The 2014 Ball Engineer II Pioneer Chronometer (ref. NM2026C-L4CAJ-BK) delivers all the usual treats from the watchmaker that was founded in America, but later moved to Switzerland. The compact, deliberately simple body would look good on almost any wrist, its dial is high-contrast and easily readable even to older persons with poor sight. However, if your idea of a dress watch doesn’t include more than two dozen glass micro-tubes filled with a mildly radioactive, self-glowing gas, you may find this timekeeper slightly difficult to adapt to.
ETA 2824
Celebrating the Centennial: Glycine F104 Pilot
Commemorating the Swiss brand’s 100th Anniversary, the automatic Glycine F104 Pilot (Ref. 3932.146AT.LB7R) delivers that great mix of a clean, easy to read dial with an easy to recognize pre-WWII styling, and deliberately oversized body: something that you rarely see when it comes to pilot’s watches designed during the last decade or two. Although, like a number of recently introduced timekeepers that try to strike your imagination with monsters that look ridiculous on almost any wrist of a man of a normal stature, this one will not look that great if you decide to wear it with formal suit, it is still an interesting collectible item that one can even wear from time to time. Perhaps, combine it with an equally expensive winter bomber jacket that would be able to somehow hid the gadget’s overall bulkiness?
Homage to Rolex 6200? Steinhart Ocean One Vintage
For a business entity, which is essentially a one-man show, Steinhart is surprisingly prolific. Although most of their watches are so-called “homages” and “tributes”, there is a lot of them. Starting from “divers” to “pilots” and going all the way to sporty chronographs, the brand offers you plenty to choose from.
This self-winding Ocean One Vintage, for example, is designed for the kind of people that are longing for a historic Rolex (or, perhaps, even a re-issue of a historic Tudor,) but either can’t afford one or plain don’t want to bother sifting through the thousands of “pre-loved” models with a questionable history.
Chr. Ward C61 Trident-Pro Automatic Diver
Considered by many enthusiasts as an entry-level “Swiss Made” watch of choice, the Trident C60 has recently got significantly smaller. Since the bulky 42 millimeters of the original model were often too massive for buyers of the skinnier type, this 38-millimeter Chr. Ward C61 Trident-Pro will fit any medium- and small-sized wrist. And if you think that orange is just too bright for you (and it is, just trust me), there are two more color combinations to choose from.
Sinn U200 B (EZM 8) Special Edition Diver
Sinn, a brand that is mostly known for its professional-grade diving tools, starts taking pre-orders for its new Sinn U200 B (EZM 8) Special Edition for hardcore diving enthusiasts. Available for orders from October and till 31 December 2013, the new diver features Sinn’s signature styling and comes in a nice presentation box with a spare NATO-style textile strap and a set of instruments to make installing the band easier.
Eberhard & Co. Scafodat 500 41025 Professional Diver
If memory serves, the Eberhard & Co. Scafodat 500, a professional diving tool, was first introduced back in 2006 or 2005. In 2013, it was slightly updated. Although I cannot see any noticeable differences between the ref. 41025 2013 model and previous iterations, the timekeeper still deserves a mention now, when thousands of recreational divers still sit on the fence trying to choose among dozens of great mechanical diving watches that are available both online and at numerous boutiques.