It was 45 years ago, on April 14, 1970 those three astronauts, namely: Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise were on their way to the Moon, as members of the Apollo 13 mission. At more than 300,000 km from Earth, one of their two oxygen tanks exploded, leaving them with no choice but to abort their mission and find their way back home through an epic journey of survival, a story of ingenuity and team work.
The total absence of light that can be experienced merely in space was almost certainly the source of inspiration for Omega when they’ve designed the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon. I still remember hearing Chris Hadfield giving an interview to CBC after his return from his space mission and one thing that he described that truly moved my imagination was the blackness of space, a black we can’t knowledge here on Earth.
This week at Baselworld, four new Omega speedmaster is released, including Black Black, Sedna Black, Pitch Black and Vintage Black. All these belong to the popular Speedmaster Moonwatch Dark Side of the Moon collection.
The Sedna Black (Ref. 311.63.44.51.06.001) is the consequence of the combination of Omega’s ceramic technology and their popular rose gold alloy, called Sedna gold.
With the omega Black (Ref. 311.92.44.51.01.005), Omega has turned off the lights entirely, opting for a refined and brushed black ceramic case, a matt black ceramic dial and a black ceramic clasp on a black coated nylon fabric strap. Well-made and with great detail, this watch is definitely worth the money and it is probably one of the best looking watches out there. The sub-dials at 3 and 9 o’clock are matt black and the black ceramic bezel has a black lacquered tachymeter scale as well.
The 42 mm stainless steel timepiece is presented on a black coated nylon fabric strap with white stitching and a foldover clasp. The Speedmaster Apollo 13 Silver Snoopy Award will be produced in an edition limited to 1,970 pieces. At its heart is the OMEGA calibre 1861, the same replica omega manual-winding chronograph movement that powered the legendary Moonwatch.
Month: January 2017
Introduction of the Rolex Explorer 1016 Double Header
Now admittedly at 36mm it doesn’t have the most pronounced presence on the wrist nevertheless that’s one of the things that makes it such an attractive option as an everyday watch. There are of course though two key differences, one clearly visible, the other not so much. It’s no secret that the humble Rolex Explorer often gets overlooked in favor of its more popular siblings the Submariner and the GMT Master.
Plus it’s seriously cool. At first glance it looks like a fairly standard Rolex Explorer 1016, a superb watch in its own right and one that still remains popular amongst enthusiasts today, even in spite of its quartz movement. Except the watch we have here for you today is not an Oyster Quartz but rather an replica Rolex Explorer 1016 Double Header. Confused? Good, read on.
The Rolex Explorer 1016 was the most common series made and was in production for over 25 years, which is why today we can show you two different versions from two different eras. As the dial fades over time it takes on its own unique character. The first an absolute classic from 1965, the second a pristine R-series from 1987, possibly one of the last pieces ever made of this now iconic series.
As you have just heard Reginald Brack – Director of Private replica Watch Sales for Christie’s – explain in the above video, the first Rolex Explorer we have for you today features a gorgeous gilt dial in excellent condition.
As Reg points out in the video nevertheless, this dial of this Rolex Explorer is particularly attractive because it has not been ‘burned-out’ by the radioactive radium used at the time to provide luminosity.
Presented on a non-original leather strap, this is a classic dress watch you can wear just about anywhere, with the golden dial giving it just that little something extra.On the wrist it is a thing of beauty.
This particular model is an R Series, the last series of 1016’s ever produced and as you can see not much has changed in the 22 years or so that separate these two models.As I have discussed in previous articles a ‘gilt dial’ generally means all the markings on the dial are coated in gold, although sometimes a single line may be left in white.
The dial is easily readable, with large luminous triangle at 12, pronounced Arabic numerals at 3, 6 and 9 and Mercedes style hands, like the Submariner. At the other end of the scale we have this stylish Rolex replica watches, with a more subdued matte dial and original steel bracelet. The R-Series is more subtle on the wrist though thanks to its matte dial and is really the type of watch I could see myself wearing every day.
For me this makes it the perfect everyday watch. It has the classic understated style of an Rolex Explorer but with the added bonus of a mechanical movement. Best of all, only the most observant of connoisseurs will actually pick up on the subtle distinction, meaning that those around you will be constantly underestimating you and your wrist wear, which can be quite advantageous in business.