Tag: Chronograph

How to Spot Fake Omega Seamaster

Made by the popular Swiss luxury watch maker – Omega, the Seamaster is an exceptional timepiece that is popular for its characteristic sophistication, accuracy and durability. It is a stylish watch, recognized worldwide as a symbol of status. Counterfeiters take advantage of the popularity of the watch to produce replicas and sell to unsuspecting buyers. Despite efforts by counterfeiters to emulate every detail of these watches, certain details are often overlooked. One can easily tell the difference between a genuine and fake Omega Seamaster by looking at the following features.

Quality Check

The first step to spotting a fake Omega Seamaster is conducting a general quality check. Check the easy to notice flaws that most of the time escape the eyes of forgers. Begin by ascertaining that every text on the dial or bezel is correctly spelled. You should also ensure that every part of the watch is well aligned. Omega prides itself in the delivery of the best quality watches. To hold up to its reputation, they take every measure to ensure that the watches are flawless. If you spot a spelling error or misalignment therefore, the watch in question is definitely a fake.

Examine the Logo

The logo is without a doubt the best way of determining the authenticity of an Omega Seamaster. The logo of a genuine watch is often made of a piece of metal that is attached to the dial. Despite holding on firmly, it is an entirely separate metal piece. The material is often of fine quality and is professionally attached onto the dial in perfect symmetry. If the logo however seems to be stamped onto the dial or is just paint, then the watch you are looking at is highly likely to be a fake piece.

Bezel

Another feature of the watch that can help you spot a fake Seamaster is its Bezel. The Seamaster watches have a luminous dot positioned adjacent to the 12 o’clock marker. For a genuine timepiece, the dot is often perfectly centered in the triangle. The dot hardly touches the triangle. This detail is often flawed by forgers. In most of the fake watches, the dot is not at the center and is usually in contact with the triangle.

Weight

For durability, Omega uses nothing besides the finest quality material in the production of its watches. The quality material is often heavier than standard material used on other watches. Counterfeiters take every measure to reduce the cost of production. They therefore use low quality material on their watches. When examining the watch in question, hold it in your palm and feel its weight. If it is weighty, then it is likely to be a genuine timepiece. A fake is on the other hand lighter.

The Hands

For a genuine timepiece, the reflective area of the hands is always spread on almost the whole width of the hand. For a fake however, the reflective area is limited to a thin strip at the center of the hand.

January 3, 2019
Breguet Type XXI Flyback Chronograph

Watches are an important and useful fashion accessory that can be used to make a classy fashion statement. Wearing a watch makes you look professional and organized. When it comes to watches, Breguet is a name that is undeniably famous for its high-quality and classy watches that are comfortable to wear and will last a lifetime.

Breguet brings to you its Type XXI Flyback Chronograph that has a stale-grey dial with a signature of the brand. It’s called a flyback chronograph because it can be used as a stopwatch that, when reset, will start running again instantly without having to press the start button again.

Breguet has a history in aviation and this special type of flyback chronograph was invented so that it could accurately time the pilots’ progress without having the delay of restarting the stopwatch.

The case of the watch is round in shape. It has a diameter of 42 mm and a thickness of 15.2 mm. The case-back of the watch is made of sapphire crystal. The case is water resistant to about 100 m.

The dial of the watch contains Arabic numerals. There is a date dial at the 6 o’clock position, a dial for the number of seconds at the 9 o’clock position and a day/night dial at the 3 o’clock position. The chronograph has a self-winding movement mechanism.

July 23, 2018
Hublot Big Bang Unico 45 Italia Independent

Baselworld is the center of everything that has to do with watches; from manufacturers, to huge brands, famous stars and every new innovation that promises to change the way we perceive time and timepieces.

One of the biggest brands in the world when it comes to luxury watches, Hublot, has revealed one truly exceptional limited edition piece at this year’s expo, respectively the Hublot Big Bang Unico 45 Italia Independent model.

The watch represents a new collaboration between the Swiss luxury watchmakers and Italia Independent. The series comes in two colors, which truly manage to give the watches a distinct character as well as a stylish and fresh appearance.

Another key aspect of these Hublot Big Bang Unico watches is the Texalium material used to make the majority of the bezel and casing. The design of the watch can be considered quite bold, particularly the blue model. The texalium material provides an interesting and new pattern which only reinforces the quality and uniqueness of the watches.

While the build quality is as high as can be, the watches are certainly fashion oriented so the light blue and cool grey can certainly be great accessories for trendy clothes all year round.

