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Panerai Replica

SIHH 2016 : Replica Panerai goes ‘tropical’ with the PAM662 Radiomir 1940 3 Days Acciaio PAM663 Luminor 1950 3 DaysAcciaio

At SIHH 2016 Panerai revisited its past with a number of new models in a variety of cases and dial colours and functions. Of these my personal favourites were, perhaps of some surprise to me, these two. I’ll explain why a little later.

The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days (PAM662) is a re-creation of the Egiziano Piccolo (‘small Egiziano’) Ref.6154 that was originally made in very small quantities of some 30-40 exemplars, but what makes it distinctive is that Officine Panerai have chosen to update it with what many replica watch people informally call a ‘tropical’ dial, but which I prefer to simply call ‘faded’. It is basically meant to be the colour of a dial showing the patina of age.

The Ref. 6154 on which it is based had its genesis in a 1954 training exercise. The Egyptians had sent members of their military to La Spezia for training and found themselves amazed by the equipment used by the Italian Navy (Marina Militaire), particularly the luminosity. So much so that they placed an order from Panerai for compasses, depth gauges, and elegant replica watches; it is estimated that 30-40 were ordered of each.

Containing a Rolex Cal. 618 movement, the original 47mm Egiziano Piccolo has a Rolex case with new specifications that had never been seen prior, its sleek curves granting it descriptions comparing it with sports cars. The Egyptians had insisted on a Radiomir dial despite it not longer being in production, and the radium part of the Radiomir has meant that with time, variants in humidity, sunlight, temperature etc, each of these rare beasts has developed its own distinctive marking and patina.

Naturally, these modern versions are lumed with Super-LumiNova, so these will not all develop their own look, but as the original is a scarce beast (see above photo for comparison), this is not a bad modern compromise in terms of looks for those (most) who will never be able to have the original.

For both of these tribute models, the ‘vintage’ inspiration extends to the crystal, which is plexi. They both comes with a spare plexi crystal.

To ‘match’ this Radiomir 1940 Panerai have simultaneously released the PAM663 Luminor 1950 3 Days Acciaio, which shares the same ‘tropical’ dial and 47mm size. In this model, the brown dial appears in a 47mm Luminor 1950 case.

Both the PAM662 and PAM663 contain the hand-wound Calibre P.3000 which is realised with brush-finished bridges and as the name of the replica watches indicate, has a power reserve of three days. From a practical point of view, you may note that it allows for the hour hand to be set independently.

They come on brown Ponte Vecchio strap with ecru-coloured stitching and an engravd OP logo.

Now – back to what I mentioned at the outset. I am not one of those who gets excited about ‘tropical’ dials as certain brands/ collectors/ enthusiasts like to call their faded vintage dials. They’re just faded brown dials to me, of varying levels of patina-d attractiveness, and I do find it somewhat bemusing that how faded or the way in which a dial is faded can result in a premium at auction.

Panerai is not the first brand, nor will it be the last by any stretch of the imagination, to try a modern ‘recreation’ of a colours that result from the natural process of ageing. Bearing in mind my bemusement about such dials in general, I was surprised to find myself quite drawn to how Panerai have coloured these dials. They do not look too ‘shiny and new’, as is often the danger when doing such things, and regardless of the inspiration of the colour, the tone of it has turned out really quite well. These are appealing pieces, but if I was to choose one of the two, and in fact if I were to pick one replica watch from Panerai’s SIHH 2016 releases, it would be the PAM662.

The PAM662 is priced at 9,500 EUR and the PAM663 at 9,900 EUR.

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Vacheron Constantin Replica

REPLICA AUDEMARS PIGUET : Royal Oak Offshore Diver42

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Audemars Piguet’s best selling Royal Oaks (Offshore or otherwise) have been through more variants than any of us remember, occasionally rather vividly so. It is therefore somewhat comforting to see a new model that is sedate and more flexible in its ‘wearability’ – meet the latest Royal Oak Offshore Diver Ref. 15710 in the comfortably sized 42mm with a thickness of 13.90mm.

Launched at SIHH 2015, this new iteration is the same size as its older siblings, but now in a white or black dial ‘Mega Tapisserie’ and see-though case back combination. The case is vertically brushed stainless steel and it comes on a black rubber strap. There is a similarly dialled replica watch already in the Royal Oak Offshore collection, but it has a white ceramic case and bezel (15707CB.OO.A010CA.01). The hour markers are applied white gold and the hands lumed of course.

