Nick Kenyon
Watches on bracelets are great for a multitude of reasons. They are both durable and comfortable, relatively easy to adjust and aren’t ruined if you go swimming with them … all pointing to it being hard to go wrong if you get a watch with a bracelet. Besides, it’s always better to buy your watch with a bracelet if you can, because leather straps are much of a muchness, but the variation in a bracelet that might suit your watch is endless. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the best watches on bracelets from 2019.AUTODROMO GROUP B CORSICA BLUEColour can make or break a watch. With the Autodromo Group B Corsica Blue, the vibrant, summery dial design definitely makes this package a winner. Autodromo has been quietly improving their offering since launching. An integrated strap, a striking, sporty design, and automatic movement are all steps forward. The Group B also shows some material advancement. It is made of lightweight titanium, while the bracelet (which can be subbed out for a strap) is made of stainless steel.Ref No: Group B Corsica Blue. Case size: 39mm. Case material: Titanium (strap in steel). Movement: Miyota 9015. Price: USD$975DOXA SUB 200While many think DOXA and imagine a bright orange dial and steel cushion case, there are actually many other models in their design archives, including this newly revived SUB 200 model. While it still features their iconic beads of rice bracelet, it has a black dial with highly contrasting lume-filled hands and hour markers and a less stylised case shape. It was also chosen as a finalist at the GPHG awards in the Challenge’ category for watches under 4000 Swiss Francs.Ref No: 799.10.101.10. Case size: 42mm. Case material: Steel. Movement: ETA 2824-2. Price: $1590MONTA ATLASWhen you make the decision to purchase a travel watch for your next adventure, one thing that can offer peace of mind is an affordable price point, just in case it is misplaced. Monta play safely within those budgetary lines with their Atlas GMT model. It comes correct with the full suite of GMT hand, date display and 150m water resistance to create a watch that is pleasingly robust. At 38.5mm, the Monta Atlas GMT does not shout from the wrist, which makes it an excellent everyday companion.Ref No: Atlas. Case size: 38.5mm. Case material: Steel. Movement: Sellita SW330. Price: USD$1795RADO GOLDEN HORSE AUTOMATICWith clear design inspiration from the middle of last century, this Rado speaks to a time when a well-made watch was a daily necessity. The blue sunburst dial gives off an eye-catching shimmer that remains easy to read, with red accents. The slightly scored bezel and beads of rice bracelet offer other visual points of interest that make this a genuinely compelling consideration for an everyday watch.Ref No: R33103203. Case size: 35mm. Case material: Steel. Movement: Automatic. Price: $2750CITIZEN CALIBER 0100With its incredible accuracy (and startling price tag for the brand), the Citizen Caliber 0100 caused waves more than ripples when it dropped at Baselworld 2019. While the watch itself is a handsome, restrained exercise in minimalist design, this piece lives and dies on potential purchasers' perception of the movement. The technology, guaranteeing 1 seconds accuracy per year, is a result of Citizen's insistence that every component be improved. Look for this tech to trickle through the industry in years to come.Ref No: AQ6021-51E. Case size: 37.5mm. Case material: Super Titanium. Movement: Caliber 0100. Price: USD$7400NOMOS GLASHuTTE CLUB SPORTThe Club Sport is the first Nomos to feature a 20mm stainless steel bracelet. In this wider diameter, on a chunkier, more action-ready watch, the long-overdue bracelet really comes to life. The links slot together in a tongue-and-groove style, and are held in place by two small screws on the underside of the bracelet resulting in a flawless look. Another highlight of this piece is the bright red crown collet, installed to remind divers to screw down the crown before entering the water.Ref No: 781. Case size: 42mm. Case material: Steel. Movement: DUW 6101. Price: $8740SEIKO SNR025JWith a titanium case covered in a super-hard coating, and 200m of water resistance, the Seiko SNR025J packs some serious punch. Sitting in the Prospex LX family, the SNR025J offers powerful wrist presence at 44.8mm in diameter and 14.7mm tall, but maintains its wearability thanks to the lightness of its titanium case. The Spring Drive 5R66 movement offers accuracy of 1 second per day, a rate typically reserved for much less robust watches, as well as a practical GMT hand.Ref No: SNR025J. Case size: 44.8mm. Case material: Titanium. Movement: 5R66. Price: $6950BULGARI SERPENTI SEDUTTORIWhile the Octo has perhaps become the male staple in the Bulgari collection, the Serpenti is just as recognisable amongst female fans of the brand. A striking, jewellery-first wristwatch, the Serpenti's horological heart benefits from the brand's growing reputation as a creator of serious watches. While it may be quartz, there is no question that the manufacturing quality of each component is superb. With a lot of variants to choose from, the black dial and rose gold-cased version presents this model in its finest form.Ref No: 101814. Case size: 35mm. Case material: Rose Gold. Movement: Quartz. Price: $55,200DIOR LA D DE DIOR SATINEThere's always room in the world of watchmaking for a novel dial material, and the uniqueness of natural stone can elicit the kind of emotional reaction that synthesised stones cannot. Case in point, the delightful malachite dial featured on the Dior La D de Dior Satine. A dainty, elegant and feminine watch that capitalises on the current green trend without sacrificing the genuine artistry for which the brand is known.Ref No: CD047122M001. Case size: 25mm. Case material: Steel and Yellow Gold. Movement: Quartz. Price: $14,000BULGARI OCTO FINISSIMO BLACK CERAMICThe case of the Bulgari Octo Finissimo is well known around the industry for good reason. The Octo Finissimo's fame lies in its ability to be many things at once. It is edgy and classic in the same breath. Sometimes seen as a square, sometimes as a circle, always acknowledged as sufficiently octagonal, the way this model can cross the boundary between sports and dress watch should be studied by all budding watch designers.Ref No: 103077. Case size: 40mm. Case material: Black Ceramic. Movement: BVL 138. Price: $22,200ROLEX SEA-DWELLERThe Sea-Dweller is a serious dive tool, but it's just as comfortable on the red carpet. The bi-colour version released in 2019 at Baselworld hammers home the collection's luxury credentials. While the Rolesor (two-tone) model pictured here is incredibly current, the vintage appeal of the full steel reference 126603, with its flash of red text on the dial, harks back to the earliest iteration from 1967 and will satisfy those who aren't yet ready to embrace the return of yellow gold.Ref No: 126603. Case size: 43mm. Case material: Oyster Steel and Yellow Gold. Movement: 3235. Price: $21,300AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK JUMBO EXTRA-THINThe Audemars Piguet Royal Oak collection is one of the most iconic watch families in the world. One excellent method for confounding collectors' expectations is to stick a salmon dial on a stone-cold classic. Cue confusion. The Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin brings together a superslim time and date movement, in a timeless case design, enlivened by that pink. At this price, it shouldn't be surprising, but a colour-matched date wheel is always appreciated.Ref No: 15202BC.OO.1240BC.01. Case size: 39mm. Case material: White Gold. Movement: 2121. Price: CHF55,000VACHERON CONSTANTIN OVERSEAS TOURBILLONThe current Overseas collection presents Vacheron Constantin's visage of the luxury steel sports watch it is uncompromisingly high-end, with Geneva Seal certification; it is unflinchingly highly priced and it is unreal to experience in the metal. The high-polished bezel with Maltese cross cutouts, the lush dials and the overall finishing quality is exceptional. And now, it is also rocking a tourbillon at six. This is steel sports, but not as you've known it.Ref No: 6000V/110A-B544. Case size: 42.5mm. Case material: Steel. Movement: Calibre 2160. Price: $166,000
28.01.20