Born from the Fire: A Spotlight on Tool Watches
Tool watches represent a unique category in watchmaking. Originally, this term referred to timepieces that were designed to aid their owner in a specific task. They are instruments, like a dive watch, that help get the job done. As these tasks usually take place under challenging circumstances, in one way or another a distinct characteristic of a tool watch is that it has a rugged look, often with form following function, and is made with durability in mind. Advances in technology have made many tool watches redundant in the literal sense. Divers rely on their diving computers, with their watch being a backup at best. Also, the renaissance of mechanical watchmaking elevated the perception, and prices, of mechanical watches in general, making them often too precious to expose to situations where there is a likely chance that they will bear the scars of this.
While any other product would phase out and enter oblivion, tool watches are here to stay. Their rugged looks remain to attract the attention of collectors, who often use them to either complement more casual attire or still take them through their paces for what they were initially designed for, often not in a professional capacity but in a more leisurely setting, which can be equally demanding. Time to take six very different watches to a blacksmith and see if they are indeed born from the fire.
The Blacksmith: Martijn van den Berg
True blacksmiths are a rarity these days, especially those of the caliber of Martijn van den Berg. He started as an apprentice of Sjaak van de Geijn, a blacksmith in the medieval city center of Leiden, The Netherlands. In his shop, just a stone’s throw away from where the Pilgrims once lived before sailing for America, Van den Berg took his first steps into becoming a blacksmith. He completed his studies and worked for eight years beside Van de Geijn. After honing his skills further in related fields, he took over the workshop in 2016, when Van de Geijn retired, eventually relocating it to its current location in Hillegom, surrounded by famous Dutch tulip fields and near the Keukenhof, one of the world’s largest flower gardens where each year, seven million flower bulbs bloom.
Now in more spacious surroundings, Van den Berg can do what he does best: working metal the old-fashioned way. Together with his team, he plays a vital role in preserving monuments by restoring anything from historic steeples and fences to wall anchors, as well as making them new entirely from scratch. Like people in the watch industry, Van den Berg is very passionate about his craft and has made it his quest to share his knowledge and skills so that the trade of blacksmith will continue to live on in the next generation.
Tudor Ranger
$3,150
The Tudor Ranger is, in many ways, the quintessential tool watch with its black dial, bold markers and numerals, and just three hands. It even lacks a date function and has a satin-brushed finish on nearly every surface. At 39 mm, it offers vintage flair in a contemporary size. This is also in line with its pedigree, as the Ranger has plenty of that as well. Let’s first address the elephant in the room: Viewing the Tudor Ranger as a poor man’s Rolex Explorer is seriously selling it short. In fact, comparing it to its crowned sibling might be in favor of the Ranger.
While the watch looks elementary, everything oozes quality. From turning the crown to closing the bracelet, it just feels solid. This may also keep you from taking the Ranger into anything that could be remotely considered harm’s way. Not that there is much to worry about, as the Ranger can easily stand its ground with its domed sapphire crystal, 10-ATM/100-meter water resistance, and robust manufacture Caliber MT5402, which offers a 70-hour power reserve. It is even COSC-certified, but unlike its famous sibling doesn’t boast about it on the dial. The Ranger is all business, and Tudor is so confident in its quality that it offers a five-year transferable guarantee with no registration or periodic maintenance checks required. Now that’s standing by your tool watch.
Tutima Saxon One Chronograph Blue
$6,500
Tutima is a brand that oozes tool watches and has supplied them in an official capacity to the German Air Force, NATO and the U.S. Air Force. With the Saxon One Chronograph Blue, Tutima is taking that heritage and giving it a contemporary twist. It is a watch that perfectly represents the evolution of tool watches, with equal attention given to the form, without forgetting its function. For the Saxon One Chronograph Blue, this starts with its bracelet, which is very sturdy but also features quite an imaginative design with its H-shaped links.
Tutima integrated a lot of pleasantly looking and quite handy features. For example, all the chronographs hands are painted red, with the minute counter also mounted at the center. This makes them not only easy to read, but also provides a dash of color against the beautiful blue dial. Tutima could have opted for an engraved bezel but rather opted for a red reference marker. As the bezel can turn both ways, this feature can be used for various things without overcrowding the overall design.
At 43 mm, the case is large and pleases with its faceted cushion shape. This is another feature that sets this Tutima apart from other contemporary tool watches. Yet make no mistake, as the Saxon One Chronograph Blue still has the same nature as its siblings. Next to the chronograph, date and 24-hour complications, it has a water resistance of 20 ATM/200 meters, which is very impressive for a chronograph with a sapphire insert in the caseback that allows you to admire the automatic movement.
Bell & Ross BR 05 Copper Brown
$5,100
The watch world is hard to imagine without Bell & Ross, which is quite an achievement for a brand founded as recently as 1992. Just over 30 years ago, good friends Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo joined forces at university for a project and created their own watch brand. With a creative twist, they turned their last names into the brand’s name, bringing complementary talents to the table. Rosillo is a master in running the complex operations behind the watch brand, while Belamich has a distinct talent for design. For over a decade, they were something of an insider secret, but that changed in 2005, with the introduction of the BR 01. With its square case and a screw in all four corners, it immediately became a hallmark product for Bell & Ross, and nearly two decades later, that hasn’t changed.
