The Glycine Combat 6 (Ref. 3890.19AT-LB9) comes in a mid-sized 43 mm case and, with its traditional layout, offers superb readability in any lighting scenario. Combine this with almost unrivaled reliability and robustness of the famous ETA 2824-2 Swiss-made movement (they prefer to list it as Caliber GL 224 in some of their ads) and an affordable price, and you get yourself an absolutely gorgeous “entry-level” pilot’s (sort of) timekeeper for a person looking for his or her first “real” Swiss watch.
50 m
Vintage-Styled Archimede Pilot XL Automatic
If you have a body (or at least wrists) of heroic proportions and are not willing to pay thousands of dollars for ridiculously overpriced timepieces like, say, IWC Doppel-Chronograph Top Gun, then you may want to check out the vintage-styled Archimede Pilot XL , which is both ruggedly-classy and, priced well below the €500 mark, surprisingly affordable.
Breitling Airwolf Raven Special Edition chronograph
Originally introduced to the Professional line back in 2006, Breitling’s hi-tech Airwolf electronic chronograph with a digital-analog display is now available as the Airwolf Raven special-edition model.
Revue Thommen Airspeed Instrument RT1920
Revue Thommen has just presented the new Airspeed Instrument RT1920: a new member of its –ahem– controversial Bell & Ross-styled line of “aviators”. As you can see, the guys behind the –ahem– aspiring Swiss-based brand even preserved all four Arabic numerals from the series name, although, apparently for copyright reasons, put them in a slightly different order.
Concord C1 Biretrograde Automatic (ref. 0320045)
At the last Baselworld 2009 trade show, Concord has revealed several new models from their C1 family of deliberately rugged timekeepers. Among others, the new collection included an outrageous QuantumGravity, as well as some variations on their more practical C1 Chronograph family. Predictably, they all looked good (or, at least, acceptable for someone who is into this kind of industrial design,) but it was the C1 Biretrograde (ref. 0320045) collection that I liked the most.
Rugged and Sturdy: Timex Expedition WS4
The Timex Expedition WS4 will soon be available in the United States and in some overseas markets. With its comprehensive list of functions, all of them packed within a sturdy, rugged body, the new gadget will probably become a serious competitor to several watches from European and Japanese manufacturers thanks to its more than competitive price.