The Portugieser is one of IWC’s oldest and most prestigious product lines, with a dial that has hardly changed over 80 years. “That’s why we approached the project of designing the new collection very carefully and with tremendous respect for history,” Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC, and Creative Director Christian Knoop explained.

The Portugieser’s Handsome Dial Remains Nearly Unchanged
The impressive result puts every doubt to rest. Glancing at the attractive face of the Portugieser Chronograph, you instantly recognize a cherished old acquaintance, although the dial of our test watch is now a trendy green, and plays with the light. Another version comes with a burgundy dial. There’s also a boutique edition with an elegant blue dial and a rose-gold case.

The very distinctive, clear and functional dial is 38 mm in diameter and has recessed counters at 6 and 12, slim feuille hands and applied Arabic numerals. These features have so strongly influenced the Portugieser chronograph that even in the new version, no designer dared to replace the partly cut-away numerals 6 and 12 with arguably “simpler” index strokes. Comparing this latest update to the last fine tuning about 10 years ago, we find that the calibrations on the counters with inward-facing numerals, the lettering, and the slender quarter-second scale on the flange have all remained unchanged. As a whole, the latest version of this timeless watch retains its own character and remains loyal to its origins as a time-measuring instrument — not least because of the finely calibrated elapsed-seconds scale. With three intervening strokes between each pair of full-second lines, its markings correctly match the 4-Hz rhythm of a modified version of a movement from IWC’s recent 69000 caliber family.

IWC’s Favorite, at Last with a Manufacture Caliber
Designated as number 69355, this caliber is the essential new feature in the latest Portugieser chronograph. As one of the most popular items in IWC’s portfolio, now it’s finally equipped with a manufacture caliber. This was not yet the situation a decade ago, when the still-young Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph was given a manufacture movement from the 89000 caliber series, which was introduced in 2007. The 69000 caliber family, which made its debut 10 years later, underwent four years of further development and was encased for the first time in the Ingenieur Chronograph in 2017.

With the newly designed 69000 caliber series, IWC is gradually replacing chronograph movements based on the ETA/Valjoux 7750 and at the same time offering a less costly alternative to the 89000 series of manufacture calibers. Our test watch comes with a $7,950 price tag. The least costly variant of the new Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph with Caliber 89361 sells for $12,100. Paying the additional charge also gets you a flyback function and a longer power reserve of 68 hours. The power reserve of Caliber 69355, on the other hand, is rather short by contemporary standards, at 46 hours, and this caliber relies on an index to adjust its hairspring’s active length — a simpler method of finely adjusting the rate than the eccentric screws on the rim of Caliber 89361’s balance in the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph.

Otherwise, chronograph Caliber 69355 similarly offers a sturdy and precise column wheel to control the stopwatch functions, a rocking pinion to couple the chronograph with the flow of force from the gear train and a modern bidirectional effective self-winding mechanism. This automatic winding, however, is not the Pellaton mechanism (named after the former IWC engineer) that’s installed in the calibers of the 89000 series, but a modern development from the Richemont Group.

The Movement’s Rate Upholds the Promise of Quality
The positioning of the subdial for the continually running seconds at the 6 is unusual because most chronographs put this indicator at the 9. While other modifications of Caliber 69000 have a counter for 12 elapsed hours at the 9, it’s absent from the Portugieser chronograph, as is the date across the dial at the 3. With reference to this watch’s history and to further enhance the harmony of its design, this newest Portugieser only has a 30-minute counter at the 12 and no luminous material on its numerals, indexes or hands.

Turning the timepiece over and peering through its back, where four screws affix the sapphire crystal, you can discover numerous details typical of IWC’s caliber construction, e.g., circular patterns in Geneva-stripes style, satin finishes, circular graining and a skeletonized rotor engraved with the words “Probus Scafusia.” Our test confirmed that the automatic movement upholds this promise of quality. It ran extremely well and achieved well-balanced rate values. Its performance on the wrist was similar to the rate measured by our timing machine when the watch was fully wound. Timekeeping in chronograph mode is likewise impeccable, with an average daily deviation of about 1 second.

The Portugieser Chronograph Reflects Timelessness and Modernity
The stopwatch functions are controlled by pressing mushroom-shaped push-pieces. The pressure points here are secure and the buttons run smoothly to reliably trigger the column wheel. The knurled crown is user friendly and can easily be pulled outward into the hand-setting position. These components complement the classic Portugieser case, which reveals its conical contours when viewed from the side. The narrow, polished bezel extends beyond the middle part of the case, thus providing plenty of space for the dial. The screwed back tapers toward the sapphire crystal with a concave edge curve. The case’s laterally satin-finished middle section slopes very strongly downward to the strap lugs. All this, together with the high-quality alligator leather strap and its convenient butterfly folding clasp makes it comfortable to wear on the wrist.

