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An internet picture shows the current fashion in sports watch...
The "must have" elements in the world of sports for today's tastes and market...not everyone does it well, not everything sells, but at least everyone is trying the best.
- Must be steel
- Must be with a bracelet
- Must be simple (time only or with date at max)
- Must be automatic
- Must be iconic (well, some recognised DNA)
- Must have a blue dial (any kind of darker blue)
- Must have simple indies (baton being the best)
- Must be reasonably priced (top tier brands at EUR 25-30K)
THE BIRTH OF ANOTHER LEGEND, ISN'T IT? Get prepared, LOL!
Don't know who did this wonderful comparison picture...if anyone knows, it credits to him/her.
Zenith Defy classic and Urban Jurgenssen missing with their takes on this theme... [nt]
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for me the top three picks (counting only models in current production) would be the Nautilus, the Alpine Eagle and the Laureato.
just saying... And wonder if the new steel ALS can make it into my top list.
The originals here are of course the Genta-designed IWC Ingenieur, the Bvlgari Octo (which began its life under the Gerald Genta brand), the Patek and the Audemars...
The Cartier Santos does not really belong in this picture because it is in a category of its own and boast the longest design heritage dating back to 1904! It's also a fantastic watch in this current version as shown on this picture
IWC is the only one who has radically changed the Ingenieur design.
Better said, has ruined an immortal design.
Shame on them!
Shame on them!
Wow, the power of Gerald Genta!!
He designed the four you mentioned and I’d argue his aesthetic heavily influenced the GP Laureato. That’s one man involved in five of these twelve pieces. He was, and remains, the premier watch designer of our time.
NickO
NickO
It is well possible that Genta might have also designed the Rolex "Texan" which is a predecessor to the Oysterquartz pictured at the top right hand side.
Accroding to QP Magazine:
"... the Texan, which we now know was designed by Genta. The Texan was launched in March 1970, meaning it was designed in late 1969; the Royal Oak came just two years later."
"... the Texan, which we now know was designed by Genta. The Texan was launched in March 1970, meaning it was designed in late 1969; the Royal Oak came just two years later."
I didn’t know that, thanks LX!
That puts Genta involvement at 6 out of 12, which is an amazing 50%, of these most popular designs.
It's 11 pieces! The Cartier Santos was originally designed in 1904! [nt]
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Looks like a group of anonymous teenagers all trying to look like the coolest kid of the school...Hopefully, this too shall pass :-) [nt]
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Let’s be honest and not kid ourselves how “noble” some are...
If AP RO Jumbo or Nautilus 5711 are readily available, and not 2-2.5x, critics’ claws will come out and thrash talk them.
I see and hear too much how “wow, beautiful” a watch is crap all because of desirability and “hard to get”, bragging rights factor and not so much of the watch itself today.
Still back to basics to buy and collect what you want but it’s getting more difficult in recent years.
The GP Laureato looks really good against this lineup.
I still have never taken to the octagonal bezel, though...
Some seem rather overdesigned.
And I am further convinced that the Chopard is terrible....straight out of the 80s. The BR is terrible too, IMO. Complete wannabe watch.
The Rolex blue dial OP would have been a more compelling comparison.
The Cartier Santos does not really belong in this picture because it is in a category of its own and boast the longest design heritage, dating back to 1904! [nt]
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The Santos dates back to 1978, when the steel model was introduced
The Santos Dumont from 1904 is a completely different watch, very tiny, very flat and was just the inspiration
for the famous steel Santos model, that Cartier introduced in 1978. So to me the Santos does belong in this line up.
for the famous steel Santos model, that Cartier introduced in 1978. So to me the Santos does belong in this line up.
I wouldn't call it a completely different watch... but in your eyes it is. [nt]
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must have
I work with my own must have laws, since i bought my first automatic watch.
Similarity at some points.
Some of my must have elements.
> automatic
> swiss made only
> keep,it simple, nothing more than time and date
> heritage, the old 19th century, old masters
> white,silver,blue dials
> big second hand
> glas bottom
A Breguet Marine is a watch who perfectly match my high standards.
A Sinn watch or a Nomos do not comply to my laws.
The list posted by Grisar of 12 watches contain for me a watch which is the winner of the list.
I chose the Bvlgari Octo Solotempo. After this watch is nice to see, i like the innovated case, material choice, heritage, Italian flair.
The watch who is the cliffhanger, the red spotlight, the clean car at a cycle race, never consider to buy is.......
Rolex Oyster quartz. Collectors want it, because of the rareness. I skip it because it is a quartz watch.
Do i dislike quartz? No, but a Rolex with a quartz movement is something like a Ferrari with a Skoda citygo engine.
Similarity at some points.
Some of my must have elements.
> automatic
> swiss made only
> keep,it simple, nothing more than time and date
> heritage, the old 19th century, old masters
> white,silver,blue dials
> big second hand
> glas bottom
A Breguet Marine is a watch who perfectly match my high standards.
A Sinn watch or a Nomos do not comply to my laws.
The list posted by Grisar of 12 watches contain for me a watch which is the winner of the list.
I chose the Bvlgari Octo Solotempo. After this watch is nice to see, i like the innovated case, material choice, heritage, Italian flair.
The watch who is the cliffhanger, the red spotlight, the clean car at a cycle race, never consider to buy is.......
Rolex Oyster quartz. Collectors want it, because of the rareness. I skip it because it is a quartz watch.
Do i dislike quartz? No, but a Rolex with a quartz movement is something like a Ferrari with a Skoda citygo engine.
Let's wait and see. I bet the new Lange will fit perfectly into this chart. Steel-Blue-Automatic-Bracelet
And according to Lange's design tradition or limitation, it would most probably be based on the old Langematik face visual plus two date windows on both sides.
Personally, I think the Royal Oak is the coolest of these, which is usually true of an original [nt]
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Agreed ...
But too bad that wide-flared integrated bracelet makes it a bad fit for thinner wrists.
Looks like Genta designed a Rolex before that precedes his RO design. [nt]
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