The BR 05 is a direct descendent of the BR 01, maintaining its utilitarian look yet with a more urban twist. Think of it as a tool watch for exploring the concrete jungle. With a diameter of 40 mm, it can show off its character without becoming too much. The integrated bracelet aids in offering good wearing comfort but can also be changed without tools and in a matter of seconds for a strap.
While it looks rather sophisticated for a tool watch, with its copper brown dial, its specs tell otherwise. Water resistance is an impressive 10 ATM/100 meters, the sapphire crystal protecting the dial has an anti-reflective coating, and the Super-LumiNova-filled markers and hands are focused on delivering excellent legibility. The only concession Bell & Ross has made in this is making a date wheel the same color as the dial. However, this further elevates the looks of this BR 05, which is a quality tool watches need to possess these days also, especially in the urban jungle.
Seiko SRPJ37K1
$320
Seiko has an excellent reputation for making tool watches at various price levels. While the 5 Sports may be considered entry level, don’t expect Seiko to make any concessions in terms of quality. The SRPJ37K1 offers an automatic movement, with a stop-second-hand function and manual wind option, housed in a 42.5-mm-large case. It has all the signature features you like from a Seiko 5 Sports, like the screw-down crown placed at 4 o’clock for more comfortable wear and the handy day/date windows on the dial.
Seiko opted for an urban theme with this tool watch, combining a black coating on the case and bezel with a camouflage pattern on the dial. Some shades have a metallic effect to them, which makes the 5 Sports draw quite some attention. The hour markers are oversized and filled with Lumibrite, just like the hands. This ensures that it is easy to read the time in nearly any circumstance.
While not a die-hard divers’ watch, the SRPJ37K1 is water resistant up to 10 ATM/100 meters, hence why the unidirectional bezel might come in handy. It even has a glass insert in the caseback so you can admire Caliber 4R36. Before you can do that, you must remove the nylon NATO strap, as it covers it. The strap comes with hardware matching the case and underscores the tool watch feel of the SRPJ37K1.
Zenith Defy Skyline
$8,400
The Defy Skyline was a bold move by Zenith, as it introduced a classic three-hander powered by an El Primero movement. With its octagonal case, made from stainless steel, it dived straight into one of the most heavily competed market segments. With its combination of pedigree and performance, it immediately secured its place, which is no small feat. While crafted with evident care and attention, the Defy Skyline is not just a good-looking watch but also a competent one. Zenith definitely wanted to create a timepiece that brings daily enjoyment, hence the robust case construction, slightly oversized crown and 10 ATM/100-meter water resistance.
The overall design is bold but balanced. The 41-mm-large case works very well with the metal bracelet but can be changed without tools for a rubber strap, as is a custom these days. The bold hands and hour markers are further testimony that we aredealing here with a sportive proposition by Zenith. They cleverly combine this with a dial that not only features a beautiful blue hue and sunburst pattern but is also decorated by the Zenith star. The date function is nicely integrated, with a bold font, and balances out the subdial at 9 o’clock. Here the Defy Skyline shows its pedigree, as this hand moves at high speed, serving as the 1/10th-of-a-second indicator.
It is powered by El Primero Caliber 3620, which runs at 36,000 vph/5 Hz. The movement can be admired through the sapphire insert in the caseback, and it is made with the same care and dedication as the rest of the watch. With a generous power reserve of 60 hours, it is clearly a modern creation that only leans on the past for its pedigree. This makes the Defy Skyline a good example of how the tool watch has evolved into something more sophisticated and precious yet still ever so capable.
Alpina Alpiner Extreme Regulator Automatic
$2,295
A regulator (also known as “regulateur”) is an interesting timepiece where no two hands are mounted on the same axis. With the hours and seconds each having a subdial of its own, the center stage is for the minute hand. This originally dates back to clocks that were used in factories and laboratories where it was essential to see the time as precisely as possible, and individual timing solutions were not yet available or common. By separating all the hands, there is less confusion, particularly when only the minutes matter.
While Alpina has a history that dates to 1883, it wasn’t used as a brand name until 1908, the same time that it also started using the ‘Alpiner’ logo, made of a circle inside a red triangle. Alpina quickly made a name for itself with high-quality timepieces, supplying the German Navy with them, but was also one of the innovators when it came to sports watches. While the brand thrived for decades, the quartz crisis wore it down until Frederique Constant acquired the company in 2002, and it entered a renaissance. The regulator had an important role in this, as Alpina gave it a modern twist and introduced it as a distinct sports watch.
The Alpiner Extreme Regulator Automatic now carries this torch and does so impressively. The case construction is not only distinct, with its round bezel and cushion-shaped case, but also highly complex and sophisticated. It is pleasing from every angle and very well finished. Alpina’s designers very much liked to play with the details of this watch, as we see the ‘Alpiner’ logo return in not only the dial pattern but also the screws that secure the bezel. The rubber insert in the crown has the same color and texture as its strap and helps in giving it a nice grip. Thanks to relatively short lugs and a very well-made folding clasp, the Alpiner Extreme Regulator Automatic sits nicely on the wrist. With a water resistance of up to 20 ATM/200 meters, it is clearly also not afraid of getting wet, making this Alpina a great all-around tool watch that stands out by its distinct regulator design and high build quality.
This article is from the WatchTime Archives and was originally published in the March / April 2023 Issue. To subscribe to WatchTime Magazine, click here.