A quick look at the wrist immediately offers a pleasant surprise because our “good old friend” now indulges in a lively play of colors. Viewed through its domed and anti-reflective sapphire crystal, the dial doesn’t appear green from every angle, but changes its appearance from dark green to nearly black, which endows this classic watch with understated elegance. Whether by coincidence or on purpose, in this way too the Portugieser chronograph embodies the timeless modernity for which IWC is known and appreciated.

SPECS:
Manufacturer: IWC Schaffausen, Baumgartenstrasse 15, 8200 Schaffausen, Switzerland
Reference number: IW371615
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph (central elapsed- seconds hand, counter for up to 30 elapsed minutes)
Movement: IWC 69355 based on caliber family 69000, automatic, 28,800 vph, 27 jewels, Glucydur balance, Nivarox hair-spring, Etachron fine adjustment via bi-partite index, Incabloc shock absorption, 46-hour power reserve, diameter = 30.0 mm, height = 7.90 mm
Case: Stainless steel with domed sapphire crystal above dial anti-reflectively treated on both sides, sapphire crystal in caseback, water resistant to 30 meters
Strap and cla­­sp: Black alligator leather strap with double folding clasp
Rate results (deviation in seconds per 24 hours, fully wound/after 24 hours:
On the wrist +1.6
Dial up +3.1 / +1.4
Dial down +2.5 / +0.0
Crown up -0.5 / -3.5
Crown down +4.1 / +4.4
Crown left -0.3 / -0.8
Greatest deviation 4.6 / 7.9
Average deviation +1.8 / +0.3
Average amplitude:
Flat positions 321° / 292°
Hanging positions 296° / 267°
Dimensions: Diameter = 40.95 mm, height = 13.08 mm, weight = 90.0 g
Variations: With burgundy dial (Ref. IWC371616; $7,950); Boutique Edition with rose-gold case, blue dial and blue strap (Ref. IW371614; $17,800)
Price: $7,950

Sports, like so many things in life, are a matter of taste and talent. One person may choose to compete in the Ironman challenge while another considers chess to be a sport. The latter is in good company because the International Olympic Committee agrees with him.

Eager to woo adherents of both viewpoints, A. Lange & Söhne advertises its new Odysseus, our test watch, as a “sporty, elegant watch for very active people.” The elite manufacture has given this new watch plenty of features that make it more robust and enlarge its field of activity. Choosing stainless steel as the material for its case already helps quite a bit because this alloy is much less susceptible to scratches than the precious metals gold and platinum, which Lange has used exclusively in its watches. And unlike Lange’s typical crocodile-skin straps, this model’s stainless-steel bracelet doesn’t mind a dip in a lake. Furthermore, wearing this watch while enjoying activities that raise a sweat doesn’t mean you’ll have to pay €290 plus VAT (around $375 total) to replace a stained but otherwise high-quality leather strap.

A Supple Stainless-steel Bracelet with a Sophisticated Clasp
High temperatures or physical exertion can also cause your wrist to swell slightly, but that’s not a problem for Lange’s Odysseus thanks to the clever adjustment system in its clasp. The circular logo on the buckle can be pressed down, thereby lengthening the strap in fine increments to add a maximum of 7 mm. Simply push the strap back into the buckle to shorten it. This practical mechanism works very well and we used it more often than we’d initially expected.

Alongside stainless steel as the material for the case and bracelet, the case’s increased resistance to pressure qualifies this watch to participate in a wider range of activities. The Odysseus is the first Lange watch that can withstand pressure of 12 bar, which corresponds to water pressure at a depth of 120 meters. Strictly speaking, the pressure resistance to a depth of 30 meters that Lange typically provides isn’t even suitable for a shower or a swimming pool. Thanks to its screw-down crown, the Odysseus can easily survive a dive from the deck of a sailboat. A sporty watch should be easy to read, both in the light and in the dark. The Odysseus meets this requirement with luminous material on its hour hand, its minutes hand and its large indexes; only the small seconds hand remains dark.

With all of these new features, is the Odysseus still recognizable as a Lange watch? There’s no cause for concern here because the manufacture has retained important characteristic features. This applies to the lance-shaped hands and to the seconds hand with its skeletonized counterweight, to the typeface used for the calibrated scales and, to a certain extent, to the case, for example, the shape of the lugs and the polished bezel. Of course, Lange’s big date display also contributes to recognizability. The large width of the bracelet at the lugs and the comparatively delicate hand for the small seconds admittedly take some getting used to, but all in all, Lange has adroitly combined new and old design features.