The collaboration with Italia Independent reinforces the fashion element of the watch, adding an air of youth and exuberance to the watch. For people who haven’t heard of Italia Independent, it is an eyewear brand which produces pieces for both men and women. While their products aren’t addressed to an entirely luxury market, a good amount of attention is given to design and quality. The watch is meant to bring together the hip and young market of Italia Independent with the luxury oriented expertise of Hublot.

Texalium, the main innovation when it comes to the technical aspect of the Hublot Big Bang Unico Italia Independent is a material much alike carbon fiber. It is a fiberglass material with a high degree of flexibility, particularly when it comes to weave thickness. It has a thin aluminum coating on its surface which gives it its unmistakable look and texture.

Another distinctive feature that makes this watch truly stand out is the series of studs inserted on the belt. The studs come in titanium for the light blue model and black titanium in the gray model.

The model is a 45 mm version of the Hublot Big Bang with a Hublot movement. The watch is water resistant up to 100 meters.

August 4, 2015
Bell & Ross Marine Chronograph

While Bell & Ross as a brand is not necessarily one of the industry’s top stars, their product Marine Chronograph is a cool and trendy time piece that has seduced watch lovers ever since it was launched on the market. If until now, Bell & Ross found inspiration in the world of aviation, with Marine Chronograph the French watch producer focuses on the sea releasing a diver watch that shines on any wrist.

If previous diving watched within the Bell & Ross collection like the Hydromax were using quartz and oil and looked more like a professional tool, Marine Chronograph comes with a classy luxurious look as well as with improved water resistance and precision features. Marine Chronograph can hold to up to 500 meters under water.

A golden case encloses the round dial which reminds of aviation inspired timepieces. Marine Chronograph is equipped with an internal rotating bezel and an automatic helium release valve. This exquisite and good looking watch features three hands rotating on the black dial, this design totally qualifying it for the chronograph name.

The case is rather bulky and made of stainless steel. On first sight this might seem unappealing, but this goes hand in hand with the function of a diver watch. The Marine Chronograph closes with a rubber strap that integrates in a beautiful way with the watch’s overall design. This 50 mm wide and 49 mm tall watch features a sizeable sapphire crystal in the shape of a dome that provides it with a rather aggressive, yet interesting look.

The desire to make this time piece look as much as possible like a professional diver’s watch, the producers equipped it with a minute hand with an orange outline that goes well with some other elements featuring the dial. You might also appreciate the fact that Bell & Ross Marine Chronograph features vivid colors for the hour and minute hand that make it more visible in case of underwater use.

Marine Chronograph is equipped with an ETA 2894 automatic movement, but the manufacturers brought several modifications to it in order to remove its 12 hour counter. This provides the dial with a neater and more elegant look, giving the time piece a timing capacity of 30 minutes. The date indicator appears on the dial between the 4 and 5 o’clock positions. Although it might seem that the dial features too many elements, it remains pretty functional, neat and elegant.

A watch featuring a nice design, a high level of precision and nice functionalities, Marine Chronograph by Bell & Ross is a good choice for any watch lover with an eye for elegance and high quality pieces.

September 11, 2014
Breitling Superocean Heritage

The Superocean Heritage Chronographe is one of Breitling’s most impressive watches both through its technical abilities as well as through its amazing design. The watch impresses through simplicity. Its simple color pattern is immediately noticeable creating a pleasant and elegant contrast. Its robust shape and chunky features also make it an imposing watch while maintaining its elegance.

The watch is pretty versatile and will work with just about any type of outfit. It is definitely an elegant watch that will shine with a suit or a stylish outfit. It can work perfectly as an accessory to any type of high class event like the opera, the theatre, a philharmonic concert or a ball or gala. It can also work with more causal outfits and can be a good accessory to wear to some sporting events like golfing or a F1 venue.

The diameter of the watch is an imposing 46 mm. While it is designed to work with any size of wrist, it will definitely look better on large wrists. The Superocean Heritage by Breitling also boasts a number of technical abilities that complement its beautiful design. It comes with a chronometer-certified self-winding movement. The watch comes with three counters located at 12 o’clock, 9 o’clock and 6 o’clock. The watch also has a useful date function located at 3 o’clock.