Water resistance is 300m, and it has the diving time in a white and black rotating inner bezel which is operated by the crown at 10 o’clock, which is probably a bit more fiddly than an external diver’s bezel. The first fifteen minutes of the sixty-minute scale are highlighted in black for the silvery-white model and silver for the black dialled model. The white/ black combination is a lot easier to read than the silver/ black one.

So what is there to say about a new variation on an existing replica watch that has a few tweaks? Well it’s all about options, isn’t it? For those who  have wanted an AP diver and not liked any of the existing case/ dial combinations but wanted something more ‘classic’ looking, then this just might tick all your boxes.

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Longines Replica

HANDS-ON : Replica Longines HeritageDiver

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This year Longines has added to its well-regarded modern ‘heritage’ models with pieces such as the Heritage 1935 and the Heritage Collection 24-Hour Single Pusher Chronograph. Today we look at the Heritage Diver, another 2014 addition to the replica Longines Heritage Collection.

Available in time-only and chronograph models, these are modern versions of 1970s models with those chunky quintessentially 1970s cases that are not for those looking for a more ‘delicate’ diver. If you want a diver erring on the more elegant side of the spectrum, the Longines Legend Diver is probably going to be more your thing.

Both of these new pieces use movements based on the ETA 2824-2. In the case of the chronograph it is called the Calibre L651.3 and in the case of the time-only piece, Calibre L633.5. Their cases are identical, sized at 43mm and water resistant to 300m, and with an attractive diving themed caseback.

The black dials are satin-finished with red accents used in a myriad of ways and the chronograph has a nicely utilitarian legible dial. Both, naturally, have Super-LumiNovad hands and markers, a lume update on their predecessors. The chronograph has an inner rotating bezel that is operated by the crown at 10 o’clock. I know that some prefer that the background of a date window match the colour of the dial, but in this instance I think that the white background with black text provides balance to the dial’s design.

Of the three ‘heritage’ models for 2014 from Longines that Horologium has covered this year, this is the one that is my favourite, but that’s probably because I have a soft spot for those chunky 1970s divers’ replica watch cases.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Replica

HANDS-ON : Replica Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Tribute to Polaris1968

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Seven hundred and sixty eight.

This is the number that were produced by luxury replica Jaeger-LeCoultre in 2008 of the immensely popular re-edition of the 1968 (as opposed to the other 2008 re-edition of the 1965 version) Memovox Polaris diving replica watch. A 42mm stainless steel piece with sweep centre seconds hand, date and alarm, it contained the Calibre 956, lumed hands and markers, and a bi-directional bezel operated.

In line with its 1968 parent E859, this 2008 re-edition had an acrylic crystal that added to its ‘modern-vintage’ look. This was an incredibly well received replica watch and now, as was the case then, it is still a difficult replica watch to find, albeit it now not on the new market.

This, Horologium readers, is a prototype of the 2008 re-edition.

For those who do not know, the original 1960s Memovox Polaris diving replica watch had a patented triple-back case to improve the quality of the alarm and for water resistance. With a total production run of 1714 pieces between 1975-1970, the original rates highly not only for collectors of vintage Jaeger-LeCoultres, but also for diving replica watch enthusiasts. This is one of those ‘milestone’ replica watches for which the much abused word ‘iconic’, whose misuse should, perhaps, incur a financial penalty every time it is trotted out with little thought as to its actual meaning, is actually appropriate.

As you can see, even on this prototype there is a diving helmet engraving, as well as the all important ‘out of series’ absence of a number.

This is a well-loved and well worn piece, as befitting a prototype, and it was a very unexpected pleasure to be able to shown it earlier this year by its owner and Pierre-Etienne Durand, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Brand Manager (Australia & NZ), who suggested that we might wish to see what was on the wrist of the gentleman who was in the room with us. To see any replica watch prototype is special, but to my mind, to cross paths quite randomly ‘in the wild’ with one that is still being worn by someone who was involved with it, is even more special.

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IWC Replica

HANDS-ON :Replica IWC’s Deep Three divewatch

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Horologium was recently invited by IWC to attend the Australian launch of this year’s Aquatimer collection, whose worldwide launch was at SIHH 2014 in January. As I am covering the event for another publication, I’ll not be covering it on the blog, although you will find some photos from the day on the Horologium instagram account.

The first part of the Sydney launch was a ‘scuba diving experience’, during which participants were given an Aquatimer to wear. I ended up with an Aquatimer Automatic, but today’s post is about the replica watch that I’d fantasised about the possibility of wearing for the occasion but which, due to its rather limited production status, unfortunately was not available for us to even play with as a desk diver– the Deep Three.