The Blue Dial — a Work of Art in Itself
The dial is a work of art: both the wreath of hour indexes and the subdial for the seconds are grooved, while the inner part of both the main dial and the subdial have rough surfaces. The bar-shaped hour indexes are made of white gold and each one not only slopes downward toward the center of the dial, but also has an M-shaped cross section and is filled with luminous material along its midline. The satin-finished minutes scale runs along the flange — a practical solution, and a somewhat unusual one for Lange. The red numeral 60 on the flange adds a dash of sportiness and also recalls the red numeral 12 that Lange used on rare anniversary models with enamel dials.

Also new, the day of the week appears in a window positioned directly opposite the double aperture for the big date. Like the dial, the disks for these two displays are blue — a small but important detail that’s all too often ignored. And when it’s overlooked, the mismatched color scheme detracts from the harmony of the design. In addition, the typeface chosen for the displays is the same one that spells out the brand’s name on the dial.

Lange not only developed the mechanism for the day-of-the-week display; it also redesigned the mechanism for the big date because the latter is now located near the edge of the dial, instead of closer to the middle as before. To achieve the largest possible display area, the big date indicator puts the digits into a ones ring and a 10s disk instead of in the previous cross shape. Furthermore, the ones ring is now larger and runs around the periphery of the movement, so it’s marked with the digits 0 to 9 twice.

The mechanism for the day of the week and the big date is propelled by the hour wheel, which completes one full circle every 12 hours. Its motion is transmitted to the 24-hour wheel, which requires one full day to finish each 360° rotation. The 24-hour wheel directly advances the day-of-the-week indicator. At the same time, it also propels a program wheel that guides the proper progress of the ones ring and the 10s disk. The program wheel powers the gear train of the ones ring so that it advances by one increment per day. An exception occurs when the 31st day of an expiring month transitions into the first day of a new month, in which case a missing tooth in the program wheel assures that the gear shift is skipped once. The program wheel also propels the gear train of the 10s disk every 10 days. Only when changing from the 3 to the empty field does switching take place after two days rather than 10. To correct the date, Lange has integrated two pushers into a component that’s likely to be mistaken for a crown protector: the upper pusher advances the date and the lower one resets the day of the week by one day. These pushers, disguised as crown protectors, are easy to operate and each has a precise pressure point. It’s extremely unlikely that they would be triggered unintentionally. The special design also makes it possible to switch both indicators forward or backward by turning the crown clockwise or counterclockwise beyond the midnight position. The mechanism cannot be damaged by incorrect use. In total, the calendar system consists of 99 components.

A New Movement, from Automatic Winding to The Balance
Lange didn’t merely redesign the calendar function; the entire movement was engineered specially for the Odysseus by the Glashütte-based company. Caliber L155.1 Datomatic with unidirectional winding rotor builds up a 50-hour power reserve. With a diameter of 32.9 mm, it’s the right size for this watch and, in addition to automatic winding, it offers other features that are appropriate for a sports watch movement. For example, it’s the first Lange caliber with a balance paced at the speedy frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. Thanks to this faster pace, shocks and vibrations exert less of an effect on the accuracy of the movement. To minimize air turbulence at this higher frequency, the engineers designed a smooth balance wheel with four countersunk regulating screws rather than relying on a classic screw balance or a balance with regulating weights on top of its wheel.

Lange also designed the bearing of the balance wheel for optimum robustness. Instead of a cock, which is borne on only one side, the balance of the Datomatic is supported by a bridge, which is screwed on both sides. Lange’s typical swan’s neck fine adjustment for the beat has been replaced by a similar construction in which a vertical eccentric screw replaces the horizontal one.

When it comes to embellishments, Lange has upheld its time-honored practices. The balance’s bridge is manually engraved with floral motifs, its edges are beveled and polished, and its screws are blued. There’s a three-quarter plate and at least one bearing jewel in a screwed gold setting, which accepts the pivot of the escape-wheel’s shaft and thus defines the heart of the watch in a very traditional way. Only the striped pattern has slightly wider stripes than usual. Every detail embodies horological artistry at the highest level, just as one would expect to encounter in a Lange timepiece.

A Genuine Lange Watch with an Expanded Field Of Application
The rate values are equally impressive. The Odysseus that we tested gained only 1 second per day on the wrist. Our timing machine reconfirmed the accurate timekeeping and calculated an average daily deviation of +1.1 seconds with a fully wound mainspring. The amplitude and thus also the accuracy decrease significantly after 24 hours, but this is less relevant for an automatic watch. What is important, however, is the wearing comfort. When it comes to metal bracelets, you sometimes have to make compromises, but Lange’s new bracelet lies very smoothly on the wrist and doesn’t pinch any hair. In addition to the quick adjustment mechanism mentioned earlier, the bracelet can also be shortened easily. Two recessed pushers on the back and toward the outside of each link can be pressed to remove individual links.