This Breitling comes with a power reserve of 42 hours and three chronographs: the 1/4^th second, 30 minutes and 12 hours. It comes with 25 jewels and a vibration of 28,800 v.p.h. The sturdy case is made from solid stainless steel and gold while the back of the case is screwed in. The watch is water resistant up to 200 meters, making it a great watch to go swimming with, however, it would be recommended to leave it behind while going diving or snorkeling. The bezel is unidirectional and ratcheted while the dial has one screw locked crown and two gaskets.

The sapphire crystal is glare proofed on both sides allowing for superb visibility of the watch indicators in all types of weather and lighting conditions. The sapphire is also scratch proof prolonging the durability of the watch while ensuring it offers clear readings even after a considerable amount of wear and tear.

The watch comes with a wide array of straps that can be made from different types of leather or metallic mesh. The metallic mesh manages to compliment the overall watch beautifully, however, the leather straps can prove to be more durable and give the watch a more casual look. The watch has a thickness of 16,40 mm, a interhorn width of 24/20 mm and weighs a total of 147,40 grams without the strap making it a light watch despite the quality materials and high tech mechanism.

June 1, 2014
Cartier Santos Chronograph

The Cartier Santos Chronograph is not just a watch, but a timepiece that shows the tradition of this company and a great achievement when it comes to high end watchmaking. If you love the way this watch brings a new definition to simplicity, you will adore having it on your wrist. This particular model comes in a nice color with a lovely brass tone in combination with a simple black strap that feels as comfortable as it looks.

You will notice that the dial on this watch is exquisite; it comes with a lovely black background that has beautiful golden elements on it. You will definitely feel the classy charm it has to it due to this particular design. The watch comes with the following functions: hours, minutes small seconds, chronograph, off-center counters for 30 elapsed minutes, stop seconds function, etc. The case is made from high quality stainless steel case with eight screws that hold it in place. You will also appreciate the non-reflective surface on top and the fact that the watch comes with water resistance for 100 meters.

The strap is made with great looking alligator skin and has double folding clasp with stainless steel; you will notice that it has a great comfort level and goes extremely well with the whole design. A lot of customers don’t know that this is definitely not the first version of Cartier Santos and since the watch has been first made, the company made a lot of changes, especially to its mechanism. When it comes to the design, this particular model can be considered the new and improved Cartier Santos Chronograph as it comes with more modern touches that the older version.

As a tip for interested buyers, one should always make sure that they know what case size they are buying because you might end up with a watch that may feel too big. For example this watch comes with a case that measures 46 mm with 54.3, which means that it might end up being too much for the regular wrist unless you are actively looking for an oversized watch. If that’s the case, the Cartier Santos Chronograph makes for a perfect accessory that will surely stand out and feel trendy despite its classy look.

August 19, 2013
Girard-Perregaux 1966 Chronograph

Girard-Perregaux 1966 collection, launched in 1996, is an homage paid to the year in which the La Chaux-de-Fond based company received the Centenary of Neuchâtel Observatory’s prize as a sign of recognition for its product’s quality and performance. Indeed, the Swiss watch maker’s contribution to the field of precision research is remarkable as Girard-Perregaux was among the first manufacturers of this kind to have an R&D department.

Until last year, this collection was represented by a series of three models: a very sober “three hands”; a very elegant “small second” displaying the date, day of the week, month and moon phases; an “annual calendar and equation of time”. The Swiss factory completed this elegant collection in 2011 by the arrival of a column-wheel chronograph crafted from pink or white gold and boasting a total number of 38 jewels. There are not too many sapphires and not too few either. The same goes for the dial’s diameter – 42 mm. Not too large so that it does not become ostentatious; not too small so that the functions can be easily read – an ideal size that will certainly beat the fads and trends of the up-coming years. Its curvature and horns were studied carefully for a perfect adaptation to the wrist.

The whole line has a classical look featured by simplicity of the design and drawing the attention on the watches’ technical specs. In order to perfect this model’s timeless design, Girard-Perregaux opted for a traditional chronograph with a 30-minute and seconds hand symmetrically displayed in the center of the main dial. The date can be read on a small case positioned at 6 o’clock. This new display provides a perfect balance of the design and aids readability, while a tachymeter scale featuring the outer edge of dial enhances this model’s technical look.

The result of a long experience (over 200 years) its chronograph movement with column wheel belongs to the 3000 family – the foundation stone of this mythical collection. Made up of 304 elements, it was entirely developed and produced in-house. The complexity of the mechanism and the quality of its finishes are revealed to the eyes of this piece’s happy owner by the transparent background of the watch.

April 25, 2012