Grand Seiko And Seiko Will Not Participate In Baselworld 2020

HODINKEE has just learned that Grand Seiko, and Seiko, will not be participating in the 2020 edition of the Baselworld trade show. Seiko has been a participant at Baselworld for several decades, and the departure of the two brands – which, of course also includes Prospex, Presage, and all the other Seiko families of watches – comes at a transition time for the trade show, which like many such shows is working to redefine itself in a rapidly changing media landscape. Fake Watches

The original source for this information was the publication Chronos Japan.

Asked about the departure, Seiko and Grand Seiko have communicated to HODINKEE that the primary reason for the departure is the alteration in the timing of the show. The two brands currently have not shared with us, whether a return in 2021 is a possibility. While Seiko has not yet announced any alternative plans for 2020, Grand Seiko has confirmed that it will hold a separate Grand Seiko summit, in March of 2020.

The second answer is that like any other sort of watch, dive watches say something about us. A dive watch projects, replica rolex watches in its broad-shouldered rejection of the unnecessary, the same trustworthy, here-to-get-work done vibe as rolled up sleeves, a loosened tie, and a (navy blue) jacket thrown over the back of a conference room chair with a devil-may-care disregard of wrinkles. It says that you're a person who, though you might spend the majority of the day warming a desk chair with your posterior, could outside the workplace be a person of physical bravery, if not outright daring, who just might need a watch that will tolerate, say, jumping off the side of the Staten Island Ferry on a muggy August afternoon to save a loved one's errant poodle (it could happen). A thinner, more understated (less overstated?) watch may speak to your sense of sober discretion, or your refinement of taste but these are probably secondary considerations in the minds of most dive watch lovers, who all things being equal would rather be thought of as the James Bonds of this world, than the Thomas Crowns (if you are unfamiliar with the latter film, Steve McQueen wears, at various times, a Patek Philippe pocket watch in gold, a gold Memovox, and a Cartier Tank).
But the third and perhaps most important answer, I think, is that dive watches say something to us. The dive watch, as HODINKEE's most eminent dive watch expert, veteran diver Jason Heaton, reminded us in his Citizen Aqualand story, "Birth Of A Legend, End Of An Era," has been obsolete for decades, from a functional perspective. (He also has mentioned that on at least one occasion he's had a dive computer fail during a dive and was grateful to have a dive watch as a backup, but the general point remains). However in a time when mechanical watches are manifestly something no one needs, and which have for many years often striven for novelty effects in order to get attention, the purity and simplicity of dive watches is more appealing than ever.

A dive watch, in its most classic iterations, doesn't particularly feel designed at all, so much as made simply and purely to suit a particular purpose and that purity of intent has long outlasted the intent's actual relevance, in either diving or everyday life. In short, dive watches feel authentic – they project an air of necessity which other categories of timepieces simply fail to match, on many levels. In a world full of timepieces whose designs seem more or less arbitrary, or at best present in order to appeal to highly subjective vagaries of taste, the dive watch, we feel, looks the way it looks for a reason. This solid grounding in reality that the best dive watches have, this absence of arbitrariness and subjectivity in their basic features, is I think the most substantial reason for their enduring appeal.

The (Almost) Inexplicable Popularity Of The Diver's Watch

Ispent last week in Geneva, during which time it poured incessantly for four straight days, which gave me the time to consider a number of questions. Naturally, given the location a lot of what I thought about had to do with watches and watchmaking, and it occurred to me to wonder why exactly it is that dive watches, in general, seem to be so overwhelmingly popular as a general category of timepieces. (Maybe all the rain inclined me unconsciously to thoughts aquatic). Replica Watch

The obvious answer is that they are as a rule, more durable and dependable than non-dive watches but the more I thought about it, the less clear it seemed to me that they are as a class better in a general sense for daily life away from actual diving, than other watches might be.

In fact, on longer consideration, it seemed to me rather remarkable that dive watches have become anything more than a very niche variety of timepiece intended for a very specific application. For a watch to be, so to speak, officially a dive watch, it must adhere to some fairly specific requirements, fake rolex watches which are spelled out in the ISO 6425 standard (this is produced by the International Organization For Standardization, which is headquartered in Geneva and which has a whopping 163 member nations – everyone from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, which is surely the most remarkable example of buy-in in the history of international organizations). The fact that the organization has so many members, and that consensus is nearly universal on its utility, means that time pieces that can be called dive watches share to a remarkable degree, the same basic features. (Requiring actual testing of dive watches is both de facto and de jure impossible, but most major manufacturers, as far as I have been able to tell, do in fact subject watches billed as diver's watches, to actual testing of varying degrees of severity).

