I. Victorinox Chronopro

The Victorinox Chronopro is Victorinox's premiere mechanical chronograph. It comes is a 42 mm stainless steel case, with an open caseback that affords a view of the Valjoux 7750 movement. Screw down pushers and crown ensure 100 meter water resistance. The price is excellent for a Swiss chronograph of this quality. Read more about the Victorinox Chronopro here.

Retail $1,650, Victorinox

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The Omega Grey Speedmaster (Ref. O32332404006001) was introduced at this year's Baselworld show. It is offered in a 40 mm stainless steel case, with both polished and brushed surfaces, and for the most part, looks like a typical Speedmaster.  It is powered by the standard, yet reliable Omega Calibre 330 mechanical movement that is officially chronometer certified (COSC) and has a power reserve of 48 hours.  However, by adding a black Cordura strap and grey dial, Omega has taken the traditional Speedmaster DNA and created a more modern and sporty looking timepiece. This new look, in contrast to the more conservative designs seen on most Omegas, really stands out. And I think that is why it was one of the hottest introductions this year by Omega.

Retail $3,850

Source: Omega

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Founded in Switzerland in 1918 by George Schaeren, Mido is now based in Le Locle.  Situated in the heart of the Swiss Jura mountains, Mido is currently owned by the Swatch Group. 

The Mido Multifort PVD is a special edition version of their most popular collection.  It has a 44 mm x 14.5 mm 316L stainless steel treated case that is PVD treated (PVD gives the watch a black finish, as well as protecting it from scratches and corrosion).  Inside is a reliable and accurate ETA/Valjoux 7750 chronograph (Swatch owns ETA/Valjoux).  

What really sets this watch apart, is the use of Geneva stripes on the black steel dial.  And the use of cut-out holes for the hour indices, instead of the traditional applied or painting hour markers.  Inside the cut-out is filled with orange Superluminova for easy nighttime viewing.  

This watch features a Valjoux 7750 which runs at the standard rate of 28,800 vph (vibrations per hour), but instead of a "base" or "elaborate" grade movement, it features the "top" grade 7750 movement ("top" grade - is the same as a COSC certified, minus the certification).   The "top" grade movements have better finishing and features such as an INCABLOC and NIVACOURBE shock-absorber system that is used for improved protection against shocks.  A gilt GLUCYDUR balance, ANACHRON balance-spring and NIVAFLEX NM mainspring are used to improve the movement's performance. 

Functions include: hours, minutes, seconds, chrono, day and date.  Power reserve is 42 hours.  THe seconds can be hacked and the movement can be manually wound with the crown.  

The sapphire crystal protecting the dial has anit-reflective treatment on both sides of the crystal.  The caseback and crown are screwed-in.  The caseback features an open back, for viewing of the decorated movement, that includes blued screws, circular graining and an oscillating weight with Geneva stripes and engraved Mido logo.  The watch has been adjusted on 5 different positions for chronometer level accuracy.  

The strap is black rubber with a stainless steel folding clasp with 2 push-pieces and end-pieces with a black PVD treatment.  Water-resistance is 100 meters.

The Multifort Chronograph is an excellent timepiece within the crowded market of 7750 powered chronographs.  It is available in both stainless or PVD coated stainless, features a robust upgraded 7750 caliber movement, a beautiful steel dial with unique cut-outs and a great color scheme.  I highly recommend it, especially considering the price.

Retail $1,830 (steel $1,690)

Source: Mido

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Launched in 2004, the Chronopro was Victorinox Swiss Army's premiere mechanical chronograph. This year's redesign sports the same 42mm solid-steel case with crown protector but adds new functionality and optimizes legibility. Among the most striking upgrades are a dual finish bezel displaying the tachymeter scale, larger numerals and luminescent hands, counters with applied rings and a minute scale on the flange. A bright red 60-second counter hand dominates the enhanced dial, for instant, at-a-glance reading. Turn it over -- the powerful, Swiss-crafted Valjoux 7750 movement is visible through an exhibition caseback in mineral crystal. Available on a genuine black leather strap with a brushed matte finish, cream-colored contrast stitching and an integrated pushbutton-deployant safety clasp.

