Beaubleu Ecce Figura
While the triumvirate of circular hands that defines Beaubleu’s typically French approach to watchmaking eminently suits a round watch, nothing says old-world glamour like a rectangle. Beautifully stepped case in point, the Ecce Figura. The 30mm × 39mm sizing is perfectly suited to the vintage look, while those three ‘hands’ are as much art as chronometry. Yes, there’s a little Chanel and Cartier flavour in the mix, but done in a way that’s uniquely Beaubleu – and just as importantly for most of us, much, much more accessible.
Price and Specs:
More details at Beaubleu.
ZRC Grand Fonds HETERIUM
ZRC has come a long way from its French Navy heritage, and the HETERIUM is the latest step along that road. Yes, it’s a solid diver with a seriously impressive 1,000m water resistance, but it’s designed to look just as good out of the water. With its minimal, grey, dot-indexed bezel, handsome blue dial and military nods – specifically the six o’clock crown and cool, diving bracelet – it’s one of the more distinctive water-resistant propositions out there. It’s also a decent value proposition, too.
Price and Specs:
More details at ZRC.
Radia Trinity
Forget cutting-edge titanium and ultra-modern designs. Radia’s new field watch is a pitch-perfect throwback to the early days of military timepieces, albeit with its own distinctive character. The 38.5mm case is typical of field watches with the practicality of 200m water resistance, while the three dots at 12 o’clock – a funky alternative to iron sights – and the radially brushed yellow dial set the Trinity apart from the crowd. Crowned by a top hat double dome crystal and paired with a vintage leather strap, this is the kind of watch that looks and feels like something you picked up at your local antique shop but runs like a proper modern timekeeper.
Price and Specs:
More details at Radia.
S. Craft Transparency N° 3 Pocket Watch
Now for something completely different. Pocket watches might be a dying art, but that hasn’t stopped a few intrepid watchmakers from keeping the craft alive – and S. Craft’s addition to the foppish canon is downright insane. A full sapphire (the S. in S. Craft) case machined from a single block of the ultra-hard mineral and a skeletonised movement push this worlds apart from your grandad’s old Smiths. It’s fully transparent, patently stunning and despite being in the upper echelons of watchmaking, not nearly as expensive as you’d expect. It’s still a chunk of change – how could it not be – but at around £8,000 it’s a lot of watch.
Price and Specs:
More details at S. Craft.
Costins Elysian
The debut timepiece from Moldovan microbrand Costins has plenty of cultural heft. The crown is inspired by the Chisinau Circus, the hands taken directly from ancient Moldovan weapons, and the various dial textures come from various cultural artworks and motifs. Even if you’re not into all things Moldovan, the result is a genuinely interesting, visually arresting everyday wearer that’s worth paying attention to when it launches on Kickstarter later this year.
Price and Specs:
More details at Costins.
Golby Coastal
Finding a diver that suits a smaller wrist can be hard when most brands opt for big and macho over actual wearability. Not so Golby. The eminently wearable, 36mm Coastal not only suits smaller wrists but does so in a way that anyone can wear, regardless of wrist size, style or gender. In large part, that’s down to the wrist presence that comes from the combination of a proper, overhanging diving bezel and an open dial. But let’s be honest, it’s also down to colour – and the Coastal has that kind of beach-ready brightness in buckets and spades.
Price and Specs:
More details at Golby.
