Our friends over at Worn & Wound have just wrapped up their first Windup Watch Fair of the year in San Francisco. The show is the first of three, followed by Chicago in July and New York in October, and showcases some great brands: microbrands like Astor+Banks, Nodus, and Brew; independents like Christopher Ward and anOrdain; and larger brands like Minase, Fortis, and Oris. Some brands even took the opportunity to show off new models; here we check out some of the new models that made their in-the-metal debut at last weekend’s show.
Farer Stanhope II
English brand Farer was on the scene and brought an updated version of its handwound model, the Stanhope. The case itself has been beefed up from 37mm to 38.5mm, and now has a tonneau silhouette, though the squared bezel remains and maintains the essence of the original. The crown also appears to have been tweaked. On the dial, the applied markers have received polished steel outlines. The movement has been changed from an ETA 7001 to a decorated Sellita SW216. I like the look of the new case without the straight lugs of the original, which gives it a better aesthetic flow and may make it wear a bit better on some wrists.
Monta Skyquest Opalin Gilt
This is the final edition of Monta’s flaghsip GMT. The Monta Skyquest Opalin Gilt model will be limited to 50 pieces and will cap off the production of the Skyquest’s current design. The Opalin Gilt was inspired by the ultra-rare Rolex GMT Master 6542 “Albino and is sure to get fans of that watch and of Monta excited. As an owner of a black gilt Skyquest (sans Pepsi bezel), I’ve got a soft place for this watch and its kinked GMT hand, in any configuration. We took a closer look at this last version here.
anOrdain Model 2 Mk II
Another watch receiving an update was the anOrdain Model II. In its second iteration, the 36mm original welcomes a larger 39.5mm brother. Available in green, yellow, grey, or white, the dials are made of vitreous enamel and produced in-house. The hands have been refined and feature a shade of Super-LumiNova made just for the brand. The dial now features a minute track, giving it a sportier look (anOrdain goes as far as to call them field watches, but I think that’s a bit much). The watches are both powered by the Sellita SW210-1, with a customizable caseback. anOrdain’s decision to expand its size offerings will only benefit the brand: the watches are beautiful, but for whatever reason, some people just aren’t ready or willing to wear a 36mm watch.
Christopher Ward C65 Aquitaine
The Christopher Ward C65 Aquitaine diver takes its name from the region in southwestern France where Jacques Cousteau was raised. The 41mm diver features CW’s exceptional Light Catcher case and a new dial design which utilizes applied round markers instead of the brands usual stick markers. Also new is the sapphire bezel and a bronze offering, unique for the C65 collection. I went hands-on for a full review of the new Aquitaine and found there’s a lot to like about this new offering from the British brand.
Nodus Avalon II Bronze
Nodus only just released its follow-up to the original Avalon dive watch, the 43.5 mm Nodus Avalon II. The model is considered the brand’s “halo piece”—its most important design that communicates the essence of the brand. But if Nodus is known for anything, it’s for moving quickly and releasing new models and variants at a breakneck pace. The bronze version is available in either a blue or green sunburst dial and is powered by a Miyota 9015 that is regulated in-house to -/+ 8s per day. Given the popularity of bronze watches, this release isn’t surprising, and I know fans of the brand had been asking for it. That’s the other thing Nodus known for: engaging and responding to its fans and customers.
Formex Essence Leggera
Formex took the opposite approach to anOrdain, releasing a smaller version of its Essence Leggera. We went more in depth on the Leggera last week, but the model is now available in a new 41mm case in addition to a restock of the 43mm, both crafted from the brand’s proprietary carbon composite. Dial options include the forged carbon seen below, the original blue and grey, plus the white and green textured dials previously seen on other Essence models. Formex had the opposite issue as anOrdain—a size many felt was too large—and the introduction of the 41mm is sure to woo a lot of people who had been on the fence. Having review the Essence, I can attest taht the case design is exceptional, and in 41mm, should be a phenomenal wear.
In addition to these new releases, there were several prototypes on hand from a number of brands. Those will have to wait, but I’m sure a few will be ready in time for the Chicago or New York shows—we’ll have rundowns of those shows, too.
We haven’t even made it halfway through the year and we’ve already had a number of shows to enjoy. District Time (Where our own James Henderson set up), Watches and Wonders (And its offshoots), and now Windup. It’s only the beginning of what I’m sure will be yet another exciting year of releases, undoubtedly replete with bronze cases and colorful dials.