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- Hamilton Expands Jazzmaster Line With New Sizes And Dials; Seiko Takes Inspiration From 60s Motorcycles; Rado Shrinks Down The Cool Diastar To 30mm; Hublot's New Green Saxem; And A Pretty Moser
Hamilton Expands Jazzmaster Line With New Sizes And Dials; Seiko Takes Inspiration From 60s Motorcycles; Rado Shrinks Down The Cool Diastar To 30mm; Hublot's New Green Saxem; And A Pretty Moser
What do we think about wearing a Moser as a GADA?
Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. Open-heart dials are quite the weird breed. They seem to have a huge following, especially among people who don’t consider themselves watch fans. I don’t get them, but who am I to judge? Go enjoy them, have fun!
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In this issue:
Hamilton Expands Jazzmaster Open Heart Collection With Midnight Blue and Emerald Green Dials In Two Sizes
Seiko Skeletonizes The Dial On The Presage Style 60s ‘Elegant Yet Rugged’ Biker Style
Rado Updates The Very Cool Diastar With Great Colors And A Tiny 30mm Case
Hublot Adds A Tourbillon To The Big Bang Automatic Green Saxem
H. Moser & Cie. Pairs A Burgundy Dial With Red Gold Case On New Pioneer Tourbillon
👂What’s new
1/
Hamilton Expands Jazzmaster Open Heart Collection With Midnight Blue and Emerald Green Dials In Two Sizes

While the Khaki collections are clearly dominating the Hamilton catalogue, their Jazzmaster collection shouldn’t be disregarded. I’ve seen a couple of Jazzmasters that put much more expensive watches to shame. And there’s plenty of combinations of features and colors to choose from because that’s what Hamilton does, offers you every combination you can imagine. Their latest addition to the Jazzmaster collection is a quartet of Open Heart models. You can either choose the Midnight Blue dial in either 36 or 42mm, or the Emerald Green dial in 42mm. If you’re wondering why you only get photos of the blue one, I’ll just say that Hamilton doesn’t have one decent Emerald Green press photo.
But regardless of the dials, they share the cases. The smaller ones measure 36mm wide, 10mm thick, while the larger ones measure 42mm wide and 11.5mm thick. They both have a mix of polished and brushed finishes. Sapphire crystals can be found on top and bottom, while water resistance is ok-ish at 50 meters.
The dials are actually very nice. The Midnight Blue versions have an aventurine-like look, with a deep blue base and many tiny silver dots that make it look like the night sky. The Emerald Green version, on the other hand, is much simpler with a slight gradient effect fading to a darker green at the edges. The blue version is paired with nickel-finished applied indices and hands, while the green version has gold colored hardware. Oh, and of course, theres the skeletonization of the dial, which is quite unique. One of the open parts extends from the centre towards 7 and 8 o’clock, while the other irregular opening spans the space from 11:30 to 4 o’clock.
The movements you see through the dials are the H-10 automatic, which is Hamilton’s version of the Powermatic 80. It beats at 21,600vph and has an 80 hour power reserve. The watches can be had on a number of strap and bracelet options. There’s a 5-link stainless steel bracelet with a butterfly clasp, a dark blue calf leather strap for the Midnight Blue and a brown leather for the Emerald Green.
The new Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart models are part of the regular collection and are priced at €1,065 for the 36mm Midnight Blue on strap: €1,145 for the same on a bracelet; €1,145 for the 42mm Midnight Blue and Emerald Green on strap; and €1,225 for the large models on bracelet. See more on the Hamilton website.
2/
Seiko Skeletonizes The Dial On The Presage Style 60s ‘Elegant Yet Rugged’ Biker Style

