Phew — what a year! 2023 closed out with a bang, with Dubai Watch Week bringing journalists and collectors from around the world to view new limited-edition pieces and meet brand representatives. December was slower (as always), with many employees taking the last week or two of the year off. However, we still saw a handful of awesome releases, including one that made use of old Valjoux 72 hand-wound chronograph movements, and another that resurfaced an important dive watch design from 1970. Mostly, we’re looking forward to whatever 2024 has to bring — and if 2023 was any indicator, it’s going to be a heck of a year for watches, with the continued proliferation of affordable, mechanical GMT movements; more sub-40mm fare; and colorful dials for all sundry. For now, enjoy perusing some of the best releases of December, 2023 — and have a very Happy New Year!
Nivada Grenchen X Worn & Wound Chronomaster Valjoux 72 V2
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of the hand-wound Valjoux 72 movement within the greater watch industry — indeed, it’s powered everything from the original Rolex Cosmograph Daytona to scores of beloved tool watches from the likes of brands both large and small. In celebration of this beloved caliber, Nivada Grenchen teamed up with Worn & Wound on a special Chronomaster triple-register chrono that uses leftover 72s. Limited to just 15 pieces, it features handsome teal, yellow, and red accents on a cool sand-colored dial, all of which is contained in an easy-wearing 38mm steel case and paired to a matching beads-of-rice bracelet. Best of all? The Valjoux 72 beating within is visible via a sapphire display caseback.
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Valjoux 72 hand-wound
- Water Resistance: 100m
- Price: $6,900
Grand Seiko SBGW301
Available beginning in January, the SBGW301 captures the essence of Grand Seiko — perhaps even of the ideal wristwatch — in a single reference. Measuring 37.3mm in a Zaratsu-polished steel case, it features a simple, ivory-colored dial with polished, applied indices, a matching dauphine handset, and the brand’s wordmark. Powered by the hand-wound Grand Seiko 9S64 movement and topped off with a box-style sapphire crystal, its vintage profile is complemented by a black crocodile leather strap. Wonderfully proportioned and boasting an accuracy of +5 to -3 seconds per day — plus a 72-hour power reserve — the SBGW301 will make a perfect dress watch for your collection. (Or a perfect everyday watch — though you might want to swap it out for aquatic activities.)
- Diameter: 37.3mm
- Movement: Grand Seiko 9S64 hand-wound
- Water Resistance: 30m
- Price: $4,800
The Armoury by Paulin Modul A Hong Kong Dial
A collab between The Armoury and Glasgow-based watchmaker Paulin, the Modul A Hong Kong blends the latter’s 35mm C-shaped steel case with a clever riff on the “California” dial — in place of a half-Roman, half-Arabic typeface, it uses half-Roman and half-Chinese characters, referencing the blend of Eastern and Western influences that inform The Armoury’s menswear collections. Powered by a Swiss-made quartz movement, the 8.2mm-thick watch boasts a vintage-style Hesalite crystal, a signed crown, and — whimsically — a display caseback through which to view the 955.112 quartz movement within. Paired to a leather strap, it’s available in one of four colors: Light Blue/Silver; Black/Gold; Purple/Lanedar; and Yellow/Black.
- Diameter: 35mm
- Movement: ETA 955.112 quartz
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Price: $600
Luminox Automatic Sport Timer Bronze
Luminox has expanded its Sport Timer collection — based on one of the first-ever Luminox models — with a new limited-edition model in bronze. Available in a run of 688 pieces, the 42mm dive watch features a unidirectional timing bezel with a ceramic insert; a day-date display set against a handsome, smoked black dial with bronze-toned Arabic numerals; and the brand’s famous tritium tubes for ever-present illumination in low-light situations. Paired to a brown leather strap with a bronze IP buckle, its classic styling is perfect for everyday wear or for diving. (With 200m of water resistance and an extra navy blue, cut-to-fit strap, it can — and should — be taken into the water.)
- Diameter: 42mm
- Movement: Sellita SW200-1 automatic
- Water Resistance: 200m
- Price: $1,695
The Best All-Black Watches on the Market
Call them “tactical,” or “fashionable” — or both — “blacked out” watches have come a long way
E.C. Andersson Mytilus
A remarkable design, the Mylitus from Swedish brand E.C. Andersson is ultra thin, ultra light, and ultra interesting. Housed in a 38mm aluminum case that measures just 9.5mm thick, it features a sapphire crystal attached via six screws and a total 21 gaskets to ensure 60m of water resistance. (The case itself, minus the crystal, is only 4.1mm thick.) On the “Contrast Black” variant, a black aluminum dial features luminous paste developed in-house; the “Bare Metal” variant, on the other hand, features orange accents on a dial that largely matches the case aesthetics. Paired to a rubber/nylon hybrid strap, this may not be the right watch for swimming or diving, but for the design-conscious watch buyer, it seems like a no-brainer.
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Water Resistance: 60m
- Price: $1,200
Breitling Superocean Heritage ‘57 Highlands
Scottish influence seems to be slowly making its way through the largely Swiss-dominated luxury watch industry lately. To wit — check out the new Superocean Heritage ‘57 Highlands from Breitling. While the series is largely an aesthetic twist on an established model family, the beige, green, mustard, and blue dial colors cleverly reference the rugged beauty of the Scottish highlands. Featuring the famed concave bezel and modified sword handset of the original 1957 Superocean, the new Highlands watches each come on a mesh metal bracelet, but also include a special fabric strap — made of a silk-wool blend — inspired by the tweed worn famously by those who inhabit the glens and bens of this most beautiful country.
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Breitling Calibre 10 automatic
- Water Resistance: 100m
- Price: $6,250
Bremont MBIII Stealth Limited Edition
The MB collection has long been an important component of the English brand’s catalog. Produced in collaboration with English ejection seat manufacturer Martin Baker, MB timepieces are robust, tactical tools tested to the extreme. The newest MB, the MBIII Stealth Limited Edition, takes Bremont’s 43mm Trip-Tick case and gives it a black DLC coating, a black dial with white luminous accents, GMT functionality, and a black-on-black, Chalgrove rubber and leather strap. Powered by the automatic BE-93-2AV movement visible via a smoked sapphire caseback, it’s unfortunately sold out — but that shouldn’t discourage you from seeking after one on the secondary market.
- Diameter: 43mm
- Movement: Bremont Calibre 11 1/2”’ BE-93-2AV automatic
- Water Resistance: 100m
- Price: $5,450
Aquastar Benthos Heritage One
Released in 1970, the original Aquastar Benthos was a dive watch with a notable feature: 500m of water resistance — a record at the time for a watch with a monobloc case design. Following years of speculation, Aquastar has released a tribute in the form of the Benthos One, a time-only version of the watch with identical case dimensions (42mm) and the original’s 2 o’clock crown. (The 1970 Benthos featured a unique 60-minute totalizer with flyback capability — this watch does away with it, but still includes a unidirectional dive bezel.) Limited to 500 pieces worldwide, it ships on a rubber ISOfrane dive strap and is ready to dive up to 500m below the waves.
- Diameter: 42mm
- Movement: ETA 2824-2 Elabore grade automatic
- Water Resistance: 500m
- Price: $1,390
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