Lange modified the design of the bracelet and the clasp. The ingenious extension system in the buckle and the construction of the bracelet were developed by IWC for its Pilot’s chronographs. (Lange and IWC are both part of the Richemont Group.) The workmanship is perfect throughout the watch, with the sole exception of milling marks that weren’t polished off on the inner sides of the clasp’s hinges. Beveled and polished edges are a distinguishing feature of high-quality watches. Lange accordingly bevels and polishes the edges of parts in the watch’s movement, case and bracelet. These shiny planes contrast beautifully with satin-finished surfaces and add a distinctive sporty touch to the five rows of links that comprise the stainless-steel bracelet.

The Odysseus is therefore a genuine Lange watch — and readily recognizable as such —thanks to the movement’s technology and the typically high quality of the workmanship and embellishments. Furthermore, the manufacture from Glashütte has significantly expanded the range of applications for its watches with this first serially produced model in stainless steel, which offers a case made from a robust mater-ial and with greater pressure resistance, in combination with an excellent metal bracelet equipped with a quick-adjustment mechanism. These features are well worthwhile — not only on a sailing trip, but also on a summer day beside an invitingly cool lake.

SPECS:
Manufacturer: A. Lange Uhren GmbH, Ferdinand-Adolph-Lange-Platz 1, 01768, Glashütte, Germany
Reference number: 363.179
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, big date, day of the week
Movement: In-house Caliber L155.1, automatic, 28,800 vph, 31 jewels, Lange hairspring, Glucydur balance, Kif shock absorption, fine adjustment via four regulating screws, the beat can be finely adjusted via an eccentric and a swan’s neck spring, 50-hour power reserve, diameter = 32.9 mm, height = 6.20 mm
Case: Stainless steel, sapphire crystals rated 9 on the Mohs scale above the dial and in the back, water resistant to 120 meters
Bracelet­­­­ and cla­­sp: Stainless steel, secured deployant buckle with integrated mechanism to finely adjust the bracelet’s length
Rate results (Deviation in seconds per 24 hours, fully wound/after 24 hours):
On the wrist +1.1
Dial up +0.4 / +2.2
Dial down +3.3 / +3.4
Crown up -1.3 / -6.8
Crown down +2.5 / -4.0
Crown left +0.4 / -6.3
Greatest deviation 4.6 / 10.2
Average deviation +1.1 / -2.3
Average amplitude:
Flat positions 278° / 238°
Hanging positions 245° / 196°
Dimensions: Diameter = 40.5 mm, height = 11.1 mm, weight = 146.0 g
Price: $28,800

For a close look at the newest version of the Odysseus, in white gold with an integrated, sporty rubber strap, click here.

The Tudor label has been trendy in recent years and can look back on a steadily growing fan base. Rolex’s second brand was stagnant for many years, but since 2009, Tudor has begun accelerating again. Tudor’s history, which is rich in characteristic design, is being emphasized in the brand’s newly launched retro models. The Heritage Black Bay, which looks back to Tudor’s early dive watches, was released in 2012. Its debut was followed by the premiere of the smaller Black Bay Fifty-Eight in 2018. The blue version, which we are testing here, was unveiled in 2020.

The name “Fifty-Eight” refers to 1958, the year in which Tudor introduced its first divers’ watch, Reference 7924, known as the “Big Crown.” The new watch’s diameter of 39 mm corresponds to the dimensions of the case of the historical model. In other respects, too, this new version, at first glance, actually looks like a vintage watch, an antique model. It even looks somewhat delicate, thanks to the rotating bezel and the smaller dial.
The vintage impression is further underscored by the domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, which is highly curved along its rim like the acrylic crystals of models from previous decades. The dial, too, is slightly convex like the faces of classic antique watches. The narrow strap lugs and the typography on the rotatable bezel also allude to Tudor’s history. The designers even opted to omit a date display, thus completing the historical impression.

Old Tudor dive watches with so-called “snowflake” hands have become famous and are eagerly sought after at auctions. The nickname derives from the squares at the tips of the hour hand and seconds hand: each is rotated 45 degrees and somewhat resembles a stylized snowflake. This detail first appeared on the tips of the hands toward the end of the 1960s and was retained thereafter.

In 1956, French naval divers turned to Tudor to find the ideal divers’ watch for their purposes. Tudor subsequently became the official supplier to French military frogmen. The combat divers opted for blue rather than black dials in the mid-1970s. Our test watch with blue dial and blue aluminum dive-time scale recalls these timepieces. The aluminum scale is not as scratch-resistant as its ceramic counterparts, but its matte surface goes better with this model’s vintage styling.

All in all, Tudor has succeeded in creating a very handsome and harmonious retro watch that looks even more timeless thanks to its blue color and the fact that it forgoes the golden hands and hour indexes that are usually installed on the dials of other Fifty-Eight models. Fortunately, functionality was not allowed to fall by the wayside: large luminous indexes and plenty of luminous material on the hands guarantee outstanding legibility by day and by night. The easily grasped crown decouples from the winding mechanism when screwed shut, thus protecting the latter. The time is easy to set thanks to the stop-seconds function and the absence of a date display, which accordingly eliminates the crown’s first extracted position.

The unidirectional rotatable bezel clicks into place in single-minute increments. It, too, is easy to grasp and to turn thanks to its finely serrated rim. The bezels of early models had some play and sounded tinny when they clicked into place, but Tudor has made significant improvements: this watch’s bezel clicks almost as authoritatively into place as do its counterparts on watches made by Tudor’s big sister, Rolex. A luminous triangular index enables the wearer to read the dive time even in dark conditions or murky water. This Black Bay is also fully suitable for diving thanks to its case, which is water resistant to 200 meters, and its water-resistant textile strap.

The watch’s blue fabric strap is lightweight and durable and has a gray stripe along its midline. It is sewn using a traditional method that relies on historical machines. The handsome pin buckle is styled to resemble the shield shape of Tudor’s coat-of-arms logo. Like the case, the clasp juxtaposes polished and satin-finished surfaces.

The textile strap is permeable to air, which contributes to its comfort on the wrist. Flat textile straps often look out of place on watches with tall cases, but that is not an issue here: the strap suits the Black Bay well and enhances its overall vintage appearance.

The strap runs across the back of the case and therefore largely covers it, but that’s not a problem here because, unfortunately, this Tudor watch doesn’t have a glass back, so manufacture Caliber MT5402 won’t be seen by the buyer and can only be admired by the watchmaker who unscrews the fully threaded steel back and opens the case for maintenance or repairs. The movement is particularly impressive because it upholds Tudor’s traditional virtues of precision and robustness. The brand fulfills the former claim by having each movement tested by the official Swiss chronometer-testing authority, COSC. This exam certifies, among other criteria, that the average daily rate deviation remains in a narrow range between –4 and +6 seconds.

Our electronic timing machine confirmed this accuracy. Deviations in the various positions remained in a tight cluster. The average deviation was a minor loss of –1.3 seconds per day. The watch kept nearly perfect time on the wrist, where we measured a minimal gain of just +0.5 seconds per day.
Caliber MT5402 (the MT stands for “Mouvement Tudor”) relies on various technical features to fulfill the second part of the brand’s philosophy: robustness. First, the movement is quite tall (4.99 mm), so any small tolerance fluctuations in the production process will be unlikely to result in malfunctions. Second, the balance is not held on only one side by a cock but is installed in a stable and completely horizontal position under a bridge. And third, the hairspring is made of silicon, thus minimizing the likelihood of rate deviations caused by decentering or deformation of this tiny spring after the movement has suffered an impact.

Further high-quality features of the manufacture movement are its long power reserve of 70 hours and its freely oscillating balance with four regulating screws. These screws mean that the rate is not finely adjusted by changing the active length of the hairspring, as is the case with ETA calibers.

The fact that Tudor does not invest much effort or expense in finely decorating the movement fits with the brand’s philosophy of offering reliable watchmaking technology at an affordable price. Nonetheless, the rotor is attractively openworked and adorned with both a sunburst pattern and the engraved brand name.

The Black Bay inspires with its design in much the same way as did Tudor’s historical dive watches. And like its ancestors, functionality is given equal priority. Apart from the missing date display and the scratch-sensitive aluminum bezel, you don’t have to make any compromises here. This newcomer has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, plenty of luminous material, high water resistance, good wearing comfort and easy operation. The price is right, too. So Tudor has done everything right. But this success is also shown by the long waiting lists for this model. In this way, too, Tudor is following in the footsteps of its big sister, Rolex.

SPECS:
Manufacturer: Tudor, Rue François Dussaud 3–5, 1211 Geneva 26, Switzerland
Reference number: M79030B-0003
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Movement: Manufacture Caliber MT5402, automatic, COSC certified, 28,800 vph, 27 jewels, stop-seconds function, silicon hairspring, fine adjustment via four regulating screws on the rim of the freely oscillating balance, Incabloc shock absorption, 70-hour power reserve, diameter = 26 mm, height = 4.99 mm
Case: Stainless-steel case with curved sapphire crystal that has been anti-reflectively treated on both sides, screwed-down crown, fully threaded screw-in back made of stainless steel, water resistant to 200 meters
Strap and cla­­sp: Textile strap with stainless-steel pin buckle
Rate results (deviation in seconds per 24 hours):
Dial up -2
Dial down +1
Crown up -1
Crown down -3
Crown left -1
Crown right -2
Greatest deviation 4
Average deviation -1.3
Average amplitude:
Flat positions 291°
Hanging positions 260°
Dimensions: Diameter = 39 mm, height = 12 mm, weight = 77 grams
Variations: With blue “soft touch” strap (Ref. M79030B-0002; $3,375); with steel bracelet (Ref. M79030B-0001, $3,700)
Price: $3,375

SCORES:
Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): The textile strap is robust and
permeable by air. The pin buckle is practical. 8
­­­Operation (5): The screw-down crown is simple to operate and a stop-seconds function facilitates to-the-second time setting. The easily grasped bezel is easy to rotate. 5
Case (10): The well-crafted case has good water resistance. Also good: the crown disconnects from the winding mechanism when the former is screwed shut. 8
Design (15): The very successful retro design has characteristic Tudor elements from several decades. 14
Legibility (5): Ample luminous material on the hands and indexes, combined with high contrast between the hands and the dial, make this watch easy to read by day and by night. 5
Wearing comfort (10): The watch is comfortable on the wrist and not top-heavy. 9
Movement (20): The manufacture caliber is engineered for robustness and
offers a long power reserve. The decorations are subtle. 15
Rate results (10): The greatest rate deviation among the several positions is low. The average rate deviation is moderate, but strays into the minus column. 8
Overall value (15): The price is appropriate. Demand exceeds supply, which leads to good value retention. 12
Total: 84 POINTS

This article originally appeared in the January-February 2021 issue of WatchTime.

The word “birch” dates back to an Indo-European term that meant shiny or shimmering — describing the white bark of this distinctive deciduous tree.
Even though nothing glows on the dial of the Grand Seiko SLGH005, our test watch, by day or night, it produces a shimmering shine that was created especially for this watch. Looking at it from any angle, the prominent applied markers always catch the light, and even the smallest movement of the wrist reflects it onto the next polished surface. Reflections don’t detract from daytime legibility because the deeply grooved, highly polished markers and hands are large and distinct enough to contrast with the matte dial background. The delicate texture of the dial suggests birch bark with large and small grooves, higher ridges, and thin strips peeling away from the trunk.

In the figurative sense, the bark is peeled away a bit more at 3 o’clock where the large silver-rimmed date opening is located. The date display’s black-on-white color scheme works well with the overall appearance of the birch. The date advances instantaneously — occurring on our test watch at about seven minutes past midnight. It can be quickly adjusted using the second pulled-crown position, and the hands can be moved forward or back using the outermost pulled position without damaging the movement in any way.

The Foundation of a New Generation of Movements
The only touch of color on the dial is the slim, blued seconds hand, which advances in 10 steps each second, thanks to the high frequency of Caliber 9SA5. The delicate tip glides over the narrow dial flange with seconds and minutes markings. Pulling the large, fluted crown fully to the outer position stops the watch to allow for precise, to-the-second time setting — an indispensable feature, since the newest Grand Seiko standard specifications for the SLGH005 with the Hi-Beat Caliber 9SA5 may only gain 5 seconds or lose 3 seconds per day at most. Our test watch meets this strict standard. When we tested it on the electronic timing machine, it gained between 2.5 and 4.1 seconds per day. The watch ran even better in real-life conditions, where it deviated by only about 1 second per day.

Grand Seiko developed Hi-Beat Automatic Caliber 9SA5, first introduced in March 2020, entirely in-house over a nine-year period. According to the company, it forms the foundation of a new generation of mechanical Grand Seiko watches. The movement was first used in the gold SLGH002, which is limited to 100 pieces, at a price of $43,000. This was followed by the stainless-steel Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH003, limited to 1,000 pieces, priced at $9,700. Our test watch, the SLGH005, is the first unlimited production watch with the new caliber. It is available for $9,100 at Grand Seiko boutiques and select watch dealers. This is still an ambitious price when the Omega Aqua Terra, a Master Chronometer with a stainless-steel bracelet, costs $5,700, and the Rolex Datejust 36 in Oystersteel with a Jubilee bracelet is priced at $7,300.

High Frequency and Extended Power Require New Technologies
Caliber 9SA5 integrates three key developments for which several patents have been awarded or are pending: the new dual impulse escapement, the free-sprung Grand Seiko balance and the horizontal arrangement of the barrel and gear train. These mechanisms are designed for accuracy, durability and aesthetics.

In order to achieve the highest level of precision, Grand Seiko decided to begin development on a high-beat movement with a rate of 36,000 vph — a concept that the com-pany had been pursuing since 1968 with its extremely accurate Hi-Beat calibers. At the same time, a modern 80-hour power reserve was also the goal. Since both the balance frequency and the long power reserve require more energy, and the new movement was intended to be 15 percent thinner than previous Grand Seiko high-beat movements, it was necessary to redesign it from the beginning and apply new technologies. Due to the desire to reduce the height of the movement, two sequentially arranged barrels were used in place of a single large barrel. Thanks to this, and the horizontal arrangement of the gear train, the 9SA5 is now 15 percent thinner than previous Grand Seiko calibers.

High precision is also supported by the free-sprung fine regulator, which was specially developed for Caliber 9SA5. It has four weighted screws on the balance wheel, new to Grand Seiko. The square-headed screws are seated in slots (to prevent loosening), located on four inset sections of the balance wheel (to minimize air turbulence).

The balance wheel is more resistant to impacts and friction and shows a higher rate of accuracy. Contributing to this is the special Grand Seiko hairspring, which has a special overcoil and is made of a unique alloy called Spron. Its tailored design improves isochronism, i.e., uniform oscillation. The knowledge of the positive influence of overcoils on the rate of timepieces can be traced back to Abraham-Louis Breguet.

Dual Impulse Makes Power Transmission Effective
When power is transmitted to the balance wheel by the new dual impulse escapement, the escape wheel transfers the impulse directly to the balance wheel in one direction, which increases the efficiency of the entire system by 20 percent and reduces the energy needs accordingly. In the other direction, power is transferred via the pallet fork like a traditional escapement. This design is similar to the Omega co-axial escapement, although it is considerably more complex. Today, these designs are only able to be produced using modern manufacturing technologies, such as the Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS), which Grand Seiko has already used for earlier calibers. This process, which was adapted from microchip manufacturing, is used to produce both the escape wheel and the pallet fork of the 9SA5.

Beauty and Fine Details, Even on Hidden Parts
MEMS also allows the lightweight construction of the escape wheel and pallet fork, which saves even more energy and contributes to a higher power reserve. With this manufacturing method, first a mold is etched and then the metal is deposited into the mold using a galvanic process. This also permits another specialty of Grand Seiko: tiny recesses in the escape wheel teeth improve oil retention at trouble spots.

Even though these features are not visible to the naked eye through the watch’s sapphire caseback, Caliber 9SA5’s high frequency makes them abundantly clear. Only by stopping the watch does its extraordinary geometry reveal itself, with inset sections and angular screw heads. A sturdy balance bridge, instead of a single-sided balance cock, provides stability — a structural feature that is gaining in popularity among Swiss watch manufacturers, like Rolex, Tudor and Panerai.

The view also includes the generously skeletonized bidirectional oscillating weight and an exposed perforated bridge construction. This reveals a large part of the mechanism, like the two barrels beneath an arched bridge.
Numerous decorative finishes such as striping, perlage, sunburst finishes, polished screw heads, beveled edges, and the exquisite engraving on the winding rotor, require time and extensive effort. Even hidden surfaces of components are covered with a variety of decorations, like the mainplate filled with engraved Grand Seiko initials, which are also found on the barrel bridge, the screw-down crown and the folding clasp.

Brilliant Overall Appearance and Expression
The solid clasp completes a very attractive three-link bracelet that attaches to the case with fixed connections. It narrows toward the clasp with screwed links for an adjustable bracelet length. It is well executed with beveled edges, polished lateral surfaces and brushed upper surfaces. It continues the look of the powerful case, which has mirror-like Zaratsu polish on the narrow bezel shifting to a brushed finish on the broad case sides.

Grand Seiko designates the overall look of this watch as its Series 9 design. It is slated to become an important part of the Heritage collection in the coming years. Grand Seiko remains true to the style that was established in 1967 with the 44GS. Despite its powerful impression, the Grand Seiko SLGH005 exudes harmony, calm and stability — the same feeling you get when walking in a forest of birch trees.

SPECS:
Manufacturer: Morioka Seiko Instruments Inc., 61-1, Itabashi, Shizukuishicho, Iwate-gun, Japan
Reference number: SLGH005
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Movement: In-house Caliber 9SA5, automatic, 36,000 vph, 47 jewels, certified by the Grand Seiko standard (-3 to +5 sec/day, test in 6 positions, 17 days), four regulating screws on balance wheel, Spron 610 hairspring with overcoil, Diachock shock absorber, dual impulse escapement, 80-hour power reserve, diameter = 31.6 mm, height = 5.18 mm
Case: Stainless steel, box-style sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides (top), sapphire caseback, water resistant to 100 m
Bracelet and clasp: Stainless-steel bracelet with one-sided folding clasp with push button
Rate results (deviation in seconds per 24 hours, fully wound/after 24 hours):
On the wrist +1.2
Dial up +6.5/+6.0
Dial down +6.2/+5.2
Crown up +2.5/+0.7
Crown down +3.1/+0.9
Crown left +2.1/−0.2
Greatest deviation 4.4/6.2
Average deviation +4.1/+2.5
Average amplitude:
Flat positions 281°/ 261°
Hanging positions 262°/250°
Dimensions: Diameter = 38.87 mm, height = 12.04 mm, lug width = 22 mm, weight = 180.5 grams
Price: $9,100

