KronSegler Solaris Sun Phase Automatic, £499
A slow-turning 24-hour disc under the dial fades from day to night, part of KronSegler’s wider Project Sonnenphase on how cultures across history have tracked the sun. Strip that away and it’s a proper tool watch – 42mm of gold-plated 316L steel, 12mm thick, running a Citizen 9132-based automatic at 28,800vph with 26 jewels and 42 hours in the tank. It arrives on a calfskin strap which closes with a butterfly clasp and dual safety pushers.
Available at KronSegler.
AV86 1564 Chronodate Ice Blue, $599 (approx. £448)
Part of AV86’s anniversary collection, the Ice Blue 1564 Automatic Chronodate blends vintage cues with a contemporary finish. Its curved case combines polished and brushed surfaces, while beneath the domed sapphire crystal, a textured gradient dial brings together day, date, month and 24-hour displays. Inside, Miyota’s slim automatic Calibre 9120 provides a 40-hour power reserve.
Available at AV86.
Mudita Radiant, From £605
A watch for minimalists, the Radiant trades logos for legibility: just a Sellita SW 200 Elaboré automatic accurate to ±7-20 seconds a day and a 41-hour reserve. The brushed 316L steel case, built with Chrono AG in Solothurn, carries a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and Super-LumiNova BGW9 on the dial. Three case sizes – 32mm, 37mm and 40mm – and six nature-toned dials, from Natural White to Pebble Gray, come with vegan quick-release straps and 100m water resistance.
Available at Mudita.
Matthew Mercury Æternum Automatic, £699
Gold-plated watches at this price are usually quartz. The Æternum isn’t. Inside is a Swiss Sellita SW220-1, under a black stone dial with a day-date at 3, all in a polished 18k gold-plated case that looks far more expensive than it is. Matthew Mercury calls it vintage, and the case and dial do feel that way, though 100m of water resistance is more than most gold dress watches of that era offered. The crocodile-grain strap is interchangeable if the full dress look is too much.
Available at Matthew Mercury.
Maystone Skybreaker Chronograph, £299
Birds of prey lend the Skybreaker Chronograph both its name and its attitude, arriving as only Maystone’s second collection to date. The VK63 meca-quartz chronograph sits inside a 40mm case – 48mm lug-to-lug, 11.5mm thick – with integrated bracelet styling and 100m water resistance. Three colourways lead the launch: Peregrine Falcon, Blue Eagle and Steppe Eagle. It hit its Kickstarter funding goal within an hour in September.
Available at Maystone.
