![]() ![]() By far the most emblematic Yema watch is the Superman divers’ series, which first debuted in 1963 and which still boasts a loyal following. In 2005, under new French ownership, Yema returned to the scene after a long hiatus and began offering a vast range of watch styles, including the racing-inspired Rallygraf chronograph, the retro-futuristic LED models, and the Flygraf GMT models that emerged from a partnership with the French Air Force, one of Yema’s many projects in its role as partner of France’s Armed Forces. Serica tests the automatic Soprod Newton movements to plus/minus four seconds per day, which speaks to the watches’ performance as well as the founders’ attention to detail.įounded in France in 1948, Yema has had an up-and-down history in the watch world, with ownership changing several times over the years (including a stint in the 1980s when it was owned by Seiko). Its high-end bonafides include sunray finishing on the bezel, mirror polishing on the articulated lugs, and an aluminum and ceramic dive-scale bezel that also incorporates a countdown function. William Brown Edition, is its first divers’ watch, the distinctly designed 5303 series. Following up the company’s first release, a “Dirty Dozen”-style field watch called the W.W.W. Serica is a French brand, founded in 2019 in a collaboration between the watch blog “Les Rhabilleurs'' and the WM Brown Project, established by sartorial expert and A Man & His Watch author Matt Hranek. The Swiss-made quartz Ronda caliber beats inside the 40mm case (which is also available in steel for $30 less). For $230, you can snap up the Diver One Titanium (pictured), which boasts a rare 500-meter water resistance, a helium release valve for use in a diving bell, a sapphire crystal and a high-degree of luminous material on the dial for legibility in the depths. A longtime watch enthusiast in addition to being a seasoned diver, Scurfield focused on creating a range of watches for divers that were not only tougher and more reliable than those produced by well-known luxury brands but also priced within reason for diving professionals. In 2014, commercial saturation diver Paul Scurfield, frustrated by the inability of existing, so-called “professional” dive watches to hold up to the hard usage they faced in his profession, founded his own watch brand. Reservoir calls La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland home and uses high-quality Swiss movements to pair with the signature designs. Whether it’s a watch for land, water, or air, this design language is prominent across each collection, giving the brand a very distinct identity. Time is displayed by a single retrograde hand with a jump-hour mechanism which is inspired by vintage measurement instruments with similar readouts. Also classically Swiss are the movements, from the artisans at La Joux-Perret (actually owned these days by the Japanese Citizen Group), which offer extended 68-hour power reserves, an extra bonus at the watch’s very reasonable price point of around $1,500.įounded in 2015 by former banking professional François Moreau, Reservoir brings a visually unique approach to displaying dial information. The modern Elka, which opened its doors in 2022, is fully Swiss, a project of former Swatch Group design veteran Hakim El Kadiri (nicknamed Elka, in a bit of serendipity), and leans not only into the vintage styles of its defunct predecessor but also into eccentric, unconventional aesthetic elements, as on the X02 model pictured, whose dial puts the emphasis on the minute markers rather than the hours. One of the newest yet “oldest” brands on our list, Elka traces its heritage all the way back to a Ducth watch brand, founded in Amsterdam in 1877, which opened a branch in Switzerland in 1949 and disappeared from the scene entirely in the 1970s. As a shift away from those sporty undertones, Dufrane unveiled the Waterloo, a dressy watch with everyday capabilities, and the Travis (pictured), named after Austin's Lake Travis, with a dial that captures its dazzling shades of blue. The brand prides itself on those Texas roots, and the hand assembly of all their watches in the United States. The brand first made its way onto the scene with the competitively priced and capable dive watch called the Barton Springs. Learn more here.ĭufrane was founded in Austin, Texas, an area whose influence is felt throughout the collection, whose timepieces offers many stylistic nods to the city. 0% interest for up to 24 months available on select brands. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |