Timex Recreates A Very Cool Field Watch; Formex Introduces The Essence Space Glacier; Nodus Releases First Titanium Watch; Bravur's Heritage Team Duo; Breguet Starts 250th Anniversary Celebration

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. If you were to buy all five watches I’m writing about today, you would have a pretty amazing collection. That rarely happens to be the case. Very cool.

Today we have part two of a three part series on Indian watchmaking. I really enjoyed writing it, learned a lot, and can’t wait to put out more of these long form series.

In this issue:

• Timex Teams Up With Bespoke Post For A Recreation Of A Very Cool Field Watch

• Formex Introduces The Essence Space Glacier, With An Ice Blue Meteorite Dial

• Nodus Releases Their First Titanium Watch, The New Sector II Field

• Bravur Presents Another Heritage Team Duo, This One Inspired By Historic St. Raphaël Cycling Team Kit

• Breguet Starts 250th Anniversary Celebration With The New Classique Souscription 2025

👂What’s new

1/

Timex Teams Up With Bespoke Post For A Recreation Of A Very Cool Field Watch

Bespoke Post is one of those subscription services that mails you a box of curated stuff every so often. I’m not sure if they are the oldest in the bunch of these services, but they sure are the best known. And for good reason. I looked at some of the stuff they send, and it’s all pretty cool. They seem to have good taste. Which is evident in their collaboration with Timex, on the Timex x Bespoke Post Field Watch. Behind the very good looks of the watch is actually an almost 1-to-1 recreation of a 1970s Timex Viscount. And funnily enough, this is not the first recreation of the Viscount. Some five years ago, Timex released a recreation of the Viscount, again as a collaboration, but this time with Todd Snyder. Only, that watch only resembled the Viscount. This one looks very much the same.

OK, to be fair, it does look similar, but it has bumped up in size. But not by much. While the original measured 35mm wide (with the crown), this new one keeps the fully polished C-shaped case, now measuring 36mm wide (without the crown), 11mm thick and with a pretty fantastic lug-to-lug of 41.5mm thanks to those stubby lugs. On top is a stainless steel bezel that holds down the domed acrylic crystal. I welcome the use of acrylic, instead of hardlex, not just for vintage accuracy, but also for ease of maintenance. Water resistance is 50 meters.

The dial is a near identical recreation of the dial of the original. The black base gets a white crosshair in the centre, interrupted at 12 by the Timex logo and the “water resistant 5 atm” at 6 o’clock. You get really nicely designed numerals at the even positions for the hours, while the odd positions get elongated triangles with lume in them. Running on the inside of these markers are red 24-hour numerals. The hands are super simple, white pencil-shapes for the hours and minutes, while the seconds hand changes from the original red to orange.

Inside, Timex has swapped the original automatic movement for something a bit more sturdy — an unnamed quartz movement. The watch comes on a green cordura strap that has a leather lining.

The new Timex x Bespoke Post Field Watch is available now, priced at €155. For that money, this watch has no business looking as good as it does. This is likely going on my list of favorite releases of the year. See it on the Timex website.

2/

Formex Introduces The Essence Space Glacier, With An Ice Blue Meteorite Dial

I haven’t really talked about this much, but the brand that perhaps most impressed me at Watches and Wonders this year was Formex. I haven’t had an opportunity to handle them before, so I had some preconceived notions about them. They looked fine, sometimes interesting, but more often a bit… I don’t know… boring? At least for my taste. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that the sprung case was a bit of a gimmick. Then I got to try on the Reef GMT in Geneva and let me tell you… Formex makes some of the most impressive watches in the world. I don’t think I’ve had my mind changed so instantly by anything, ever. But more on that later, when I get a Reef GMT in for review. Now, Formex is introducing a new version of their less hardcore sports watch, the Essence, with yet another meteorite dial. But this one is very special, as it comes in an icy white color.

Like many Essence releases, this one comes in two case sizes — a smaller that measures 39mm wide and 10mm thick, and a larger that measures 43mm wide and 10.6mm thick. That’s an impressive thickness when you consider not just the movement they are using, but also the internal springs that hold the titanium container that houses the movement. These springs allow the entire case to flex against your wrist, making it super comfortable to wear. The cases are made out of stainless steel, with vertical brushing and polished chamfered edges, and on top is a bezel with four functional screws. Water resistance is 100 emters.