Openworked dials are not an everyday release, so it’s kind of funny to see two of them in the same newsletter. OK, to be fair, this Seiko was released at the start of the year, but there are so many watches to write about I just couldn’t fit it in earlier. So here we are, with two openworked dials in the same newsletter. This is the new Seiko Presage Style 60s ‘Elegant Yet Rugged’ Biker Style Skeleton, and wow, is that a lot of words that shouldn’t be used in a watch name.
This watch is part of the ‘Elegant Yet Rugged’ line that Seiko introduced last year as part of the retro Style 60s collection which is attempting to do exactly what it says on the label — be rugged, yet elegant. While the Presage line tends to pull off the elegant look quite easily, the Style 60s case takes on a much shaper look. Sure, the basic shape is still round, but the lugs protrude from the case sharply and with strong angles. The measurements are actually quite interesting - 39.5mm wide, a bit thick at 12.2 mm, but with a very comfortable 46.2mm lug-to-lug. On top is a box shaped Hardlex crystal, which will surely be criticized, and surrounding it is a fixed metal bezel with a very subtle mesh pattern and engraved with a 60 minute scale. Less rugged is the fact that the water resistance is an iffy 50 meters.
The dial is a dark grey base with a number of cutouts that, according to Seiko, are styled to resemble “a vintage motorcycle engine and its inner workings”. I’m not sure I see it, but Seiko is known for its very poetic descriptions of dials, so good on them. What is cool is the fact that they painted a lot of the visible movement gold, which contrasts very nicely with the dark grey. The indices are baton shaped and applied, with just a tiny lume rectangle at the inner end. The hour and minute hands are dauphine shaped, faceted and filled with Lumibrite.
The movement you see through the dial is the 4R72. It beats at 21,600vph and has a just-OK 40 hour power reserve. It’s also notorious for its broad range of accuracy that can range anywhere between +45/-35 seconds per day. In reality, the majority of these movements perform much better, but Seiko sides on the side of caution. The watch comes on a buffalo leather strap.
The new Seiko Presage Style 60s ‘Elegant Yet Rugged’ Biker Style Skeleton is available now and it’s priced at €700. See more on the Seiko website.
3/
Rado Updates The Very Cool Diastar With Great Colors And A Tiny 30mm Case

Even though it seems that we are slowly moving away from the revival of 50s and 60s watch designs, more towards the 1980s, here comes Rado with a the most 1960s design with the Diastar. This is not a new watch for Rado, as it was first introduced in 1962 and revived for the 60th anniversary in 2022. It is a very groovy helmet-shaped UFO case that measured 38mm in the re-release. Well now, they are doing something even better with the watch, introducing a 30mm version with some very nice colors.
The new cases of the Diastar keep the exact same case as the originals, with the very groovy look. The case measures 30mm wide, 11mm thick and with a lug-to-lug of 35.6mm. It also keeps the same construction, with a steel mid-case and the very dramatic bezel on top made out of a proprietary material, one the brand calls Ceramos. It’s a composite material made primarily of titanium carbide which keeps the same shine of a metal alloy while being as hard as ceramic. The bezel is also highly polished to make the whole thing even shinier. On top is a faceted sapphire crystal and water resistance is 100 meters.
There are three colors to choose from, Turquoise, Dahlia and Glacier Lake which translate to well, turquoise, purple and blue. However, if you look at the dials you’ll see that there are several shades of those colors on the dial. This is not due to the use of different colors, but rather to the direction in which the dial is brushed in. Very cool. At 6 o’clock is a date aperture and the dial has only the Rado anchor logo at 12. The hands are rhodium-plated with a lumed strip on them.
And just when you would think that Rado probably give a watch like this a generic quartz movement, a surprise. Inside is the calibre R586, which is essentially a ETA 2671 automatic that beats at 4Hz and has a 48 hour power reserve. The watches come on stainless steel bracelets with polished H-links
The new 30mm Rado Diastar models are part of the regular collection and are priced at €1,650. See more on the Rado website.
4/
Hublot Adds A Tourbillon To The Big Bang Automatic Green Saxem

