Musiccosmos

To understand just how a Japanese watch brand that populates several pages of every Argos catalogue manages to command the respect of the notoriously snobbish watch community, every Swiss CEO worth their salt, and in turn manages to make the SKX007 in question here for such a ridiculously low price point, we refer you to Seiko’s abiding motto: “One step ahead of the rest.” Well, the brand certainly was ahead of the game with the SKX007 diving watch – released in 1996 – and it seems the rest of the industry is still playing catch up. It’s perhaps the best value automatic watch on the market today, and continually challenges watches ten times its price in terms of its functionality, stylishly simple design and top build quality. If you’re looking for a rugged mechanical watch with real pedigree that you can wear every day, this may well be all you need. The product of over three decades of technological interbreeding, the SKX007 could be Seiko’s most impressive waterbaby of all, bec...

As with the waterproof watch, the self-winding watch, the watch with date function, the chronometer-certified watch, you name it, one watchmaker was there first: Rolex . And when it came to the world time-telling GMT, the Swiss brand struck again with its GMT-Master of 1955. Local time display, a secondary, arrow-tipped ‘GMT’ hand that completes a sweep of the dial every 24 hours, plus a 24-hour bezel that rotates should you want to set a third time reference. It’s a simple set-up that’s barely changed since, just tweaked and fine-tuned as is Rolex’s want, unhampered by competition, and right all along. If you’re in the market for a GMT, chances are you’ve come across this fabled model once or twice, not least because the most recent iteration is a belter. Not sure if you want one? Read on to learn about its heritage, the newest model and just what makes it so special. Why Is the Rolex GMT-Master II So Good? Despite being a byword for luxury watches – the one brand everyone kno...

Unlike the stack-em-high, sell-em-low mantra of the high street, you don’t buy a watch on impulse. Whether it’s Swiss-made or built in Stoke, anything handcrafted, from minuscule cogs, is going to hit your bank balance hard. Which means that, unlike your T-shirt rotation, it’s unlikely you switch watches every day. But precisely like your T-shirt rotation, one style won’t work everywhere. You’re not James Dean. Nor did you inherit his royalty cheques. So you need a budget-friendly way to switch up what’s strapped to your wrist. Or, even better, what straps it to your wrist. Simply swapping out a watch strap can transform its look, breathing new life into a piece you’ve had for years or dialling up or down the formality of a new purchase. “Today, much of the expense of having a sports, an everyday and a dress watch can be avoided by just switching out the watch band”, says says Tracey Llewellyn, editor-in-chief of watch bible Revolution UK . “Even the big watch brands are jumping o...

Almost defiantly simplistic, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual could be seen as the purest distillation of everything the brand’s founder Hans Wilsdorf wanted to achieve – the creation of the definitive Swiss-made wristwatch. This is Rolex at its most pure – incredibly well-made, democratically priced and with a design that manages to be both contemporary and timeless. It’s also technically the entry point to the Rolex world, less than half the price of the famous Daytona and at least £1,000 cheaper than the Submariner or GMT. Just don’t mistake the Oyster Perpetual for anything less than stellar mechanical matchmaking. “They are real Rolex watches through and through,” says Stephen Pulvirent, managing editor at watch website Hodinkee , “and shouldn’t be viewed as a compromise or lesser watch when compared to other models across the collections.” The Story Of The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Although Oyster Perpetual may seem a bit of an overly floral collection name, those two words are actu...