The case is 316L stainless steel and is 42 mm in diameter. Powering the timepiece is the reliable Valjoux 7750, which is a Swiss-made self-winding mechanical chronograph movement. Power reserve is 42 hours. The bezel features both polished and satinized finishes, with a tachymeter scale for speed measurement. The crown and pushers are screw-down, and help maintain a water-resistance rating of 100 meters (330 ft, 10 ATM).

The dial is protected by a triple-coated anti-reflective sapphire crystal.
The caseback is screw-in, with a shock resistant crystal. Hands and hour markers have a luminescent paint for nighttime visibility.

Functions include: Chronograph with1/4th of a second precision timing, Central 60-second counter, 30-minute and 12-hour counters, Date calendar at 6 o'clock, Small second at 9 o'clock.

Available with a genuine black leather strap with brushed matte finish, white stitching and a pushbutton deployant clasp. (Available in stores Winter 2010.)

Retail $1,650

Source: Victorinox Swiss Army

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Victorinox Swiss Army has just announced plans to release three new mechanical chronographs for winter 2010, called Infantry Vintage Mechanical Chronos. All three versions are powered by the robust and accurate mechanical self-winding Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement, and all share the same 44 mm stainless 316L stainless steel case, however, the black version features a Black Ice® PVD coated stainless steel 316L case (additional $200 for PVD treated version).

Available in three striking styles: the "retro" dial in olive and cream with a rugged-stitched brown leather strap; a very contemporary black-and-silver dial model with subtle red and black accents and rugged-stitched black leather strap; and the striking Black Ice PVD coating on the dial, case and deployant clasp bracelet.

The sapphire crystal has a triple-caoted anti-reflective sapphire crystal protecting the dial. And a screw-in exhibition caseback with a shock-resistant mineral crystal on the movement side. The crown is screw-down and is protected against accidental turning. Water-resistance is 100 meters (10 ATM, 330 ft).

Watch functions include: a chronograph with1/4th of a second precision timing, a central 60-second counter, a 30-minute and 12-hour counters, a date calendar at 6 o'clock, a small seconds display at 9 o'clock and a telemeter scale on the flange.

Victorinox Siwss Army has come out with some very interesting timepieces within the past 12-months. I especially like what they have done with the new Infantry Vintage collection (shown above), the new Maverick collection here and the new Dive Master collection. The newest Victorinox timepieces, offer a quality to price ratio, that just didn't appear to be there, even two years ago. The new Infantry Vintage collection is a great addition to the previously announced 2010 Dive Master and Maverick collections.

Retail $1695/$1895 (steel version/PVD steel)

Source: Victorinox

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The Rolex Submariner is one of the most recognized luxury watches in the world. It originally went into production in 1953, and was first presented to the public in 1954 at the Basel watch fair.

For this photo review, I got my hands on one of my friends recent acquisitions, a pre-owned 2007 Black Bezel Submariner. This watch is probably the most copied timepiece on the market, with many replica manufacturers copying the design. Even with all the knockoffs, this classic timepiece still commands top dollar on the pre-owned market. Due in part because of its fame, high demand, and of course, the name on the dial. Another less known factor, is that Rolex generally raises its price every year. You can generally find a pre-owned stainless steel Submariner in good condition for $3,500-$4,500 with the date (a little less without a date function). A new Submariner, with a ceramic bezel, starts at about $7,000. So as you can see, just going a few years back, will literally save you thousands. And in the case of the watch that I have photographed here, the buyer actually got it less than the selling price range above. (I'll tell you the actual price he paid below.)

Submariners, and really any Rolex, are a favorite of celebrities. If that is good or bad thing, I do not know, but you can see some celebrities wearing Rolex watches here. And if you search the web, you can find more celebrities wearing a Rolex, than probably any other brand.

Quality is another factor in the legendary status of the Submariner.

