Luke Benedictus
I've certainly had less turbulent years. In 2019, I quit a stable job, hurled myself into start-up life and lived with my in-laws for 10 months (!) before moving into a house that can euphemistically be described as a renovator's delight. I changed a gazillion nappies and failed miserably to persuade my two sons aged one and two to sleep through the night. Over the last 12 months I've rarely worked so hard or slept so little.That's probably why I was particularly drawn to vintage-inspired pieces this year. Their nostalgic designs hark back to a simpler time that, we imagine, was calmer, kinder and marginally less batshit-crazy.But I'm also now living right by the beach. That means that for the first time in my life, I've suddenly found myself hankering for a diving watch, something rugged and waterproof that can stand up to building sandcastles and retrieving small children from rock-pools.GLASHuTTE ORIGINAL SEVENTIES CHRONOGRAPH PANORAMA DATEImage: timeandwatches Bow-chicka-wow-wow! That's the sound this retro-tastic chronograph would make if it could talk. Sadly, it can't. But we're prepared to overlook that minor disappointment on account of the wondrous green fume dial made at Glashutte's in-house facility in Pforzheim housed in a polished steel case. Best worn with your arm draped around a Charlie's Angels-era Farrah Fawcett.?$19,100 (on leather)BREGUET CLASSIQUE 5177 ‘GRAND FEU’ BLUE ENAMEL, 38mm 18kThe impact of this watch steals your heart by stealth. A Grand Feu enamel dial always feels special thanks to that mirror-perfect finish. But, on closer inspection, it's the details that dazzle here, from the moon-tipped hands made of rhodium-plated steel, to the ornate minute/hour markings and the ghost signature hovering just above 6 o'clock.?$30,400BLANCPAIN FIFTY FATHOMS BARAKUDAYou don't always have to reinvent the wheel sometimes you can just change the hub-caps. That's how it is with this historically faithful reissue from Blancpain. Modestly sized with a 40.3mm case, it's extremely wearable while still packing oodles of vintage swagger. The killer detail? Those two-tone hour markers enlivened with a pleasing dash of red.?$17,650LONGINES HERITAGE CLASSICAmid the whirlwind pace of modern life, a sector dial brings a welcome sense of order that I find personally reassuring. Here, the addition of the small-seconds sub-dial at 6 o'clock pushes this watch's proportions into something approaching perfect-ratio territory. Longines' take on the sector dial is an exemplary case of divide and conquer. $2775FRANCK MULLER REMEMBERRemember? You won't forget this one. That's because Franck Muller has managed to find a way to turn back time. Not in a Doctor Who/time-travel manner (they're not quite there yet), but by presenting hands both hour and minute that move backwards across a set of numerals positioned in reverse. Delivered in stately 18k white gold, it's a radical feat from one of the true mavericks of modern watchmaking. $38,000
27.12.19