The standard requires the ability to pass a number of tests, including of course a battery of water resistance tests, and diver's watches must also possess certain design features, including the ability to be read in total darkness at a distance of 25 centimeters, and as well, they must possess a unidirectional timing bezel – this has been an essential feature of true diver's watches going all the way back to the early 1950s, when the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms debuted.

This brings us to the first somewhat thought-provoking aspect of the overwhelming popularity of diver's watches, which is that they have, at the very least, a startling visual similarity; to someone not immersed (as it were) in the world of watches on a regular basis, many of them must seem virtually indistinguishable one from the other and there is often little at first glance to set them apart. Certainly from the standpoint of expression of personal taste, they present a relatively narrow range of options.

The design homogeneity of diver's watches often seems to provoke brands to exert themselves, to find ways to design a dive watch which looks different enough from other offerings to attract attention as a unique effort, but this is a very tricky thing to pull off. A dive watch works or doesn't, on its most basic level, in terms of how successful it is functionally, and while you may want to make yours look different from those made by all the other manufacturers there is a very sharp point of diminishing returns – you simply cannot dress up a dive watch very much before it starts to look like an illustration of a dive watch, rather than a dive watch. At its most extreme, this syndrome produces watches that look like the drawings children (and some grownups, as far as that goes) make of racing cars or military vehicles – festooned with everything from extra tires of gigantic proportions, to turrets sprouting guns of five different and completely unrelated calibers, all of which features would make for not only a functionally disastrous vehicle but one which would in all probability be completely immobile as well (I made such drawings myself, as a kid).
Thus it is that we often end up with so-called diver's watches which may fulfill the letter of ISO 6425 but which by no means express the real spirit of a diver's watch, which is to be a lean, mean, purely functional life-saving machine. It would seem that you can have a quote unquote real dive watch, or you can have one that is definitively distinctive in its design but you can't have both, or at least, you can't try to have both without compromising one or the other to some degree.

This brings us to the second point, which is that thanks to their stated purpose, dive watches tend to be rather bulkier affairs than not. This makes them less suitable for everyday wear – you can only appeal to James Bond wearing a Sub with a tux so many times before it starts to feel like a the-lady-doth-protest-too-much situation. The fact is that dive watches don't generally tango very prettily with anything more formal than a polo shirt and khakis; they can depending on the person and the watch, look anything from slightly jarring to completely inappropriate with business attire and as for wearing one with semi-formal (tux) or formal wear (white tie and tails) I wouldn't do it. Of course in style there are very few absolute rules and as Melville says in Moby Dick, if you do anything cooly enough you can get away with almost anything, but that's not the way to bet.

One of the author's earliest watch lume shots

Last year, Seiko announced an entire re-vamp of their much-loved Seiko 5 line up. An entry-level staple and certainly a 101 class in mechanical watch ownership, the Seiko 5 had long represented a cornerstone in the foundation of Seiko’s enthusiast-focused offerings. But, as nothing lasts forever, in announcing the new Seiko 5, Seiko ended the lifecycle of all of the older models and began a new chapter in the Seiko 5's impressive history. best replica watches
Interestingly enough, this is not the only enthusiast icon that Seiko recently sent to live on a farm in the countryside. What first was a rumor on the forums later became known more widely: Seiko is discontinuing the production of the legitimately iconic SKX007 (and its many siblings).

I recently shared the story of my first watch, and while that humble little Timex did indeed kick off my interest in rolex replica watches – like the endless stream of "entertaining" comic book movies every one assures me I should love – there is yet another chapter in my origin story. It's a story that leads to many many Seikos, but like many of you, it started with one true enthusiast-loved model – the SKX007.

At this point, you may be wondering, “Why is he talking so much about the Seiko SKX? I thought this was a review of the new Seiko 5s”. Well, to my mind, you can’t understand the new Seiko 5s without understanding both the old Seiko 5s and their more dive-focused relative, the SKX007 (for simplicity I’m going to keep saying the SKX007, but this could be largely interchangeable with many of the other versions – more on that in a bit).

In creating a something of a new formula for the 2019 Seiko 5s, aka the SRPD Seiko 5s, Seiko had to ensure they paid some favor to the enthusiasts that had long been telling their friends to buy SNKs and SKXs, and you can see elements of both in the new Seiko 5 design. The brief is still very much a Seiko 5, but the look is just a skootch off of the SKX007. Let’s dig in.

