Posts filed under Budget Watches

Budget Watches: New Seven Friday M1 Watch. The Traveling Watch Prototype We Woke Up With and Brought to Chicago With Us.

Since today is Friday, why not post the history behind this new Seven Friday M1 watch presented at Basel a couple of weeks ago. As you probably can imagine, the parties and after-parties during the week of Baselworld can get a little intense and out of control. Even when our friends from Seven Friday didn't have a booth or pavilion at Baselworld 2014, they did throw a great party kitty-corner from the main exhibition hall at the Fair & Square Restaurant right next door to the Swissôtel and brought with them some novelties.

Seven Friday is a brand that in a little bit over a year, has quickly become a very interesting 'watch phenomena' thanks to their viral marketing efforts and their huge solid fan base on Instagram. While we are not huge Seven Friday fans because of their use of automatic Japanese Miyota movements, we do have to say that we love their designs and that we find their watches very appealing and very reasonably priced. If you want a cool, inexpensive mechanical watch, look no further.

If you follow us on Instagram, you probably have already read the crazy story behind this prototype of the new Seven Friday M1 watch we are featuring here. Now, if you don't follow us on Instagram, you then need to go there and follow us, but regardless, here's the full story for you.

Upon our arrival at the Seven Friday party during Baselworld 2014, a good friend that represents the brand in the U.S. strapped this prototype of the new Seven Friday M1 to our right wrist. After several rounds of drinks, tons of collective wristshots with our good friends from Watch-Anish, MCT Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps, SLYDE, Icebox Diamonds & Watches, Seven Friday USA and even Seven Friday Mexico —represented by 'Los Hermanos Coraje' as we like to call them—, a food feast at a delicious Indian Restaurant and a very long train ride back to Zürich, we woke up the next morning with the watch still on our wrist. Here are some pics that should sum up the crazy night.

After contacting our friend to inform him about the watch that came with us the night before, he said: "just keep it", little did he know that what we had on the wrist was the prototype for the new Seven Friday M1. A day later, as we are heading back to Chicago and we are riding the tram between terminals at Zürich's airport, we were approached by two gentleman from Singapore asking us how we had gotten the new Seven Friday M1. We shared with them the crazy story behind the watch and we proceeded to take one of our usual collective wrist shots to celebrate the encounter.

To make a long story short, we landed in Chicago with the watch still on and surprised by a voice mail from Seven Friday asking for the watch back. Finally, after posting a few pictures of the watch on our Instagram and after taking some very close and personal pictures for our readers, we shipped the prototype of the new Seven Friday M1 back to its rightful owner. These macro shots should give you an excellent idea of what this new watch looks like and what they have in store for you later this year. One thing we love about this new model is that the hours, minutes and seconds are indicated by rotating discs with their respective apertures and with no hands at all. Nicely done Seven Friday!

Lastly, here's the picture that we took of the watch inside our Porsche that ended up circling the globe around Instagram after several watch blogs reposted it. Unfortunately, the guys from Seven Friday Venezuela felt it was OK to repost our picture without giving us photo credit and created a whole mess between us and some very close friends that reposted the image without knowing it was ours. Fortunately all is good now but remember, credit to whom credit is due.

Sticker Price Approximately $1,600 USD. For more info on Seven Friday click here.

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Editor & Publisher and filed under Other Brands, Seven Friday, Budget Watches and tagged Seven Friday M1.

News: The New Alpina 300 Extreme Diver 300 Orange

Press Release

For a professional diver, good visibility isn't just mildly important; it can be lifesaving. Being able to access important information relating to the time spent under water, or the number of minutes of air supply still available to the diver who is in deep or murky waters is essential.

With all this in mind, the designers and engineers at Alpina are delighted to introduce the new Alpina Extreme Diver Orange range, featuring one automatic and one mid-size, quartz caliber model.

Both models share a number of professional diving features. The Extreme Diver 300 Orange is water resistant to a depth of 300m/1000ft. It has a screw-in crown and a screw-down case-back, as well as a jet black polished unidirectional rotating 60 minute diving bezel. The bezel markers are luminous. Both models also feature an anti-reflective treated sapphire crystal. Other shared features include the rich black dial and white luminous indexes. The bright white minute hand is bordered with luminous orange, and the second hand has the signature Alpina triangle, also in orange, at the base. Finally, a large three-day date display is situated at the 3 o'clock position.

The AL-525 Automatic version in 44mm comes with a 38-hour power reserve. It has a see-through case back revealing the AL-525 automatic movement. The package is completed by a choice of diver's rubber, metal or metal mesh straps with securely folding clasp. The Extreme Diver 300 Automatic comes in a specially designed gift box, uniquely shaped as a diving bottle, and containing an extra swimsuit nylon strap.

The AL-240 Midsize quartz model in 38mm comes with 45 months battery life. It has an engraved case-back with a diving theme and divers have the choice between rubber or metal straps.

For more info click here.  

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Editor & Publisher and filed under News, Alpina, Budget Watches and tagged New Alpina 300 Extreme Diver 300 Orange Alpina AL-525 Automatic Alpina AL-240 Quartz Alpina Diver Watch Orange.

Baselworld: Alpina. Three Novelties with 130 Years of History.

In 1883, Gottlieb Hauser founds the “Alpina Union Horlogère S.A. (UH) / Schweizerische Uhrmacher-Genossenschaft (SUG)”—Corporation of Swiss Watchmakers. His vision was the “Alpinist Principle”: uniting Swiss watchmaking industry forces to achieve the highest quality and technical innovation in manufacturing. Soon the Union was making its own calibers. In 1890, the Union moves its headquarters to Biel/Bienne where Jacob Straub, an important member, had his caliber manufactory—J. Straub & Co. The ébauches at that time were made by the Alpina Ebauches factory, owned by Duret & Colonnaz, in Geneva. After seventeen successful years, Alpina Union Horlogère participates in the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris and displays its calibers and creations to a cosmopolitan and distinguished public. In 2002, Alpina is bought by Aletta and Peter Stas, the owners of Frédérique Constant and in 2003 they unveil their first sports collection with huge success. Today, Alpina is the official watch of the Cessna Aircraft Corporation. 

At their pavilion, Alpina presented a nice variety of historical timepieces from their museum, in addition to the unveiling of three new models, all inspired by Aviation, Diving and Sailing.

The three new models include the 130 Heritage Pilot Chronograph, the Extreme Diver 300 Chronograph and the Startimer Pilot Chronograph Big Date collection. All these models inspired either by aviation, diving or sailing. The first two models fitted with automatic calibres while the third one is fitted with quartz movements.

While the Startimer Pilot Chronograph Big Date collection is one of our favorites due to its vintage rugged designs, versatility of colors and strap options, we feel that the quartz movement is a major downside and not very appealing to demanding watch collectors in the upper tiers.

Here are the new pieces that were unveiled. For more info click here.  

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Editor & Publisher and filed under Baselworld, Alpina, Budget Watches and tagged Alpina Alpina Startimer Pilot Big Date Alpina Startimer Chronograph New Alpina Models Extreme Diver 300 Chronograph 130 Heritage Pilot Chronograph.