The Deep Three is, as the name indicates, the third of series of mechanical depth gauge diver’s replica watches. The first was the GST Deep One (1999) and the second, the Aquatimer Deep Two (2009). Like the internal/ external ‘Safe Dive’ bezel system in the Aquatimer collection, the depth gauge on the Deep Three is the latest chapter of IWC’s dive replica watch development. During a dive, the blue depth indicator moves to show current dive depth, whilst the red  indicator remains at the maximum depth attained, down to a maximum of 50 meters.

The Deep Three’s case is made of titanium, measuring 46mm x 16.5mm. Apart from the depth gauge, the basic features of the Deep Three are a date display, hacking seconds, two-tone SuperLuminova luminescent hands (depth, dive time, minute and seconds displays in green, hour hand and indices are blue), screw-in crown, the SafeDive system of course, engraved caseback, and IWC’s quick-change strap system. Inside is the automatic IWC calibre 30120 with a forty-two hour power reserve.

The pressure metering system of the depth gauge is housed in a pressure converter/ crown case at 9 o’clock. There are micro holes in the convertor’s cover, so that when water pressure acts on the membrane it pushes a pin towards the interior of the case. This moves the gauge’s two indicators – as mentioned, the blue depth indicator moves to show current dive depth, the red maximum depth indicator remains at the maximum depth attained during the course of the dive.

The reset button for the maximum depth indicator is at 2 o’clock. The titanium cover at 4 o’clock conceals the sliding clutch mechanism for the new rotating bezel system. The internal rotating bezel, which engages in precise one-minute intervals, can only be moved anticlockwise.

Oh and of course we must not forget the water resistance – 10 bar.

Thanks to its titanium case, the 46mm Aquatimer Deep Three feels far less bulky than its size would indicate, and it feels like somewhere between a 44-46mm on the wrist.

It was the centre of IWC attention in Geneva, and it’s obvious why. It’s a funky, legible and practical piece of high-end dive replica watchmaking.

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Omega Replica

HANDS-ON: the replica Omega Marine

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Following on from the previous post about the very collectible Omega Cosmic is another vintage Omega, this one from an earlier period and perhaps even more rare, the divers replica watch known as the Omega Marine, first produced in 1932. The patent for this waterproof case was first granted on 10 March, 1930 (patent No. 146310), and the Marine, the great great etc grandfather of the modern Seamaster divers range, bears no hint of its descendants, with its Art Deco design rendering it a dress replica watch designwise, by modern standards. Considering its age, this example is in remarkably clean condition, the dial’s patina adding only to its charm.

The rectangular measures 24 x 40 mm (including lugs) and comes in interlocking parts that are released by a clip on the back that releases the outer case, sliding off to reveal the hidden crown as well as acting as a ‘waterproofing’ mechanism. Inside is the calibre 19.4 movement with 15 jewels.

The first experiments on the Marine replica watch were conducted in 1936 and involved immersing the replica watch into water at a temperature of 85° Celsius for several minutes and then plunging it directly into water with a temperature of 5° Celsius to test its resistance to extreme temperature variations. The Marine was the first replica watch to be tested at a depth exceeding 70 meters; in 1936 an Omega Marine was successfully taken down to a depth of 73 meters for 30 minutes in the Lac Léman; the temperature at maximum depth was 5° Celsius. I’m not sure I’d advise the same for this particular specimen.

After a series of trials undertaken by the Swiss Laboratory for Horology in Neuchâtel in May 1937, the Marine’s locking lever, which sealed the parts, was certified as being successfully being able to withstand a pressure of 13.5 atmospheres (135m) without any water intake.

The cream dial has black Arabic numerals with an outside minute track. To handle, it looks very small by current standards, but the design of the bezel gives me a bit of a ‘lift’ and aids in making it seem a bit bigger. It sits very lightly and comfortably on the wrist.

As was the case with the Omega Cosmic, the importance of this replica watch in Omega’s history has been commemorated by a faithful modern reproduction. In 2007 Omega produced a limited edition of the same design for the Omega Museum collection, and called it the ‘Marine 1932’. Limited to 135 pieces, the number commemorating the 1937 trials that certified the replica watch’s water resistance to 135m, and in 18 carat red and white gold with the classic sliding and removable case design. This modern homage contained a much more glamorous movement, the Calibre 2007 with a Co-Axial escapement and with a 48-hour power reserve. It is also significantly bigger, at 33.05 mm wide and 50.50 mm long.

