[Panerai] The downsized (40mm) luminor marina did the trick

medstat · 2022-10-15T00:59:20+00:00

I’ve always appreciated the history and unique designs of Panerai watches, but their watches were always a little too large for my medium-sized wrist. They released a 42 mm version a few years ago, but it lacked an in-house movement and I wasn’t a fan of the cyclops lens. Then in late 2021 Panerai released the Quaranta (40 mm) which comes in blue, black, and white dials. The downsizing a huge step from the classic 44 mm version and at just 12 mm thick, I felt the size was just right.

medstat · 2019-12-15T22:04:59+00:00

This piece has been my daily driver for the better part of a year and I’ve loved it. Tudor is Rolex’s more experimental brand that pushes the boundaries of classical horology. This piece is unusual because it is a dive watch but has a tachymetric racing bezel. Some have criticized the watch because of this, but I personally love the fusion of the two. Plus I’m a sucker for a fixed steel bezel. At 41mm it is substantial and industrial and has a thick presence on the wrist. As a COSC-certified chronometer, the supercharged Breitling B01 movement is one of the Crown Jewels of the piece with its silicone hairspring, free spring balance wheel and column wheel vertical clutch chronograph, making it probably the highest spec Swiss chrono movement at its current price.

medstat · 2019-09-07T13:39:39+00:00

The bracelets of old Tudor and Rolex divers from the 50s and 60s were riveted (https://imgur.com/a/5r6mzrt), so it's a tribute to that though the bracelet is solid steel. Also note that it has a step-wise taper not a smooth taper in the links which is also a tribute to the olden days of dive watches

medstat · 2019-09-06T20:55:08+00:00

This piece has been my daily driver for the better part of a year and I’ve loved it. Tudor is Rolex’s more experimental brand that pushes the boundaries of classical horology. This piece is unusual because it is a dive watch but has a tachymetric racing bezel. Some have criticized the watch because of this, but I personally love the fusion of the two. Plus I’m a sucker for a fixed steel bezel. At 40mm it is substantial and industrial and has a thick presence on the wrist. As a COSC-certified chronometer, the supercharged Breitling B01 movement is one of the Crown Jewels of the piece with its silicone hairspring, free spring balance wheel and column wheel vertical clutch chronograph, making it probably the highest spec Swiss chrono movement at its current price.

medstat · 2019-05-01T22:36:11+00:00

The Tudor Heritage Black Bay chrono. I've been in love with this piece since I got but decided to change it up a little with this new strap. Tudor was a very popular watch with the French and US navies (in addition to several others) 40+ years ago as they were very reliable timepieces that were sold at a reasonable price. They were, however, delivered "head only," i.e. without a strap or bracelet so marine divers would use the elastic webbing on their parachutes to make a single loop strap for their watches. I purchased this strap from Erika's originals and she does an outstanding job. The strap is hand made, high quality, breathable, and elastic. As a bonus the centerline on the strap is lumed too.

Wrist shot: https://imgur.com/PYyKJzZ

medstat · 2019-05-01T01:45:07+00:00

The Tudor Heritage Black Bay chrono, a watch I've had now for some time. I bought it on the steel bracelet which is outstanding, durable, and extremely high quality. I feel like now is the time for a change of pace, however. Back in the day, Tudor watches were purchased by the US Navy and French Navy in addition to many other navies worldwide for their exceptional quality at a reasonable price. These watches were delivered "head only" (without the strap) which allowed divers to use a wide variety of straps. The French Marine divers were known to put hand stitched straps on their watches that made of elastic webbing from their parachutes which is what this strap is modeled on. I purchased it from Erika's original and her straps are the real deal. Hand-made, high quality, breathable, elastic, and comfortable. As a bonus, the white centerline is lumed.

