10 minute read
WATCH REVIEWS
THE SPECS
• 41mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance • Sellita SW510 automatic movement with 48-hour power reserve • £1,895, williamwoodwatches.com
HANDS-ON WITH THE WILLIAM WOOD
VALIANT
I’m not often a fan of watches that lean too heavily into a particular theme. Hints here and there are all well and good, but when every single detail is drawn from the same source it can come across as twee. One watch that skirted just the right side of that line for me is the Valiant courtesy of William Wood.
Odd as it was to see a tried and true dive watch inspired by firefighting – the least watery thing I can think of – the William Wood Valiant was, when released, a rather impressive watch. I don’t just mean the specs, which were fine for a diving watch, but there was visually nothing else like it.
Between the various firefighting touches on the dial and the upcycled fire hose straps that have since become William Wood’s signature flourish, it was incredibly distinct from the host of other microbrand divers out there – and now with the Triumph, it’s a distinction the British brand’s doubling down on.
If you liked the Valiant, I don’t see any reason you wouldn’t love the Triumph. It ups the ante laid down by William Wood’s seminal watch in pretty much every way. First off, it’s available in three colours, Oxygen, Fuel and Heat (or if we’re being more prosaic, blue, yellow and red respectively).
The one we were sent is Heat, which uses the same firefighter red bezel as their earlier watches, complete with a matching second hand and its bell chime counterweight. Yet this being a chronograph, it’s joined by matching hands on the bi-compax subdials, modelled after pressure gauges.
Otherwise, the dial is incredibly legible thanks to its sandwich construction and circular cut-out indexes, hammering home – along with the diving scale bezel – that this is a dive watch design. It’s rated at 100m water resistance though, so be warned: no scuba. Finishing the dial is a chequered chapter ring taken from the side of a fire truck.
So far, so Valiant-with-subdials. But what really sets the Triumph apart is its chronograph pushers. Rather than anything subtle, William Wood have opted for big, blocky, muscular pushers plated with antique fire helmet brass. At first I didn’t really like the pushers, they’re just so… there. Now I can’t imagine the watch without them. And I’m pretty sure it’s not Stockholm syndrome. They have such a lovely feel and satisfying heft to them I’m still slightly enamoured.
The Sellita SW510 at the other end of those pushers is solid enough, with a 48-hour power reserve. It’s still worth looking at though, if only because of how the brand has done their exhibition caseback: Break Glass in Case of Fire, around the bright-red (think fire axe) rotor. It’s probably best you don’t take that advice though.
Now, I should probably talk about something I normally avoid in these kinds of reviews, if only because a lot of the time I get press samples which tend to come, shall we say, less than retail ready: unboxing.
The Triumph on the other hand came in its sale packaging, which is incredibly fun. The box imitates a fire alarm, complete with the ‘break glass press here’ lettering across the front. You’ll have seen them plenty. You don’t need to break it to get in which is good as the watch box doubles as a travel case. Made from Italian leather, it contains two layers, the first of which can hold three watches – so the full set if you’re so inclined. Then there’s a pull cord to access a second layer underneath designed for spare straps. It’s all very onthe-nose, but it’s fun all the same.
And that’s the same for the Triumph as a whole. It is a themed watch in the truest sense and every spare inch of its design has been leveraged towards illustrating William Wood’s firefighter connections. But it’s done well enough that honestly, I don’t mind. And if you have a burning love of firefighting, go for it – the Triumph pieces with all their literal bells and whistles will set you back just £1,895 each. No matter whether you judge it a triumph or not, that’s a price that’s hard to argue with.
£1,895, williamwoodwatches.com
THE SPECS
• 42mm ceramic case with 300m water resistance • BR-CAL.302 calibre automatic movement with 40-hour power reserve • £3,990, limited to 99 pieces, bellross.com
HANDS-ON WITH THE BELL & ROSS
BR 03-92 MILITARY
If Bell & Ross were around in the 80s there’s a good chance they’d have penned a few songs with Huey Lewis because they’ve built a large part of their watchmaking identity around the fact that yes, it’s hip to be square. At least if you do it as well as they do.
Their signature shape, taken directly from an aircraft cockpit has done Bell & Ross well over the years, adapted as it’s been beyond the aviation background it came from into a host of other instrument practicalities. Possibly the arena it’s worked best in though – and I do include the skies as one of those – is diving.
That’s a bold claim I know. 99.99% of dive watches are round but then at least 80% of those are Submariner clones, so statistics aren’t really of help here. And as ways to stand out among the host of underwater watches out there, going square is a solid one. The fact that a diving bezel suits the chunky shape to a tee in a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea porthole kind of way, is just the icing on the cake.
Needless to say I’m already a fan of a Bell & Ross diver or two. I’m also a fan of their more militaristic pieces, specifically the BR-V2 92 Military Green. Combining them together seems like a no-brainer and the result is this, the BR 03-92 Military.