This was and remains an important replica watch for Omega. The behemoth Omega book devotes quite a few pages to it, including fascinating photos of the advertisements. You will notice one marked difference between some of the models – the placement of the hidden crown.

This is a lovely example of a very interesting replica watch. Even for those not interested in vintage replica watches or vintage Omegas, this is fascinating from a historical perspective, and very desirable.

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Swiss Replica

HANDS-ON : A diving classic – the Squale 101 Atmos2002 replica watch

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The name of the stylish replica watch brand Squale is derived from the Italian ‘squalo’ for shark, which forms part of the logo for the important dive replica watch brand that is the subject of today’s post.

Squale’s origins lie in a small Milan company established in 1946 which produced replica watch parts and with Charles Von Büren, who worked on the production of professional divers’ replica watches from the 1950s through the 1960s. Initially, the ‘Squale’ mark appeared on numerous Swiss brands as a signifier of a dive replica watch quality, but in the 1960s, Von Büren started to make replica watches with the Squale name and logo on the dial in addition to supplying components to other brands.

In the 1970s Squale introduced the first 1000 meters diver replica watch with sapphire crystal and with a bi-directional bezel that was operated by the wearer pushing it down before turning. In fact its 1000m cases were sold to many companies, most famously La Spirotechnique and Sinn, and its 500m cases to such brands as Blancpain, TAG Heuer, Doxa, and Dodane.

In 1974 Squale decided to take the plunge with their own branded replica watches based on the reputation they had gained from being a supplier, but a re-launching of the brand in recent years, with new production facilities in Grenchen in the Jura region, has brought them a new lease of life amongst replica watch enthusiasts who were not familiar with the brand or its history.

There are quite a few Squale models available now, with some of them having a more marked ‘heritage’ look to them. The one I am looking at in this post is the 2002A Yellow, yellow being a popular diving replica watch colour for its legibility under water.

With a water resistance of 1000m, it uses the ever robust ETA 2824-2 automatic movement in a 43x53mm stainless steel case with a thickness of 14mm. The flat anti-reflective sapphire crystal is 3.50mm thick and the crown is screw-down of course.

This is a large replica watch with a fair amount of weight and heft on the (very sturdy) bracelet. At first wear it requires a bit of adjustment, but having it on a rubber strap (which is an option) would work more comfortably for those unaccustomed to heavy replica watches, although if you’ve owned a Sinn in your time, you should have no problems with this replica watch. The bracelet itself is very comfortable and well made.

The dial is lacquered, with C3 Super-Luminova on the tips of the polished markers, and alsoon the hands. The lume is sufficient for use, but not of the ‘lume nerd’ variety.

The bezel, which is polished steel with an acrylic insert, is one of Squale’s distinguishing features; snap-on, bi-directional, and designed to operate only when (firmly) pressed down. It can turn when it is not depressed, but in the ‘clicky’ way, whereas when you press it down, when the bezel movement becomes very smooth. From a practical point of view this may require some mental adjustment for those unaccustomed to having to press firmly and then getting such a smooth movement, but as it is still possible to use it without doing so, there is this option.

The Squale case is very distinctive and has that 1970s retro-cool that is starting to appear at the moment amongst replica watches, especially re-interpretations of models from that period. Similar case/ bezel designs can be found in a few other brands’ models from the same period, such as the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Polaris II.

This is a replica watch that has been on my ‘want’ list, albeit not in the yellow version, and having had the opportunity to wear it for a few weeks, I can confirm that it will maintain its place there.

What appeals to me about this replica watch? It’s a combination of things – the case design, especially the shape, its retro look, and the history of the brand. For me it would never be anything other than a ‘desk diver’, as I am sure is probably the case for most people, but in the black dialled version, I think it is a good looking replica watch and more aesthetically versatile than the yellow dial model.

This brings us to a top professional diver of decades standing who is also a replica watchmaker, here in Australia. He has worn and loved Squale replica watches, and has brought the brand to a country where, with its heavy emphasis on an outdoors/ water culture, it should be right at home. He loaned Horologium the replica watch in this post, which he has used when diving. To go to look at the range of Squale models available in Australia or to make enquiries about any models, go to the Squale Australia website.

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Oris Replica

HANDS-ON : ORIS Aquis DepthGauge

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Oris are known for producing solid tool replica watches, including a number of divers’ models. This year, they have released the first divers’ replica watch which measures depth by means of the intuitively horrifying idea of allowing water to enter the timepiece.