Sapphire watches are incredibly difficult to make. Sapphire is one of the hardest materials used in watchmaking, so cutting out a case and achieving flowing lines is something only a few watchmakers could do. Interestingly, Hublot is on the cutting edge on developing sapphire cases for their watches. While working on those, they came up with a new material they call SAXEM – Sapphire Aluminium Oxide and Rare Earth Mineral – produced by blending aluminium oxide, the fundamental component of sapphire, with rare-earth elements such as thulium, holmium, and chromium. Last year, they showed of this tech on a chronograph Big Bang Unico Saxem Green. Now, they’re doing the same with a Tourbillon.
The case of the new Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Green SAXEM comes in a bright emerald green color of the new material and measures 44mm wide and 14.4mm thick. You still get the recognizable Hublot six bezel screws, and the bezel is completely transparent. The screws and the crown are both done in blackened titanium. Water resistance is 30 meters, which is to be expected with a sapphire case.
While the watch has a dial, its base is a slightly smoky sapphire crystal, giving you a full view of the inner workings. That crystal has Arabic indices at 2, 4, 8 and 10 o’clock, above which you’ll find skeletonized central hour and minute hands that are treated with Super-LumiNova. There’s also a slighly sloping flange around the periphery of the dial which is also done in transparent sapphire, with a minutes track.
Inside is the seen-before manufacture automatic calibre MHUB6035, which beats at 21,600vph and has a 72 hour power reserve. Through the dial you can see the micro-rotor at 12 o’clock and a large tourbillon at 6. The watch comes with a black lined rubber strap with black ceramic and black-plated titanium deployant buckle clasp and an additional green transparent rubber strap that closes with velcro.
The new Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Green SAXEM is a limited edition of 18 pieces, and priced at €241,000. See more on the Hublot website.
5/
H. Moser & Cie. Pairs A Burgundy Dial With Red Gold Case On New Pioneer Tourbillon

The Pioneer collection from H. Moser & Cie. is one of the coolest watches out there. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but there are very few high-end luxury watches that are as effortlessly elegant and sporty. I would imagine a Pioneer would be my go anywhere, do anything watch if I had a couple of dozen million in my bank account. Perhaps this exact new Pioneer Tourbillon which gets a gorgeous burgundy dial.
This Pioneer Tourbillon comes in a smaller case than the original, and it measures 40mm wide and 12mm thick. It’s made out of beautiful 5N red gold, which looks even better in its brushed finish with polished accents. The case also has beautifully scalloped sides with a striped pattern inside those indents. On the side is a screw-down crown which gives you 120 meters of water resistance.
Matching the red gold tone of the dial is the dial which gets a deep burgundy colorway. Like so many Pioneers, this one has a burshed finish and a fumé effect that fades to black on the sides. And like models before it, it has a logo done in transparent lacquer, which is one of my favorite renditions of a watch logo. You also get red gold applied indices and hands. But it’s all about that huge tourbillon aperture at 6 o’clock.
Inside you’ll find the calibre HMC 805 which beats at 3Hz and has a 72 hour power reserve. While it’s beautiful movement, with an anthracite grey finish with Moser double stripes and a skeletonized 18k gold rotor, there’s something very cool with the tourbillon. It’s a one-minute flying tourbillon equipped with a double hairspring that’s made by sister company Precision Engineering. But it’s also an interchangeable module, assembled and regulated independently from the movement. The Plug & Play system allows for easy servicing. The watch comes on a khaki rubber strap.
The new H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Tourbillon Burgundy is available now, priced at CHF 59,900. See more on the H. Moser website.
⚙️Watch Worthy
A selection of reviews and first looks from around the web
⏲️Wait a minute
A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting
The Diddy story is way more twisted than it initially seemed. Rolling Stone has a new article out which detail his life after what he called his “rock bottom”. As Sean Combs’ ‘love’ era began, new accusers say he was still a demon.
In an excerpt from his essay collection, Take My Name But Say It Slow, Thomas Dai reflects on growing up Chinese in the American South, in a suburb of Knoxville, Tennessee. It’s surprisingly interesting.
Taloyoak is a hamlet on the coast of Aqviqtuuq, located on the nothernmost tip of mainland Canada. The remote area is currently a wildlife haven untouched by industry—but not for long. Mining companies have 19 claims there, but the residents are determined to protect the land, sea, air, and their water supply from pollution and contamination. They’ve established the Aqviqtuuq Inuit Protected and Conserved Area, which is “the first Inuit-led conservation model of its kind in the world.” There’s some great photography here.
👀Watch this
One video you have to watch today
I have no idea why I clicked on this video. But what I can tell you is that I had a hard time stopping it. Who would say super glue could be so interesting.
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Thanks for reading,
Vuk
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