Mezei Midnight Fumé
Despite being the new kid on the British watchmaking block, Mezei have managed to establish a style all their own, with heavily engraved ‘sunbeam’ dials in a selection of pared-back colours. Their newest takes that formula to the next level by adding a smoky gradient to the mix, with the Midnight Fumé limited edition. Blending dark blue in the middle to black at the periphery, the gradual slide into darkness helps the ridges of that signature dial pattern paradoxically pop. Five watches in and Mezei are definitely heading in the right direction.
Price and Specs:
More details at Mezei Watch Company.
Direnzo DRZ 02R
A serious contender for ‘most watch for the money’ this issue, Direnzo’s DRZ 02R has a lot going on, all of it cool. The tactile, squircle steel case in black PVD is innately racy, but here it’s paired with a funky twist on a sandwich dial, with two long cutouts running from one to five o’clock and seven to 11 o’clock. Underneath – and through the 12 o’clock triangle cut-out, round three and nine indexes and the six o’clock date window, it’s all icy blue. Finished with flashes of red and backed by the latest-gen Swiss Sellita automatic movement, it’s unlikely the scarce 60 pieces will be hanging around for long.
Price and Specs:
More details at Direnzo.
Anders & Co AC2 Volcán Charoite
Stone dials are still very much a thing, especially as watchmakers step outside of the usual triumvirate of lapis lazuli, malachite, and tiger’s eye. Elegant, 37mm case in point, the latest quartz AC2 Volcán from Anders & Co. This cushion cased beauty envelops a charoite dial, a stone with a swirling purple grain like a twilight sky. In a watch that otherwise takes the less is more approach, it’s eye-catching. Ultra-slim at just 5.65mm thanks to its quartz movement, this is a statement dress watch, but one that’s still genuinely wearable.
Price and Specs:
More details at Anders & Co.
Maystone Skybreaker Chronograph
After tempting ornithologists worldwide with their accessible GMT watches in bird of prey-inspired colourways, Maystone are leveraging the same idea for their new Skybreaker chronograph. Because no classically-styled chronograph – especially one with the classic VK63 Mecha-quartz movement – can do without, there’s a Panda dial dubbed the Peregrine Falcon. But it’s joined by the handsome combination of blues that is the Blue Eagle and the standout Steppe Eagle in sepia shades of rose gold and brown. Finished on a brickwork integrated bracelet, the Skybreaker’s a sporty value proposition.
Price and Specs:
More details at Maystone.
Vario ИAVI Nautical
A traveller’s watch without a traveller’s complication, Vario’s novel one-handed ИAVI brings jet-setting colour to a quirky yet ultra-legible dial. Rather than indexes, the ИAVI has one to 12 written out, with a handy railway track segmenting them into five-minute intervals. Paired with an ocean wavy dial and an asymmetrical running seconds lifted from a compass, you don’t need its flag-inspired colourways to get the globe-trotting point. Still, it’s hard not to appreciate those colours, especially the green and red Italy combo.
Price and Specs:
More details at Vario.
Selten & Watch Ho & Co(mmunity) Yum Cha (飲茶)
If Chinese brand Selten’s masterful engraved enamel dials weren’t enough already, then their new collaboration with collector community Watch Ho & Co(mmunity) pushes it into delicious new territory. Inspired by traditional bamboo steamers and named after a traditional meal centred on dim sum, the gold-to-amber gradient is as true to life as a metal dial can be. Finished with tea leaf hands and lashings of Cantonese nostalgia, the only problem is that you’re unlikely to see this outside of China; they’ll get snapped up quicker than the last Siu Mai.
Price and Specs:
More details at Selten.
echo/neutra Averau Ceramic
It’s not often we get to feature a full ceramic case in this section, but the new Averau Ceramic from Italian brand echo/neutra has more going for it than its materials. The tactile all-black look is just the base for a striking sand-coloured dial and black subdials for a chronograph that stands out from the usual heritage racing fare. It’s sleek, technical and thanks to a titanium inner frame, much more rugged than its relatively light weight would suggest. There is also a time-only addition, but the sand/black contrast here as much as the more advanced movement makes it a clear winner.
Price and Specs:
More details at echo/neutra.
Papar Cenote Diver
Brutalism and rose gold don’t often go together and the latest diver from Papar has me wondering why. Flat angular planes and a minimalist tool watch look pair together in a watch that Ernő Goldfinger would take diving. And yet the cut-out indexes – including a 12 o’clock crescent – mirrored on the diving bezel elevated it beyond base bricks and mortar. This is a watch that knows what it needs to be and what it doesn’t. And while there is a plain titanium version, for us it needs to be the rose gold PVD.
Price and Specs:
More details at Papar.