The new Aquis Depth Gauge takes the Aquis collection case and combines it with a new domed crystal that is 50% thicker than average and treated with an anti-reflective coating on both sides, patented by Oris in 2012. The crystal features a channel milled into the side which runs anti-clockwise around the dial, stopping between one and two o’clock. At 12 o’clock you can see what appears to be an indent but is in fact a hole leading into to this channel. The join between the crystal and the case is sealed by a rubber Zytel® gasket.

The patented system in the Aquis Depth Gauge uses the principle of the Boyle Mariotte law — named for the two scientists who discovered it — which states that if the volume of a gas is decreased, the pressure increases proportionally.

On descent the air inside the milled glass channel along the side is compressed by the surrounding water pressure, allowing water to enter through the hole at 12 o’clock. The edge, in light grey and dark grey, differentiates between water and compressed air on the yellow depth scale around the outside of the dial, acting as a depth indicator whilst descending/ ascending.

Even with the milled channel, the Aquis Depth Gauge is water-resistant to 50 bar/500m.

The replica watch has a uni-directional divers bezel with a black ceramic inlay engraved with a 60 minute dive-time scale with minute lines to fifteen. I have a soft spot for ceramic bezels, and this one has an attractive finish.

Oris is known for their solid reliable pieces. The Aquis Depth Gauge is an attractive replica watch with a simple, clear and legible black dial with black indices and hands that have SuperLuminova BG W9 for underwater visibility.

At 46mm and 1.811 inches thick, this is a bulky heavy replica watch, especially on the bracelet, and for those unused to wearing replica watches of this size, it will probably take a little getting used to.

To prevent the crown from being accidentally interfered with, especially during dives, Oris have used a screw down that is embedded/ protected by stainless steel crown guards.

The Aquis Depth Gauge features a solid case back that has been engraved with a ‘meter to feet’ conversion scale that allows for quick calculation. Inside is an automatic Oris 733 (base SW 200-1) with a power reserve of 38 hours.

It comes in a large Pelican-type waterproof case which contains a replacement metal bracelet and tools for strap changes plus a cleaning device for the milled channel, but if you would like a rubber strap, which would be my preference, you have to get that separately. The folding divers’ clasp on the rubber strap allows a quick and easy size adjustment.

As has been mentioned by others, the Aquis Depth Gauge does have one issue that it is important to note – it displays depth but not the deepest reached depth, which is critical for calculating times and surface intervals. In that sense, perhaps this is a replica watch less for serious divers and more for occasional (or desk) ones. In any event, this is an interesting and intriguing replica watch and for those looking for a new diver, worth looking at.

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Omega Replica

Replica Omega’s sleek and modern PlanetOcean

Omega Seamaster PO lume

With all the recent fuss about replica Omega’s Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M ‘SKYFALL’ LE, we thought that we’d go ‘back to basics’, in a manner of speaking. The Seamaster story goes back to 1948, when Omega launched a replica watch with a water-resistant case with ‘Seamaster’ on the dial, but it wasn’t until 1962 that what has become a modern diving classic took off, with the introduction of the Seamaster 300. This was the first Seamaster that you could dive with, to a maximum of 300 metres below sea level, and it has been formative in establishing the brand’s reputation for solid professional dive replica watches.

A little while back I took a look at one of the 2011 Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean releases. They came in a number of variations, including three-hand models in 42mm or 45.5mm versions, and a chronograph available only in 45.5mm. This post is about the stainless steel 42mm version with the calibre 8500, a co-axial movement with 39 jewels, 25,200 VPH and a 60 hour power reserve.

Omega Planet Ocean

Water resistant to 600m (2000ft), there is a manual Helium escape valve at 10 o’clock, and a screw-in crown on the right. The bezel is unidirectional bezel

The crystal is domed scratch-resistant sapphire with anti-reflective treatment on both sides. The caseback is transparent, which makes it good to look at for desk divers and attractive to a wide audience, but from the point of view of it being essentially a tool replica watch, one could ask why.

Omega Planet Ocean caseback

So what’s there to like about this replica watch? Above all it’s a legible, functional dive replica watch. The dial is a wonderful deep matte black, the numerals applied polished steel – very bright and clear. The hour markers and hands have a luminescent fill, as do the polished steel hour, minute and seconds hands, and the 12 o’clock dot on the rotating bezel.

