The January-February issue of WatchTime is available at retailers today. Among the highlights of the issue are an in-depth exploration of Patek Philippe’s ultra-complicated 6301P model; a review of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M made specially for the upcoming James Bond movie; a comprehensive profile of A. Lange & Söhne and how it revitalized watchmaking in the town of Glashütte; a roundup of notable re-editions of classic dive watches; and more. Read on for details.
• Patek Philippe’s new 6301P features not only a grande sonnerie with a petite sonnerie and a minute repeater, it also comes with a patented “seconde morte” jumping subsidiary seconds. Roger Ruegger examines Patek’s latest horological masterpiece in the cover feature, “Striking Simplicity.”
• James Bond wears a specially designed Omega Seamaster Diver 300M in his latest cinematic adventure, No Time to Die. How well does the watch, which boasts the design input of Bond himself, actor Daniel Craig, deliver in terms of both mission utility and 007 style? Mark Bernardo puts this “Spy Timer” through its paces in a wrist review.
• December 7, 2020, was both the 175th anniversary of the founding of A. Lange & Söhne and the 30th anniversary of the company’s rebirth. What achievements then and later have made this brand what it is today? Rüdiger Bucher explores Lange’s historical impact and the evolution of its collections in “Double Ascent.”
• IWC launched the Portugieser Yacht Club 10 years ago into the sporty yet elegant world of sailing. For 2020, the nautical chronograph model has a classic look and a steel bracelet upgrade. In the test feature, “Gentleman Sailor,” Alexander Krupp gives the timepiece a thorough review.
• Tudor has expanded its popular Black Bay Fifty-Eight series of dive watches. The latest addition is a blue version with a manufacture caliber and a moderately sized 39-mm case that has already won the “Challenge” watch award at last November’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). How does Tudor’s new entry fare in a WatchTime test? Jens Koch finds out in “Blue Lagoon.”
.• The new Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner with no date display, which many view as the archetypal dive watch, is slightly larger and has an updated movement yet remains true to its original design. Martina Richter’s in-depth review is our first encounter with the new watch, which we have dubbed “The Traditionalist.”
• “Time Capsules” offers an overview of some of the dive watch re-editions that have recently surfaced on the market, and why the industry, and the collectors’ community, simply can’t resist them.
Plus: tests and reviews of new timepieces from Longines, Sinn, and Mühle Glashütte; a profile of Alfred Helwig, inventor of the flying tourbillon, and the new, limited-edition Glashütte Original timepiece that bears his name; a report on the GPHG 2020 Award Winners; predictions for the 2021 watch auction market from Christie’s; and more.
