The beauty of watchmaking lies in its poetic history that births genesis stories of many horology houses. After all, the devices that we wear so dearly upon our wrists have been faithful companions since the 18th century. As horology continues to make leap and strides with the advent of new technology, it is not uncommon for watchmaking houses to pay homage to its roots. These timekeepers dug deep and will leave their vintage-inspired imprint on those who honour their legacy.
Bell & Ross always had a soft spot for the motorsports, and rightly so. The thrill of watching speedsters zip past the finish line exudes an exhilarating charm and if one wants to emulate this boost of adrenaline then place your trust in Ol’Reliable: the BR V1-94 Bellytanker. The chronograph draws inspiration from the iconic Bellytanker racer of the 1940s. The brands unmistakable panda dial fronts the watch with its black counter and gold dials, similar to the racer’s wheel rims and streamlined nose. Sturdy steel also encases the watch, cementing this beauty amongst the ranks of similarly-clad speed machines.
Montblanc takes watch enthusiasts down memory lane with their Heritage Product line. In particular, the Montblanc Heritage Automatic is the one to get for an updated take on the historical Minerva classic wristwatch. Traits like domed dials with two finishings and dots as indexes are passed down onto this modern successor, while a coat of either silvery-white or salmon pink graces the dial, both of which are 1940-1950s inspired colours.
Always pushing boundaries, Seiko wowed the world with the world’s first quartz saturation diver’s watch in 1965. Just three years after that, they outdid themselves with a hi-beat diver’s watch with 300 meter water resistance, which proved to be one of the stepping stones to its widespread success. Fast forward to today, Seiko looks back and commemorate this monumental milestone with its Prospex collection. Specified for saturation diving, it incorporates the Caliber 8L55 which was specially designed for divers’ use. Again, Zaratsu polishing coupled with a dual curved sapphire crystal ensures legibility even 300 meters below water.
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