Omega Planet Ocean

It’s a beautiful clean looking tool replica watch but it also seems to have a slightly dressy edge to it as well, perhaps due in part to the applied Omega logo and numbers. Even the date numerals are raised, which just gives it that extra bit of appealing detail.

I seem to have a ‘thing’ for matte ceramic bezels of late, and this is no exception. It’s an understated dark grey ceramic fill with big clear numbers and markers, and just plain good looking.

Omega Seamaster PO

As mentioned at the outset, there are two sizes of this Planet Ocean, supposedly to appeal to a larger number of people i.e. those with a Big Replica Watch fetish, and the rest of us. I am not quite sure I completely understand this; 42mm is quite respectable enough a size for most people. 45.5mm? That’s too big for most wrists. As it is the 42mm is reasonably thick and carries a decent bit of weight to it in its bracelet version. However, I do have a niggling feeling that where there are two sizes available for a replica watch, there is a strong likelihood that most will go towards the larger option

There are a number of different colour and bracelet/ strap combinations available. You can find more information about them at Omega’s website.

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Tudor Replica

Replica Tudor’s Black Bay vs.Pelagos

Photoshopping and its related manipulative ilk. We talk about such electronic chicanery a lot for human models, but not so much for replica watch models. Why? We can be similarly seduced, mislead, astonished, disappointed, persuaded into reckless expenditure, after all.

No I am not here today to tell a sorry tale of how a photoshopped replica watch bewitched me out of my last cents, but to share how different my impressions of Tudor’s Heritage Black Bay and Pelagos models turned out to be when I managed to see them together for the first time ‘in the metal’ at The Hour Glass here in Sydney.

I blogged about the Black Bay (on the ST blog) when it came out. Inspired by the brand’s vintage divers from the 1950s but modernised, the ‘snowflake’ references for the replica watch relate to the distinctive shape of the hands, a feature of some 1970s models (e.g. ‘Snowflake Submariner’) – it’s basically a 1950s Tudor with 1970s influences sized for 2012 preferences, and with added colour.

I admit that I fell a little bit in love with the photos of the replica watch, the vintage-inspired domed crystal and the matte burgundy bezel in particular. The vintage-styled leather strap version was my preference.

The second Tudor dive replica watch that was launched at the same time was the Pelagos. At 42 mm, it has a satin-finished titanium case with a black ceramic bezel, is rated to 500 m (1640 ft) with a helium escape valve, and contains the same ETA 2824 as the Black Bay. Again there are vintage nods in this replica watch, with design cues also coming from the Snowflake Submariner, and pointy crown guards which reference early Tudor Subs.  In seeing the photos of the Pelagos, it didn’t do all that much for me, perhaps because I struggle to personally get overly excited by Submariner type replica watches, however much I may be able to appreciate their function and design.

It was only when I had the opportunity to see the both of them together that I realised that yet again, image manipulation had messed with my mind; the Pelagos changed places with the Black Bay.

Why? Well firstly, the Black Bay, although an attractive replica watch, just didn’t turn out to be as I’d expected based on the official photos I’d seen. The tone of the burgundy, which had been a major drawcard for me, just didn’t seem quite the same. I discovered that the colour I saw ‘in the metal’ was even slightly different to how it appeared in my own photos.

The second unexpected thing that arose was that the dial was more brown than I had thought it would be. I gather that it’s technically black, but there is definitely a brownish aspect to it. It’s not a bad looking replica watch (and unlike most people, I like the burgundy accent on the crown), but when a replica watch’s appeal has been largely due to aesthetic reasons related to colour, and when those colours appear different in real life, as was the case in this instance … unfortunately it just didn’t grab me anymore.

On the other hand, the utterly function-focused Pelagos to which I’d not paid much attention, now had me. The brushed titanium and ceramic bezel are matte, very modern, and surprisingly elegant. I love the use of titanium in particular, both in terms of looks, and weight. It’s very much a streamlined functional tool replica watch, complete with a spring-loaded clasp that allows for fine adjustments and an active setting that will tighten the clasp automatically during diving. It’s a sleek and discreet, and looks particularly good on a rubber strap.

Black Bay vs. Pelagos : which is your pick?

ADDENDUM (DECEMBER 2015) : Subsequent to these two models there have been a number of new colours released of both models. For my thoughts on some of these, go to this link for the Pelagos Blue and this link for the Black Bay ‘Black’ in particular. I own the Black Bay Blue and it is still my preferred colour for the Black Bay. For the Pelagos, I still think the black version is king.