then perhaps you’ll like the more-vintage direction that the ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ takes with its 39mm case and fluted dial (ala cocktail time, a fitting nomenclature here). As with the prior watch, you’ve got a mechanical movement, albeit the Miyota 8215 automatic, which you can see through the exhibition caseback.

Last, but certainly not least, you’ve got the ‘Young at Heart’. This one seems the most fitting to the collaboration, given the TV-style case used here. Sure, Bulova calls it a tonneau, but it really looks like an old TV set to me. Here again that Miyota 8215 makes an appearance (showing the versatility of the movement).

Aside from the obvious cues on the dial, the Sinatra “stamp” shows up with a fedora on the crown, as well as the song titles on the caseback and inside portion of the strap. Whatever your particular watch design tastes are, if you (or your dad, with Father’s Day coming up) is a Sinatra fan, there should be a watch that grabs your eye. The Bulova Frank Sinatra collection is available at a variety of price points, ranging from $495 to $1,350. Just be patient, as the full collection will be available later this year (I was only able to find the ‘My Way’ on their site). bulova.com

I just got this in for review so I haven’t put it through its paces yet but we’ll have a more detailed review next week. Until then, you can head over to Kickstarter and pick up the first models for about $200 for early birds.

I know that date cyclops can be a divisive feature for folks, but myself, I am a big fan of it. And that was even before my eyes started having troubles with seeing smaller stuff (which, of course, some date wheels can be). Overall, I find it the icing on the cake of a well-propotioned (in either 40mm or 43mm guise) watch that features good, classic everyday design. And it’s a design that works well daily, as well as if you’re needing it for a dressier function.

Now, where things get a bit more fun with the Ball Engineer III Marvelight are the tritium tubes used on the dial. You can see that image up at the top, but here we’ve got the rainbow array of hues to signify that this is a special edition being made to support COVID-19 relief efforts (in this case, CHF 300 are donated from each pre-order sale to The Salvation Army). In case you might miss that flash of color in the daytime, they have outlined each tube in it’s corresponding color.

Now, while the Ball Engineer III Marvelight itself is available in two case sizes (and three dial colors, blue, black, or silver), it looks like this special “Caring” edition is just in 40mm and with a black dial. This special tritium tube layout will be limited to 1000 pieces, each of which go for $1,899 which is a pre-order price that goes until the end of July. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to pick up a Ball, might as well do it when you can help support COVID efforts, I say. ballwatch.ch

In terms of the brand itself, Manawa is not even a year old yet, and they’re coming at us with the M1 collection (three dial colors – black, blue, or cream) which relies on the Unitas 6497 manually-wound movement (shown below). That, combine with a very classic – yet updated – dial design makes for a classy watch that’s ready for suit-and-tie season, or even just for putting together a more polished look for the office (if we ever go back to the office, that is).

Now, while Manawa itself is new, the man behind the brand, Gérald Vandeputte, started designing the dial. I don’t know about you, but at 18 years old, I surely wasn’t teaching myself design to come up with a dial. To my eye, the Manawa M1 has a very classic look to it. That comes in large part courtesy of the Breguet-style pomme hands, but also in the dial itself. You’ve got the crisp printing over the dial blank, with a generously bold approach to the numerals that modernizes things a bit.

Along with the ETA movement, the Manawa M1 has all the higher-end features we’re expecting in materials – sapphire crystal in front (mineral in back), stainless steel for the case (a tidy 12mm thick), and a color-coordinated leather strap with contrast stitching. For a first outing from a brand, the Manawa M1 is one the best-sorted ones I’ve seen.

We’re talking with the brand about getting in a loaner to give you the hands-on impressions, so more on that later. In the meantime, you can head over to their site and read about the watches, and even order your own. If you’re in the EU, you’ll be paying €890 (incl VAT); for us here in the States, that works out to about $775 (provided I did my VAT math correctly). Whichever currency, that looks to be a very tidy value for your coin. manawatches.com

Watch Overview

• Brand & Model: Manawa M1
• Price: €890 (incl VAT) (approx $775 once you take VAT out)
• Who we think it might be for: You’re looking to start a new, young brand starting out and want to pick up a dress watch
• Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? Probably not, but that’s because it would try to fill a niche I’ve already got covered
• What spoke to me the most about this watch:  A clean, classic look (with modernly bold numerals) paired to a true classic of a manually-wound movement

Tech Specs from Manawa

• Model: Manawa M1
• Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
• Caliber: ETA Unitas 6497 soignee with blue screws
• Power reserve: 46 hours
• Movement: Mechanical
• Case Material: Stainless steel, polished
• Crystal: Double domed sapphire
• Case Back: Mineral glass, brushed steel
• Case size: 41mm
• Height: 12mm
• Lug Width: 22mm
• Lug to lug: 49mm
• Water Resistance: 5ATM
• Dial: sunburst
• Hands: Breguet-style
• Delivery Time 3 weeks
• Warranty 2 years