SCORES:
Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): Attractive, nicely finished stainless-steel bracelet with sturdy, practical folding clasp 9
Case (10): High quality, well-made case with interesting alternating polished and brushed finishes, sapphire crystals and screw-down crown. 9
Dial and hands (10): Prominent markers and hands, unique relief dial design, well-matched hands 8
Design (15): The design follows the well-known 44GS with contemporary modifications; prominent numerals, hands, dial, iconic look. 12
Legibility (5): Easy to read during the day, no legibility at night; large date
display, perfect hand length 4
Operation (5): The screw-down crown is easy to grasp and loosen; screwed bracelet links for easy adjustment, secure folding clasp. 5
Wearing comfort (5): Ergonomic case and bracelet combination, comfortable despite considerable weight, attractive bracelet, sturdy clasp 4
Movement (20): Modern in-house movement with innovative solutions and unique structural features, some of which are patented; long power reserve, modern escapement, high frequency, complex and attractive decorative finishes 18
Rate results (10): Very good, especially on the wrist; complies with the Grand Seiko standards. 8
Overall value (10): Ambitious pricing compared to other similar watches, but justifiable due to the brand’s desirabilty and iconic status 8
Total: 85 POINTS

This article originally appeared in the September-October 2021 issue of WatchTime. Photos are by Grand Seiko, Marcus Kruger, and Jennifer Wunder/Pexels.

Mind you, the press pictures I had received from Breguet couldn’t have been of a better quality, but they just did not show the, for the lack of a better word, “full picture,” which includes so much more than one photo can transport. Thankfully, I know that very well by now, which is another reason why I always try to take hands-on photos and videos for my articles. More importantly, I have a rule to never judge a watch before I have seen it the flesh. Or even better, have worn it, ideally over a couple of days, should I intend to do a review. The same rule applies when buying a watch: watches tend to look different in real life, and, quite often, some releases also grow on me over time: When I first saw the Bathyscaphe from Blancpain in Basel ten years ago, for example, I wasn’t blown away. Now guess which watch has not only become one of Blancpain’s bestsellers, but also been on top of my list for the last eight years? – Exactly (still undecided between the chronograph with “tropical green” dial, the 1315-powered titanium version with brushed dial or the automatic with a black ceramic case). A new design requires time to be appreciated and explored, and quite often, that process starts with a bit of friction.

If you ask a representative of a watch company how much time they spent on the development of a new watch, you usually get a number between two and five years, depending on the complexity of the project (and we’re obviously not talking about a new dial color here). Sometimes, launches are postponed, shuffled around to be aligned with an anniversary or milestone, or even get cancelled, be it because of changing market situations, lack of production capabilities, or simply because of problems with a new complication or material. In short: the product management of a watch company, not unlike that of a car manufacturer, often works with timelines that can span over decades. And even when a watch finally gets released, collectors often have to wait a couple of months longer until they, too, finally get to see the watches in real life, while journalists and retailers were able to at least briefly see and touch them at trade shows or brand events.

In the case of Breguet’s new Type XX, the brand stated that “four years of preparation preceded the arrival of the new generation of iconic Type XX,” mostly because of the development of the new self-winding Calibre 728 for the civilian version and Calibre 7281 for the military version. With the two unique watches made for Only Watch, the Type XX Only Watch 2021 (Ref. 2065ST/Z5/398) and the Type 20 Only Watch 2019 (Ref. 2055ST/Z5/398), both powered by restored Valjoux 235 movements, Breguet thankfully gave us a rare glimpse of what was to become a celebration of the anniversary of the Type XX’s “almost 70 years” with the release of the aforementioned 2067 and 2057 this week. Which means that a number of employees at Breguet started working on the new Type XX, even before the first human cases of COVID-19 had been identified. In other words: while the average watch collector has had a couple of days to learn about the latest novelties from Breguet by now, others have already spent years going over every detail, and, ultimately, getting accustomed to the final design of the watch. As a result, brands, retailers, journalists and customers often have very different timelines. The same applies when you switch roles: If a watch was, let’s say, on the market for two years, and didn’t meet the management’s expectations, the same executives may have had already six years with that watch when they consider pulling it, while potential customers still contemplate about what watch might have to go to fund it. Give it time.

Good thing is that I have about four more weeks until I plan to hand in my Type XX article for the upcoming issue, and there is a real chance you, too, will have been able to see these two watches at selected retails partners of Breguet by then, since the brand made sure to already deliver the first watches (or you’ll see them at WatchTime New York in October). I’m curious to see how my last paragraph will turn out.