Starting with the Seiko 5, the line was originally launched in 1963 and was meant to offer value-driven everyday watches that were sport ready along with an excellent entry point into the Seiko line up, which by that time - in Japan, at least - included everything from the Seiko 5 all the way to Grand Seiko (which launched in 1960 with the gorgeous 3180-powered J14070).

Furthermore, while I’m sure that many of you have owned (or at least read about) the Seiko 5, did you know that the "5" stands for something? True to the specific and focused way in which Seiko produces watches, the "5" is in reference to five base qualities that should be offered by any Seiko 5 watch. These include automatic winding, a day and date display, water resistance, a protected/recessed crown, and a durable case and bracelet. That feels like a recipe for an excellent and reliable sports watch and, from the Speed Timer of 1969 to perennial favorites like the SNXS77, the SNK381, or the truly wonderful SNK803 (or any SNK80x), Seiko 5 became synonymous with entry-level mechanical watches that didn’t skimp where it counts. Go ahead, Google Seiko 5 and see how often one (or several) pop up in listicles for the best watches under a given price. This is with plenty of good reason, as you can still snag an SNK803 for less than $100.

Long story short, the legacy of Seiko 5 is as the Mediterranean or Baltic Ave in the Monopoly of watch enthusiasm. They aren’t expensive or flashy, but the value statement is pure Seiko and they offer a foundational building block for any value-hungry collector or buyer.

Connective Tissue
Likewise, while representing a step up from the brand's most entry-level line, the SKX line of watches is something a bit more sport specific. While the "SKX" nomenclature is an umbrella that includes watches outside the scope of this post (like the classic SKX779 "Black Monster"), when most Seiko-nerds say "SKX" they are referring to watches like the SKX007, the SKZX009 (blue/red bezel), the SKX011 (orange dial), the SKX013 (37mm version of SKX007), or the SKX173 (the US market variant with a slightly different dial design). Regardless of the variants, the base unit of this design, and its formidable presence in the watch community, is the SKX007.

With a black dial surrounded by a 42.5mm steel case (46mm lug to lug and 13.25mm thick), a unidirectional dive bezel (with a luminous pip), screw-down crown, and 200 meters of water resistance, the SKX007 is a true tool dive watch. I’ve had mine for more than 10 years (I thought it less while recording the video, but I am getting old, see the below image – the first I ever made on a DLSR). It was my first proper mechanical watch, my first legit dive watch, and it represented my in-road not into watch appreciation, but rather into the ranks of the watch nerd (following untold hours on Poor Man’s Watch Forum and WatchUSeek, to make sure I wasn't off the mark).

Over the past decade (plus), my SKX007 has been with me through a lot. Endless adventures, my PADI certification, and endless jobs around North America and Europe. It is the sort of watch that becomes a companion, nice enough to feel like you have a few things going for you, but not so nice that you feel the need to take it off when the going gets tough. I’ve worn my SKX007 on the included (and very jangly) jubilee bracelet, a Seiko Z22 rubber strap, an Isofrane rubber, a cadre of leather options, and of course, NATOs. A few years back, knowing that dive duty could go to a handful of other watches, I installed a Yobokies 12-hour steel bezel insert, which made my SKX007 both much more useful and much more me. Here it is running double-duty in London in the fall of last year:

Cartier Is Launching A Digital Platform For Its 2020 Watch Releases

With this year's major trade shows canceled and the schedule for releases in constant flux, some brands are taking extra initiative to let their customers and collectors know what's happening. A little extra effort and transparency go a long way, especially in this current situation. To those ends, Cartier will be launching a dedicated consumer-oriented platform called Cartier Watchmaking Encounters on Saturday, April 25. Here the brand will share its latest releases, provide context around their creation, and position the products within the broader cultural landscape. Watch Replicas

Cartier Watchmaking Encounters will contain a few separate sections, each dedicated to a particular category of the brand's releases. First will be a section for the main collection of watches, covering the sorts of pieces that you'll find at boutiques and retailers around the world. This year, the main focus there will be on a reimagined Pasha collection, but the new Maillon and a few Santos updates will be included as well. Next, there will be a section for the exclusive Cartier Privé collection of limited edition pieces inspired by the brand's history (think things like this and this). We'll be getting a few specially engraved Santos-Dumont models and a revived Tank Asymétrique, both of which I'm extremely excited to see. Finally, there will also be a section for the maison's high jewelry watches, which are always stunners. replica rolex

"In the current context, we believe it is important to preserve our interactions with all our clients around the world through various touchpoints, and thus be able to offer them an experience entirely dedicated to our Maison’s watchmaking creations," says Arnaud Carrez, Marketing and Communications Director at Cartier International. "By discovering this new platform, our clients will be invited to explore our creations, and our services, and on a broader level, the watchmaking spirit of Cartier."