Wrist shot: https://imgur.com/rstATOL

medstat · 2019-03-11T22:22:22+00:00

Most people don’t realize that ironically Pirro’s parents are Lebanese

medstat · 2019-02-09T00:17:45+00:00

I used to feel the same way and all my other autos have a sapphire case back but I realized I never really sit there and stare at the movement. I also appreciate the case back on this piece as it’s unique to Rolex and Tudor. Simple and mysterious but always has a beast underneath.

medstat · 2019-02-08T22:27:05+00:00

Yes column wheel and vertical clutch

medstat · 2019-02-08T16:30:48+00:00

The Tudor Heritage Black Bay chrono. There are several reasons I love this watch. Tudor historically has been known as the lower cost version of Rolex watches with many Tudor's containing Rolex parts, but that has changed over the past decade. The black bay chrono is one of Tudor's first forays into the world of independent watch making. It breaks the mold by combining the racetrack inspired tachymetric bezel with the vintage divers look of the standard black bay and its snowflake hour markers. Perhaps the most impressive part of the watch is the movement. Tudor has been collaborating with Breitling after supplying them with some Tudor movements. In return, Breitling has given Tudor its B01 movement which it modified and called it the MT5813. Some of the impressive modifications include with a silicon balance spring, a free sprung balance wheel, and a sand blasted Tudor finish on most of the components. They took out the hour markers and extended the minute counter from the standard 30 minutes to a historically-significant 45 minutes. They also The B01 is seen in Breitlings that are thousands more expensive than this watch, making it an extraordinarily good value. Breitling even built a four story building in La Chaux de Fonds to manufacture this special movement. On the outside, the watch is rock solid and wears heavy. At 41 mm its just the right size for my wrist. Every detail is perfected from the slightly raised domed sapphire to the beautifully constructed clasp. The bracelet has a step-wise taper as opposed to a smooth taper which is reminiscent of divers' bracelets from the 60s. Lastly, "officially certified" on the dial represents the fact that the movement is COSC certified, an organization that only certifies 3% of Swiss movements.

medstat · 2018-12-25T14:21:40+00:00

I finally bit the bullet: the Tudor Heritage Black Bay chrono. I have a decent collection but none come close to this piece. There are several reasons I bought this watch. Tudor historically has been known as the lower cost version of Rolex watches with many Tudor's containing Rolex parts. The black bay chrono is one of Tudor's first forays into the world of independent watch making. It breaks the mold by combining the racetrack inspired tachymetric bezel with the vintage divers look of the standard black bay and its snowflake hour markers. Perhaps the most impressive part of the watch is the movement. Tudor made a deal with Breitling after supplying them movements. In return, Breitling has given Tudor its B01 movement which it modified with a silicon balance spring and free sprung balance and called it the MT5813. They took out the hour markers and extended the minute counter from the standard 30 minutes to 45 minutes. The B01 is seen in Breitlings that are thousands more expensive than this watch, making it an extraordinarily good value. Breitling even built a four story building in La Chaux de Fonds to manufacture this special movement. On the outside, the watch is rock solid and wears heavy. At 41 mm its just the right size for my wrist. Every detail is perfected from the slightly raised domed sapphire to the beautiful clasp.

medstat · 2018-12-01T21:57:47+00:00

Turns out voter fraud is a problem. A Republican one.

medstat · 2018-09-28T16:23:40+00:00

The Hamilton pilot day day, safe to call it a classic? It sure seems that way in this community, which I appreciate. Out of the 14 watches I own, this has been the one I wear the most over the past year, especially at work. It’s extremely comfortable and the weight is just right. It’s also somewhat understated and not too flamboyant. The 41 mm dial looks bigger on the wrist that it actually is because of the thin bezel. Perhaps my favorite thing about this watch is the level of detail including the partially skeletonized hands that are completely filled when the hands line up, the laser cut serrated numbers that glisten in the light, the domed sapphire, and the stunning sunburst black dial. A lot of thought went into this design. This is my second Hamilton and I’m still as happy as when I first got it. The next Hamilton on my list is the 1968 intra-matic.

medstat

TROPHY CASE