Consider this the counterpoint to the also recent Red Bronze. Whereas that’s a flashy, colourful take on the Bell & Ross diver, this is the stripped-back, utilitarian version, and it’s much more my tempo.
The dial is the typical khaki we’ve seen taking over the watch world for the past year, particularly in this sub-sect of tool pieces. It’s taken from olive drab and isn’t really worth dwelling on. It’s nice, not groundbreaking and you’ve seen it before.
Perhaps what’s more impressive here is the inclusion of a full ceramic case. The 42mm case is substantial and this much ceramic makes for an impressively hardwearing, lightweight watch. Not that I intentionally whacked it on anything, obviously. The bezel too is ceramic (and one of the more satisfying to use, besides) and the combination lends a bit more of a tactile feel that takes this to the more modern side of militaristic.
That’s especially true on the chunky black rubber strap we have here, which curves to fit the wrist perfectly, a great match for the case which feels larger than your usual 42mm piece for obvious reasons (corners). That said, the khaki canvas version sets off the dial nicely, even if it’s a bit less comfortable.
Inside is the BR-CAL.302, a solid, ETA-based number with a not fantastic 40-hour power reserve. It does its job but for a bit less time than the benchmark these days. Still, it’s protected by 300m water resistance so the watch as a whole has some decent specs.
Overall, the BR 03-92 isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it is possibly my favourite Bell & Ross. I like utilitarian and military vibes; I like Bell & Ross divers. I like squares as much as the last outdated 80s musical reference - and a full ceramic watch for under 4K is nothing to be sneezed at (quiet, Tudor). Now if only they’d give the movement an upgrade…
£3,990, limited to 99 pieces, bellross.com
THE SPECS
• 43mm black ceramic and titanium case with 50m water resistance • Calibre 6924 automatic movement with 50-hour power reserve • £22,400, faberge.com
HANDS-ON WITH THE FABERGÉ
VISIONNAIRE DTZ
Fabergé has been frustratingly quiet in the watch world of late. Sure, fine timepieces aren’t the brand priority necessarily and they haven’t shifted over quite as much as the likes of Chopard and Bulgari but still, the Visionnaire is a seriously cool watch. It should by rights have a lot more presence than it has. Hopefully, The Visionnaire DTZ Dynamist is here to grab the spotlight it deserves.
The DTZ – or dual time zone – variant of the Visionnaire formula made a splash when it was first launched in 2016. It won the GPHG for travel time watches for one and proved that the Visionnaire design was surprisingly versatile. It even graced one of our covers a few years back. Ah those were the days. Still, I like the Visionnaire DTZ for a lot more than its rosy tint.
At the centre of the watch is the calibre 6924 created by Agenhor, who have a Midas touch when it comes to novel, generally circumferential methods of time display. They were behind the Singer Reimagined Track 01 after all and the DTZ strikes the perfect balance between inventiveness and practicality. Oh and they developed it in under a year. In case the unspoken incredulity in those words doesn’t come across, that’s an incredibly short time.
The concept’s pretty simple, really. Around the dial you have hours and minutes mounted onto discs rather than classic hands. By pushing them further out, it allows for an aperture at the middle of the dial showing the hour of the second time zone. It’s cool, simple and easy to grasp. Not all travel watches can say the same.
So, what’s actually different about the Dynamist? Well, other than the new colours, not a lot really. The 43mm case is as elegant and layered as ever, complete with a dial side rotor and a quick-change button for the second time zone at 10 o’clock.
The black and yellow gold are certainly striking in an old school luxury kind of way. Given Fabergé’s history of extravagance, it fits and personally I think it works incredibly well with the distinctive modern look and concentric rings of the Visionnaire design. Some of the more obsessive detail has been removed too, streamlining the whole thing.
I do however wish that Fabergé had had a bit more fun with it. This is the big comeback of the Visionnaire DTZ! When I heard it was coming I was waiting with baited breath for some serious colour to match Fabergé’s jewels. Even a bit of green – a colour that every watchmaker in the world has done this year – would have been welcome over simple black and gold.
Looks aside, it sits as nicely on the wrist as ever, with strap attachments too subtle to really be called lugs. Because of that, the 43mm feels relatively small, especially as it’s made from a mix of titanium and black ceramic for hardwearing lightness.
The movement’s also worth looking at, if only because there’s not much else like it mechanically. It also has a few heritage Fabergé nods, though I did need the ‘peacock-shaped component’ pointed out for me to realise what it was. Even if you miss that, it’s impressive.
So no, there’s nothing new here. Still, I can’t complain. It’s a damn fine watch even if it’s not what I was hoping for and anything that puts the DTZ back into the horological conversation is worth doing. Not that I don’t have my fingers crossed that we’ll see a bit of bright blue or green on the next. Or red? Please be red.
£22,400, faberge.com