One important thing to note here: Cartier will still be participating in the digital Watches & Wonders activation that also launches on Saturday and that the FHH announced earlier this week. Cartier Watchmaking Encounters is an additional initiative and will feature complementary information and experiences.

The Cartier Watchmaking Encounters website will reside at , and it will go live the morning of April 25. We'll have tons of updates for you once the new watches officially launch, and be sure to check the platform out for yourself too!
To my recollection, I paid about $200 for this Seiko and not long ago I spent another chunk of cash to have it serviced (the7S26 is a workhorse, but not an accurate one, so be sure to keep yours tuned up by a qualified pro). I love this watch, I have convinced friends and family to buy the same (or similar) and I intend to have it around until it (or I) are claimed by one of many life's adventures.

At a more macro level, Seiko dive watches are special in that they can be both a unit of enthusiast watchmaking and just about anyone's one watch by offering easy appeal to both enthusiast or casual buyers. Yes the SKX007 is a bit big for some wrists (if so, sub in an SKX013) and yes the movement is not especially accurate or refined, but it's a tough steel dive watch with a classic Seiko aesthetic that can be traced back to 1968, and Seiko is a brand that both knows and loves the dive watch in all of its forms.

With the above in mind, I look at the Seiko SKX007 (and in many ways the outgoing Seiko 5s), in two specific ways. First, as a product, and second, as the beginning of a fascination which has claimed more than the last 10 years of my life. I know that it may seem that I have digressed, but I'll do my best to put the above context to use.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 34mm

Some watchmakers create huge fanfare when they release new watches, no matter how important or incremental. Audemars Piguet has become somewhat notorious over the last few years for quietly dropping releases, big and small, onto its website with no warning and no hoopla. Waking up today, I found that a totally new Royal Oak model had appeared in the collection: The first 34mm mechanical Royal Oak. Cheap Replica Watches

Previously, the small size Royal Oak came in at 33mm and featured a quartz movement. That model, in a handful of variations, continues to be a part of the AP collection, but it's being joined by a slightly larger version packing a self-winding movement. There are four variations on the 34mm Royal Oak Selfwinding at launch: a steel version with a silver dial; a two-tone pink-gold and steel version with a silver dial; a steel version with a blue dial and diamond bezel; and a pink-gold version with a silver dial and diamond bezel. All of them utilize the AP caliber 5800, which is a 4 Hz automatic movement with center seconds and a date display at three o'clock, just like on the other RO models.

With these additions, fake rolex you can now get self-winding Royal Oaks in 34mm, 37mm, 39mm (as the "Jumbo"), and 41mm. That's quite the selection, and there are various special color options and limited editions across that range as well. It will be interesting to see how this new 34mm collection develops and whether or not it eventually supplants the 33mm quartz models altogether. For sake of comparison, the 34mm mechanical Royal Oak in steel is priced at $18,300, while the comparable 33mm quartz Royal Oak is $13,400.

To me, the thing that first jumped out is the four colorway choices that AP decided on to launch this model. It's certainly a strange mix, but after thinking about it for a bit, it totally makes sense. Not offering the stainless steel model with a blue dial (without diamonds) prevents more steel-and-blue Royal Oaks from hitting the market, while also offering an incentive for folks to spring for the diamonds if they want that classic combo. Personally, I'm really digging the all-pink-gold model with diamonds – it isn't totally flooded, so it's a slightly more understated way to rock a diamond AP.

What I'm most curious about, though, is how these wear on the wrist. AP isn't explicitly marketing these as ladies' watches, and I think that a guy like me with smaller wrists might actually be able to wear these. Royal Oak models always wear a bit larger than the dimensions would suggest, in part because they are so flat and have such an angular design, and I'm interested to see if this could be a new avenue to explore. Sure, it's not going to look like a 15202, so don't start having fantasies of having found your solution to that lifetime-long waitlist, but it could be fun nonetheless.

