Welcome to our new luxxee magazine weekly wrap-up, where we bring you fresh news about what's going on in the watch world
The “New” Tudor Pelagos
If there’s one thing you should know about me, I’m a complete sucker for a fantastic dive watch. Last week during Geneva Watch Days, Tudor decided to drop an absolute bomb on us with the announcement of a 39mm Tudor Pelagos. If you needed me to repeat it, Tudor is releasing a 39mm version of its flagship, the Pelagos. We now have a Pelagos that aligns with the Black Bay regarding sizing, and I am beyond stoked to talk about this.
I’ve seen various thoughts and excellent points made on forums regarding this release, and I considered everything before doing this write-up. Many compare it to the already existing Black Bay 58 and Black Bay Pro, but I can assure you, this is much different.
I first spotted the noticeable sizing change from 43mm to 39mm. The new Tudor Pelagos 39 watch no longer has the helium escape valve– a pivotal component to the previous 43mm Pelagos and features different material construction for the case and bracelet than the Black Bay line, implementing brushed titanium instead of stainless steel.
The bezel insert for the Pelagos also has brushed ceramic, giving the whole watch a matte finish, which looks stunning. Another significant difference is the dial with the Pelagos features block indices instead of the round ones found on the Black Bay 58, creating a more aggressive look and brushing to create a matte dial. The block indices paired with the snowflake hands are a beautiful, bold combination that pops and gives the dial some oomph. Not to mention, the Pelagos doesn’t have a date complication, which makes my heart happy. Nothing against date windows; I just find that a date window could make the dial on the Pelagos look cluttered with the bulk of the snowflake hands and the block indices.
The “new” Pelagos checks off all the boxes regarding a dive watch. A sturdy, rugged, aggressive aesthetic with fantastic material choices, finishing, and great movement in the MT5400. Also, an excellent pick for those who have wanted a Pelagos but were intimidated by the original 43mm case.
Why do you collect wristwatches?
It's safe to say that many of us in the watch collecting space have encountered questions like, “Why do you wear a watch? You have the time on your phone.” Trying to explain why to someone with little to no interest in wristwatches can be challenging, but I’m here to help you with that explanation.
Everyone knows the big brands like Rolex, Tudor, Omega, Breitling, Seiko and many others. Still, most people think of a watch as a status symbol or a monetary item. To some, that’s what a watch is, a form of “flex.” To people like myself, the other fine folks here at luxxee, and many who will end up reading this article, know that it’s so much more than just a thing to “flex” on people.
I want you to take a second to think about a physical object you can wear daily that reflects a time gone by, a milestone or a memory that lives in your heart. Not much came to mind, did it? A watch can be a literal time capsule for all those things, and all you have to do is put it on in the morning and look at it to remember those times. You are essentially wearing a physical representation of your past self.
Let's look deeper, changing our focus to independent watchmakers like MB&F, Akrivia, F.P. Journe, and Laurent Ferrier. These are brands with much smaller teams than Rolex, Tudor and others. These brands are accurate representations of doing what you love, and people will love it too.
Stepping back and looking at everything, so much intimacy and passion goes into these small pieces of antiquated technology. I’m going to leave you with one more thing to think over. How often in your life do you get the opportunity to wear or hold something that someone else put their pure passion and heart into? A watch is a way for us to connect with someone we’ve never even met through dedication, time and love. That is why I collect wristwatches.
Celebrity Watch Spotting - Ryan Reynolds & Omega
Over the last few months, I haven’t had the chance to sit and watch a movie or start a new show. Whenever I’m watching anything and notice a watch, I tend to forget about it and try to figure out what they’re wearing. This past weekend, I took the time to watch Ryan Reynold’s most recent Netflix movie, “The Adam Project,” a fantastic sci-fi flick. I won’t get into details, but if you’re a sci-fi nerd like me, you’ll love it.
In multiple scenes, Adam (portrayed by Ryan Reynolds) is wearing an Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch ref. 311.30.42.30.01.005. The Moonwatch isn’t the only Speedmaster in his collection.
Off-screen, Reynolds has shown off his love for the “Moon” series with the Speedmaster “Dark Side of the Moon” ref. 311.92.44.51.01.003, Speedmaster “Dark Side of the Moon Black Black” ref. 311.92.44.51.01.005.
To round out the Omega side of his collection, a dressy Speedmaster Moonshine Gold with a green dial ref. 310.60.42.50.10.001.
Social Corner - Calibre321
Today, I wanted to take a minute to talk about one of the most incredible guys in the Canadian watch scene. That guy is Brent Robillard of Calibre321. A fantastic photographer, writer and a guy that you can sit down and talk to for hours. If you haven’t checked him out, please do.
Brent’s photography ranges from outdoor shots to aesthetic photography focused on his collection or watches he has in for review for his website, Calibre321 (his username on Instagram is the same.) Brent has recently worked with brands such as Yema, Formex, Tissot and Mido and has taken some beautiful photos. Be sure to check them out!
Thank you for reading luxxee's weekly wrap-up and don't forget to come back next week to see what’s happening in the watch world!
