Welcome and thanks for dropping in to our weekly Saturday feature, Watching the Web. We here at WWR take the time every week to scour the internet so you don’t have to, and then we bring the most interesting (at least to us) news and reviews to you, all in one place. We also take a moment to recap our own popular articles over the past week. Today, I wanted to look at the Hublot MP-07, new releases from Tissot, and an extended look at the Glycine Airman No. 1. From our pages, we have watches from Brathwait, Vilhelm, and Valachio.
One of the things I love about mechanical watches is that they are engineering marvels. I takes so many pieces working in concert to just produce a simple piece, but when the high end houses come up with a different way to package the little wrist bound machine, I like to take a look. And that is what ABTW is doing for us, highlighting the Hublot MP-07, with a crazy 42 day power reserve. I love the look of the watch.
I have been able to check out a few Tissot watches in the past, and I was excited to look at some of the new offerings from this affordable Swiss brand. Worn & Wound highlights three models, including a regulator, a model with a silicone hairspring, and the Heritage 1906, with the pocket-watch style case showing off the movement, above. If you have never owned a hand wound movement, look into one. I like the connection it forges between owner and watch in that it takes a moment every day or so to keep the watch wound.
Finally, Hodenkee takes an extended look at the Glycine Airman No. 1. Patrick and I both appreciate a GMT complication, and the Airman is offered in two versions, one with a conventional 12 hour dial, and the other with a 24 hour main hour hand, as seen above. It is a very polished and attractive piece, with a definite military feel, but softened a bit for every day wear.
Our top article of the week was from our fearless leader, Mr Biggs, writing about the Brathwait entry level automatic. I have seen my share of sub $400 automatic three handers, and they certainly have an appeal. As John argues, this is a perfectly acceptable watch recommendation for someone who wants a ‘nice’ watch without spending a ton of money.
Next up is the Vilhelm Elemental. The watch uses a carbon case, a ceramic bezel and titanium hardware to present a very appealing and strong look, while at the same time making a light watch. Patrick was intrigued by the Kickstarter project, with a funding window through the end of the month. As with all crowd funded projects, there is a risk to be had, but check out Patrick’s thoughts and then add your own.
Lastly, John looks at another value three hander, the Valachio Pantiam, this time on Kickstarter. Coming out of Canada, this quartz watch is certainly budget friendly, and an attractive alternative to the similar department store watches I see out there. I always like a splash of color on my watches, and the green in the handset is something I don’t see a lot of out in the wild.
Did you know that John Biggs’ book, Marie Antionette’s Watch, is free to read with Kindle Unlimited, or you can buy a paperback from Amazon. Oh, and even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can always read via their free apps or their cloud read (check those out here
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Want to be more than just a visitor to our little corner of the internet? How about pledging some support for us over on Patreon. There are some compelling funding levels (including site redesigns and removing ads, and getting a copy of the Marie Antoinette book), but really, we just want to ensure we keep this lean ship running and the lights on. John has a deadline on his decision, which is the end of the month. You can check out John’s latest post right here. This is a fun thing we get to do on the side, and we want to keep bringing you the content that you have come to rely on from us, and work to make it even better.
We’re a week into the new month, and that means we have started the new giveaway up and running. This month, you have a chance to win the G. Gerlach Kosmonaut that Patrick recently reviewed. Head over to the contest page and follow the instructions for the two-part entry process.
We also want to put the call out for wrist shots of our reader’s favorite (or at least favorite of the moment) watches. Put together an email of your wrist shot and tell us a little about the watch and why you love it. If you happened to be introduced to it through our site (or won it through a give-away), even better. Just make sure the image is a JPEG and at least 800 pixels wide.
With that, I will wrap up this edition of Watching the Web. As always, if there’s something you think we should be covering, feel free to drop us a line. If you bring something up that we end up writing about, we’ll be sure to tip our hats (electronically, if not literally) in your general direction.