On the flip side of that, though, these watches will most likely be purchased predominately for or by women, and it's cool to see AP invest in putting mechanical movements in these pieces. More and more women are getting into the watch world, and hopefully the days of brands throwing quartz movements in diamond-covered watches and calling it a day are behind us.
Brand: Audemars Piguet
Model: Royal Oak Selfwinding 34mm
Reference Number: 77350ST.OO.1261ST.01 (steel), 77350SR.OO.1261SR.01 (two-tone), 77351ST.ZZ.1261ST.01 (steel with diamonds), 77351OR.ZZ.1261OR.01 (pink gold with diamonds)

Diameter: 34mm
Thickness: 8.8mm
Case Material: Steel, two-tone steel and pink gold, or pink gold
Dial Color: Silver-toned grand tapisserie (steel, two-tone, pink gold with diamonds), blue-grey grande tapisserie (steel with diamonds)
Indexes: Applied batons
Lume: Yes, on hands and hour markers
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Integrated metal bracelet matching the case with folding clasp
Additional Details: Diamond models feature 40 brilliant-cut diamonds set into the bezel, totaling ~0.71 carats

An Attainable Autavia, A Multicolored Mido

For many, it's a difficult time of uncertainty. But, do yourself a favor, and allow yourself a brief diversion amidst all the unrest. We've got a great selection of watches to take your mind off it all this week, including an early Autavia from Heuer, and a two-register Breitling in top condition. For the dive watch aficionados, this is a roundup you won't want to miss, with a perfect Scafograf 300, a colorful Mido Power wind, and the nicest Submariner you'll see in a good long while. imitation watches
If you hadn't already heard, Steve McQueen never wore an early Explorer II, and his association with the watch is the stuff of vintage watch-collecting Apocrypha. However, he most certainly did wear a Ref. 5512 configured like so – even if he didn't age as attractively as today's example.

Upon first seeing this example, I knew right away that it deserved a spot in this week's roundup. Hunting down a truly great Submariner is anything but an easy task, often taking considerably longer than that of other Rolex sports models. To maximize your quarantine down-time, don't bother searching high and low, just look in the direction of this example from 1966. fake tag heuer watches

As the two extra lines of text on its dial would suggest, this example of the Ref. 5512 is powered by the COSC-certified Cal. 1570, which can be confirmed by inspecting its movement shot. While some are quick to quip about the amount of text on certain Rolex dials, I personally view the ability to add additional text with confidence as a testament to the strength of the Submariner's design. It remains as appealing and iconic as ever, even when complicated. Making matters more compelling is the fact that these added lines of certification-touting text were applied in silver, adding an extra degree of dimension to an already multi-faceted watch.
Another reason to like this example, and perhaps a less obvious one, is the material used for its luminous applications. The bulk of four-line, gilt dials make use of radium, whereas this piece is illuminated using the far less radioactive compound of tritium. This not only makes this version of the reference a rarity within Submariner collecting, but also affords a little peace of mind. With a Geiger counter reading similar to that of a banana (yes, bananas are technically radioactive), it's a little easier for the hypochondriacally inclined to sleep at night with a tritium watch by their bedside.

Jacek Kozubek of Tropical Watch has this outstanding Submariner listed on his site for $56,850. Get in touch by Just last week, I had the pleasure of visiting a good friend within the industry who's now at Sotheby's. Prior to bringing out a few trays of goodies to drool over, my friend was showing two Heuer's to a client, which I was asked to inspect. The watches checked out and then some, but it was the state of the brand's current market which really got the three of us talking. In my personal opinion, there's never been a better time to buy a Heuer, as their pricing is now stable and not inflated by those who were previously looking to turn a quick profit amidst a bout of hype. Examples are attainable, and noteworthy ones at that, which this next piece most definitely is.
Despite comparisons, early Autavias are radically different watches than Daytonas of the same vintage. Sure, they've both got ties to motorsport and are powered by Valjoux 72's, but the former of the two models has considerably more going on in the funk department. With their oversized registers, contrasting typefaces, and bold luminous applications, more character factored into their design, yielding a perhaps less timeless though more lively watch. Nevertheless, 1960s Autavias have aged incredibly well, and the one we're breaking down today is no exception.
This is my favorite variant of the early Autavias, featuring a first execution case and dial, traced by a second execution handset. Though the entirely lumed, dauphine-shaped hands seen on the Ref. 2446's earliest iteration are a sight to see, these ever so slightly later hands are arguably less fragile and give the watch a more premium appearance. Condition wise, it's clean, but not in a questionable way that inspires skepticism. Honest watches will generally have a few insignificant blemishes, like the minimal wear seen on the big-eye registers and bezel insert. Most importantly, the hands and hour markings have aged to an even tone and also react evenly under a UV-light. For those who have yet to get familiarized with the wonders of a black light, this sort of reaction speaks to their originality.