Traditionally advent calendars are filled with chocolates or little pictures behind paper doors. The idea of marking each day with a small surprise is appealing to us and for the watch fanatics among our readers, we have gone down the horological route. This week we present you with seven sport watches capable of withstanding the shocks and strains of whichever sporting activity takes your fancy.
We’ll start our recommendations with one of science fiction films’ most famous watches, the Hamilton Khaki Field Murph Auto (£890), a faithful recreation of the watch worn by Murphy Cooper “Murph” (played by Jessica Chastain) in Interstellar (2014). This new Murph is housed in a 38mm stainless steel case featuring ultra-readable black dial, beige vintage-style Super-LumiNova® finished hands and black leather strap, reflecting the key aesthetic codes of its 42mm predecessor. The powerful Powered calibre H-1O gives the watch 80 hours of power reserve and is water resistant to 100 metres.
With the word “Eureka” printed in Morse code in lacquer on the seconds hand, the “Murph” is a must for fans of Interstellar and a collector’s piece for Hamilton enthusiasts.
This H-10 three-hand boasts a superior power reserve of 80 hours, the H-10 appears with intricate contrasting snail and pearled patterns for the American Classic models it drives and streamlined surfaces for the pilots’ watches. You can buy it HERE.
Our second choice brings us to British shores. The Vertex M100AC (£2,624.40) is the latest iteration of the most popular Vertex model, the M100A, a finely honed 40mm tribute to the watch the company produced for the British military. The M100AC (A for Automatic & C for Covert) has been coated with DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon), a material that combines the properties of both diamond and graphite on a steel surface. For example, it can be very hard so that it is wear and corrosion resistant and aesthetically, it has a striking dark charcoal gray colour.
The M100AC takes inspiration from the Vertex watches worn by the British military in WWII. The principles that made it fit for purpose then hold true today: rugged, dependable and with unrivalled legibility.
The black dial, with Super-LumiNova®️ Arabic numerals to maximise legibility, pays homage to the Vertex W.W.W watch of 1944. Manufactured at the Vertex atelier in Switzerland, the M100AC comes with a custom rhodium finished Sellita SW260 Swiss movement, with Côtes de Gèneve decoration. It is water resistant to 100m and has power reserve of 42 hours. The watch comes presented in a Peli case and with three straps: a bespoke rubber two-piece strap, a nylon NATO-style strap in red with DLC metal parts and a Nato black nylon strap. You can buy it HERE.
After being officially certified as a climate neutral company, Swiss watchmaker Oris wanted to get more involved and for that, they chose to partner up with the world’s leading aerial firefighting organisation: Coulson Aviation. The Oris Coulson Limited Edition (£3,400) is based on the Big Crown ProPilot and stands out from the rest with its fiery, gradient orange dial, a symbolic nod of respect to Coulson’s brave pilots. The 41mm carbon fibre case is 3D-printed using an innovative method new to watchmaking that involves weaving together carbon fibre and a high- grade polymer developed in aerospace called PEKK.
The Oris Coulson, developed to support the global aerial firefighting company Coulson Aviation, boasts an innovated carbon printed case and fiery orange dial.
Completing the high-tech, lightweight profile are a grey-PVD-plated titanium fixed bezel, screw-down crown and case-back, and a black textile strap. The watch, movement included, weighs just 65 grammes. Hands, numerals and indices are coated with Super-LumiNova®, Inside we find Oris’s highly anti-magnetic Calibre 400 with 120 hours of power reserve. Water resistant to 100m. Only 1,000 pieces will be made. You can buy it HERE.
The original dive watch, the Blancpain1735 Fifty Fathoms (£13,800), was developed in 1953, beating certain other brands by a year or more. It was a reference to the depth rating of the watch. The term “Fathom” comes from the old English “fæthm”, meaning “outstretched arms.” The outstretched arms were approximately 6 feet in length, so 50 fathoms equal approximately 300 feet or just over 91 metres.
The Fifty Fathoms embodies Blancpain’s passion for the underwater world that was originally expressed in 1953 with the presentation of the first modern diver’s watch.
Created by the then CEO of Blancpain, Jean-Jacques Fiechter, today’s watch has a number of design features found on the original, namely the same depth rating, a double sealed crown, self-winding movement, dark dial with contracting luminescent indicators, a secured rotating bezel, and an anti-magnetic housing. The more exclusive tool watch for divers and dive watch aficionados. You can buy it HERE.
We couldn’t speak about sports watch and not mention the very first one, the most lauded and still the most sought after: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (£22,900) in steel. This year, it turned 50 and despite its age, it has lost none of its style or horological savoir faire.
With its steel case, octagonal bezel, “Tapisserie” dial and integrated bracelet, the Royal Oak overturned the prevailing codes in 1972 and took its rightful place as a modern icon.
It was Gerald Genta’s design that changed not only how a watch could look – integrated bracelet, different finishing techniques and a hexagonal bolted bezel and back that secured the movement in the case – but it also changed the pricing, which now depended on the amount of work involved rather than the use of precious metals. Today’s Royal Oak is true to the original half a century ago, with an improved calibre and slightly enhanced proportions, but still the same recognisable form. The ultimate chic on the wrist then, and now. You can buy it HERE.
For the horologically inclined petrol head, we’ve picked the newly launched Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracán Sterrato Monobalancier (£54,000). Limited to 28 pieces, this is the latest watch as part of its partnership with Lamborghini. In keeping with the festive season, the 45mm diameter carbon case features red and orange highlights, as does the skeletonised dial, where the design is inspired by the hexagonal air intakes of the Lamborghini Squadra Corse racing cars.
Inspired by the Sterrato supercar, the Excalibur Spider Huracan Sterrato is a feat of advance mechanics and hyper-tech materials.
The automatic movement for the watch has a 12-degree tilted balance wheel with twin barrel main springs for 60 hours of power reserve, and a rotor designed like a wheel rim. The carbon case is matched with a black DLC titanium bezel and a rubber strap with camouflage pattern that is interchangeable thanks to Roger Dubuis proprietary QRS – Quick Release System. The calibre structure is designed in the same manner as a super-car engine with strut-bars forming a clear and visible visual signature. You can buy it HERE.
The Breitling Top Time was originally designed in the 1960s to be an ultra-modern chronograph that appealed to the young demographic at the time. In recent years, Breitling has reintroduced the watch and co-designed with Australian lifestyle brand Deus Ex Machina, the custom motorcycle and surf outfitter, to produce the Breitling Top Time Deus (£4,650). The result is a retro-modern styled chronograph in a limited-edition of 2,000 pieces.
Inside the 41mm stainless-steel case is a white and blue dial that features the Deus yellow and orange details, a lightning-bolt-shaped chronograph hand on top of TV screen-shaped chronograph counters. The Deus’ adage “In benzin veritas” (literal translation: in petrol the truth) appears before the tachymeter scale. On the case back is an engraving of a retro-looking motorcyclist in rally racer mode by Deus creative director Carby Tuckwell. The movement inside is the COSC certified Breitling Caliber 23, and the watch comes fitted with a brown racing-themed calfskin leather strap. You can buy it HERE.
Words: Julia Pasarón
Opening image by Jackie Lou DL for Pixabay
Show Comments +