First, Rolex uses 904L stainless steel instead of 316L steel. Most watch brands uses 316L surgical grade stainless steel when producing a steel case or watch. The use of 904L actually adds a significant amount to the price, and most companies cannot justify the additional cost for higher grade of steel. Rolex, however, is not most watch companies, and accordingly they use the best steel available, even if the more affordable 316L stainless steel is good enough. The main advantage of 904L over 316L is its resistance to corrosion. Rolex uses 904L steel primarily for marketing purposes, to differentiate their product, but it does technically offer additional corrosion resistance. 904L is has copper added, which greatly improves resistance to strong reducing acids, as well as chloride. 904L is non-magnetic in all conditions and has excellent weldability and formability. The austenitic structure also gives this grade excellent toughness, even down to cryogenic temperatures. 904L does have a very substantial amount of nickel and molybdenum, and this is what really adds to its cost.

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Breitling has issued a new version of their Chronospace quartz pilot watch. The movement, like all Breitling movements, is COSC chronometer-certified. Passing the chronometer standards that the COSC sets is actually fairly easy for a mechanical timepiece, however, for a quartz caliber, it must be much more accurate in terms of rate. The end result is a movement ten times more accurate than an ordinary quartz movement - SuperQuartz™.

Ever since Breitling launched the Navitimer in the 1940s, with a navigational slide rule bezel, they have been known for their professional use pilot watches. And like the Navitimers of past and present, the Chronospace features the famous circular slide rule bezel for handling essential calculations regarding airborne navigation.

The Chronospace, however, is designed for "intensive professional use", according to Breilting's press release. And on top of having a slide rule pilot's bezel, the Chronospace also features an impressive list of useful functions - a 1/100th of a second chronograph with split times, Coordinated Universeal Time (UTC), perpetual calendar, 24-hour military time, alarm, countdown timer, dual timezone display with independent alarm. Powering the watch and assuring precision, is a thermo-compensated chronometer quartz movement (meaning it is accurate to about 5 seconds per month, versus a mechanical chronometer, which is accurate to about 5 second per day).

To display the time, the dial features traditional central hour, minutes and seconds hands. The luminous hands are big and easy to read. To display the nunerous functions, dual digital LCD readouts are used. To guarantee optimal visibility, day or night, the LCD screens are equipped with high-performance NVG (Night Vision Google) compatible backlighting system. And to simplify operation, all functions are controlled by pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock. This unique ana-digi configuration allows pilots to access all of the functions, along with the time, quickly and easily.

When using the alarm, the sound signal is very high, to guarantee audibility. This is possible because of a specially designed double caseback, which amplifies the sound to 90 db (decibels). The circular rack-and-pinion mounted slide rule is easily and accurately rotated using the star-shaped bezel - an original and extremely ergonomic design. The Chronospace is available on various wristbands, including a new bracelet in satin-brushed woven steel with a little vintage touch, and a sporty looking perforated rubber strap.

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Over the past couple months, I have worn and photographed a beautiful Maurice de Mauriac DLC Modern Chronograph timepiece. (Please click the image above to view a lightbox photo gallery of a custom made Maurice de Mauriac chronograph.) During a recent visit to the Maurice de Maurice, Zurich based boutique, workshop and headquarters. I was so impressed by the styling, value and quality of Maurice de Mauriac timepieces, that I had to have one. So, I ordered one, with my exact dial, bezel, case and strap preferences. Two weeks later, my watch arrived at my house in Denver, Colorado.

It has a Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement that was sourced from the Swatch division's ETA movement factory, like so many other brands. But, not many brands allow you to decide so many different elements that effect how your watch looks and feels, instead you pick from a few different models and color variations? That's it. And even in the rare case that you can select more than just the strap or the case of a watch, you are going to pay a substantial premium. Not under $5,000, though.

What I'm talking about is customization. Like you can do with most German luxury sedans. You can select colors, materials and additional elements. And like Audi, who offers customization even on their entry-level A4, you can select these elements, even at the price range of an entry-level luxury mechanical timepiece. The end result, is a great core product, that has elements which you pick to make it unique to you.

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