To get the light blue color of the Muonionalusta meteorite, Formex experimented with various coatings on the meteorite surface. First, they pushed for rhoidum, but that wasn’t giving them the desired effect. Instead, they plated it with 98% pure silver to extract the full brilliance of meteorite. That is then sealed under six coats of a blue-tinted cellulose-based lacquer. You get applied markers and logo, faceted hands with lume and a bevelled date aperture at 6 o’clock with a grey date disc inside.

Inside, you’ll find the Sellita SW200-1, but not just any SW200. While it has the same 4Hz beat rate and 41 hour power reserve as a regular SW200, it’s also COSC-certified, which is a great addition. You also get a skeletonized rotor with the Formex logo. The watches come on a stainless steel bracelet, which has one of the best designed micro extension clasps I’ve ever seen. You can also choose an Italian leather or rubber strap with a carbon fibre deployant clasp.

The new Formex Essence Space Glacier Automatic Chronometer is available now and limited to 100 pieces per case size. Deliveries start at the end of April and price is set at €1,880 on the leather or rubber strap, and €1,990 on the bracelet. See more on the Formex website.

3/

Nodus Releases Their First Titanium Watch, The New Sector II Field

The vast majority of Nodus watches have a very nice finish to them. It’s a very fine satin finish that looks exactly like titanium. That’s why it might come as a surprise that it’s only now that Nodus is introducing their first watch made out of titanium. The surprise is even more compounded when you think of what Nodus stays for and what kind of watches they make — titanium should be their bread and butter, right. Wrong, all of the watches so far were steel. And it’s only fitting that their first titanium watch is the return of the Sector Field, built on the new Sector II case.

Like all the other watches in the Sector series, the Sector Field uses the same mid-case but gets a wholly unique look with a different bezel and caseback. The case measures 38mm wide, 11.7mm thick and has a 47mm lug-to-lug, and on top you’ll find a fixed stepped bezel. The entire thing is made out of Grade 2 titanium which Nodus says they chose over Grade 5 for it’s cost — since the Sector series is their entry-level platform — and the fact that when Grade 2 gets a blasted finish it has a very deep grey color with almost zero reflections. Exactly what you would expect from Nodus. Water resistance is 100 meters.

The dial comes in three metallic colors that have a gradient to a darker shade and the colors are Marina (left), Shale (center), and Sequoia (right). The central part of the dial features a raised section that showcases the classic twenty-four-hour scale with a distinctive Nodus twist. This elevation is meticulously designed to add significant depth to the dial, creating a visually engaging sandwich-style segmentation. The matte metallic gradients are contrasted with matte-finished hands and liberal use of BGW9 Super-LumiNova.

Inside is the familiar TMI (Seiko) NH38 automatic which beats at 3Hz and has a 41 hour power reserve. Nodus regulates the movement in-house and claims an accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per day. The watch comes on a black or gray hybrid TecTuff rubber strap with a titanium buckle.

The new Nodus Sector II Field Titanium is available now at a pretty great price of $500. See more on the Nodus website.

4/

Bravur Presents Another Heritage Team Duo, This One Inspired By Historic St. Raphaël Cycling Team Kit

While I can spark up an interest in pretty much anything, the one thing that always eluded me was cycling. I could never understand the appeal. And yet… when I first discovered the Swedish brand Bravur and their bike race-themed watches, I thought I could, maybe, start looking at cycling. That, of course, never happened, but I still liked their watches. Very much. But I am keeping up with what Bravur is doing? Very much so. And their latest release is the Heritage Team STR with a dial that’s inspired by the historic St. Raphaël cycling team kit.

The least important thing about this watch is the case, so let’s run through it. While not the focus of attention, it’s still a very nice case. It measures 37mm wide, 11.4mm thick and has a 44.6mm lug-to-lug, made out of stainless steel and can be had in either an untreated finish or black PVD. The case has super short lugs, a vertical brushed finish and polished beveled edges all around. Water resistance is 100 meters.

The dial of this version joins the existing Peugeot, Renault, and Mercier-inspired watches, and this one takes on the colors of the legendary 50s and 60s St. Raphaël cycling team, named after the sponsoring French aperitif brand. Legendary rider Jacques Anquetil, the first five-time Tour de France winner, was part of the team and his domination was established by winning the Grand Prix des Nations, a famous and grueling 140km time-trial race, nine times. The dial gets a white base with red and blue circles that mimick the colors of the jersey. You get applied indexes at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock and simple hands, all filled with lume. There’s a tiny applied cycling cap at 6 o’clock for a bit of fun.

