BOTTOM LEFT TO RIGHT
Stainless steel ‘Chronomaster
Heritage 146’, $9900, by Zenith;
stainless steel ‘SBGM221’, $6800,
by Grand Seiko.162 GQ.COM.AU SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017VINTAGE
APPEAL
F
or the first time in almost
two-and-a-half years, the
Swiss watch industry posted
positive month-on-month
results in both March and May
of this year. Headwinds may
be abating, but a tough economic climate
means that this year the watch world has
been characterised by a raft of reissues from
the golden era of watch design. Leading the
way was Omega, which updated a trio of its
most recognisable timepieces, releasing them
as the ‘1957 Trilogy Collection’.
Sixty years ago, Omega debuted three
industry-changing tool watches. This year,
the ‘Speedmaster’ returns in a 38.6mm case,
while the ‘Railmaster’ and ‘Seamaster 300’
have been updated with Omega’s ‘Master
Chronometer’ movement, a calibre capable
of withstanding 15,000 gauss of magnetism.
Only 3557 of each will be made available.The original Blancpain ‘Fifty Fathoms’
arrived four years before the Omega
‘Seamaster’, becoming the world’s first
bona fide, series-produced dive watch. In
1957, the ‘Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC 1’
incorporated a circular water-tightness
indicator at six o’clock that would turn from
white to red should water penetrate the case.
The indicator returns in 2017, along with
a bezel covered in scratch-resistant sapphire.
Other notable retro revivals include
Zenith’s ‘Chronomaster Heritage 146’,
a chronograph from the ’60s that’s now
equipped with Zenith’s legendary ‘El
Primero’ movement; Grand Seiko’s
ultra-accurate micro-electro-mechanical
‘SBGM221’; and Longines’ ‘Heritage 1945’,
an elegant, time-only automatic with a steel
case and brushed copper dial.
omegawatches.com; blancpain.com; zenith-
watches.com; grand-seiko.com; longines.comFACED WITH TURBULENT TIMES,
WATCHMAKERS ARE REVISITING
THEIR BACK CATALOGUES AND
RE-ISSUING STEADY CLASSICS.CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
Stainless steel ‘Heritage 1945’, $2350, by
Longines; stainless steel ‘Speedmaster’,
$9725, stainless steel ‘Seamaster 300’, $9425,
stainless steel ‘Railmaster’, $9125, all by
Omega; sapphire ‘Tribute To Fifty Fathoms
MIL-SPEC’, $17,650, by Blancpain.WATCH
OLD SCHOOL