Inside is nothing special. It’s the familiar, robust and easily servicable automatic Sellita SW200-1. It beats at 28,800 vph and has a 41 hour power reserve. You also get a choice of straps, including rubber, leather and a steel Milanese mesh bracelet.

The new Bravur Heritage Team STR is available now and priced at €1.342 (with my high VAT included). See more on the Bravur website.

5/

Breguet Starts 250th Anniversary Celebration With The New Classique Souscription 2025

It was in 1775 that Abraham-Louis Breguet established his workshop at the Quai de l’Horloge on the Ile de la Cité, Paris. That makes them one of the oldest (but certainly not the oldest) watch brands in the world. So, when the occasion of their 250th anniversary comes around, you can expect it to be quite the big deal. And 2025 is that year. They are kicking off the celebration with the Breguet Classique Souscription 2025, a watch that takes into account the immense heritage of the company while modernizing their brand for the next 250 years.

The Classique Souscription 2025 gets a brand new case that gets a brand new alloy. The 40mm wide and 10.8mm thick case is made out of a new material called Breguet gold which is made out of 75% gold and the other 25% made up of silver, copper and palladium. According to Breguet its blond colour is less intense than traditional yellow gold without being quite so pink as rose gold. But the alloy is also more durable than other types of gold, which they show off with a number of finishes. The case gets brushed sides and a polished bezel on top. On the caseback, Breguet uses a new style of guilloché called Quai de l’Horloge that looks like a woven ribbon.

The dial keeps it as simple as possible, with some very notable details. The first thing that catches the eye is the new Breguet logo, equally modern and classic. The rest is almost a direct transplant from the original 1796 Souscription pocket watch. The white base is grand feu enamel, with the Breguet numerals and logo rendered in black enamel. There’s a single hand that points to the railway track style hour and minute display.

Inside is a new movement, the VS00. Made out of brass to match the gold case, it features a modern Nivachron hairspring with Breguet overcoil for reliable accuracy and anti-magnetic properties. It has a single barrel that’s manually wound and you get 4 days of power reserve. The mainplate has a frosted finish, while the central ratchet wheel bears an engraving in A-L Breguet’s handwriting with the text taken from the original promotional pamphlet for the Souscription pocket watch. It’s a beautiful movement. The watch comes on a blue large-scaled alligator leather strap that has a matching small-scaled alligator leather lining.

The new Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 is available for order now, isn’t limited and it’s priced quite reasonably at €53,800. See more on the Breguet website.

SPECIAL FEATURE: From Mumbai Specials To A Homegrown Powerhouse — The Fall And Rise Of Indian Watchmaking

I’ve teamed up with the very fine folks over at Bangalore Watch Company to bring you a three-part series on Indian watchmaking, from the British occupation and the invention of the JLC Reverso, through homebrew mass production, the rise of the Mumbai special, all the way to the modern rise of Indian brands.

Today, I’m publishing part two, on the Mumbai special and how Indian watchmaking got its reputation back. Read it here.

⏲️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

• Colossal Biosciences recently made headlines with a bold claim: the resurrection of the dire wolf. So, what animal is next? This ambitious genetics startup, focused on de-extinction, has also set its sights on the northern white rhino. Only two of these rhinos are left in the world—Najin and Fatu, a mother and daughter living out their days in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy—and they’ve already endured so much. For Nautilus, Elena Kazamia delves into the big question skeptics are asking: Is genetically engineering a northern white rhino “more of an exercise in technological hubris than genuine conservation”?

• Thoughts’A podcast called The Telepathy Tapes claims a group of nonspeaking autistic people can read minds. The truth is more complicated.

• Former senseis and business partners accuse Tiger Schulmann of building his $35-million-a-year martial-arts empire with Mafia tactics. But you don’t get to be America’s no. 1 karate kingpin without busting a few faces.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

I try to keep these videos watch-free for the most part and yet, here we are with watch videos two days in a row. But I really like this interview with Richard Benc, the founder of Studio Underd0g.

Thanks for reading,
Vuk