Armchair Picks: Chester’s 3 of the Best from W&W 2022

W&W 2022 with a travel watch focus. I have spent the last couple of years on the road and have grown astute although weary of mentally counting home and away time. Working with teams across multiple timezones has also posed a fun challenge and reason/excuse to add a GMT/ Worldtimer timepiece as a new beater. But living in the west coast also means Worldtimer’s are quite inaccurate with daylight savings, and the next best thing is a 3 timezone GMT. i.e. Adjustable bezel and GMT hand. Here’s some of the pieces from 2022 that come close to this requirement, that may pique the interest of those with similar conundrums.

Tudor Black Bay Pro

The hot new Tudor for this year is the all new Black Bay Pro. This is a technical model with a new aesthetic. The case is 39mm, and is equipped with a 24 hour fixed bezel, the orange 24 hour “Snowflake” hand. Powered by the Tudor Caliber MT5652 with GMT.

Tudor Black Bay Pro: Bracelet SGD 5,520. Strap (fabric and rubber/leather) SGD 5,090.

We especially like its neat utilitarian design with retroesque features, like a flatter wider crown, full steel marked bezel, vintage font and contrasting yellow GMT hand. Considering the styling with a robust 3-day movement, the watch has both the accuracy and utility for daily wear with just the right amount of charm.

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection Spring Drive GMT 9R66: SGBE285

While the pedigree of the Grand Seiko Style is unmistakably evident in every watch, the refinements of the Evolution 9 Style are also clear to see. The lugs are wider and the bracelets are more robust and, like the cases, have a low center of gravity to ensure that the watches sit comfortably and securely on the wrist. The hands are bolder and more clearly differentiated for even greater legibility and the numerals on the bezel are of a new font developed especially for the Evolution 9 Collection.

The cases and bracelets are made of high-intensity titanium, which is about 30% lighter than stainless steel and brighter in color. The hands and indexes are coated with sufficient Lumibrite to further enhance the legibility of the time at night. The crown guard is carefully designed to avoid being caught by sleeves in both sport activities and everyday use. This Spring Drive GMT watch is fit with the light gray dial with an intricately textured pattern that is inspired by the morning mist in winter in the Shinshu region, often a harbinger of a sunny day. Shinshu is home to the studio where all Grand Seiko Spring Drive watches are made.

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection Spring Drive GMT 9R66: SBGE283/SGBE285 will have an approximate recommended retail price in Singapore: SGD 11,770.

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel Time Ref. 5326G-001

A brand new watch from Patek Philippe combining two of their practical complications – the annual calendar and travel time. Introducing the new Annual Calendar Travel Time Ref. 5326G-001.

A very useful combination two outstanding and practical complications in a single watch. The new Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel Time Ref. 5326G-001 offers both the Patek specialty of the annual calendar working in tandem with their two timezone complication.

In this novelty, Patek has finally combined both into one watch, making a superbly useful travel watch. The calendar means that you don’t have to worry about the date, which the watch will get correct all the time, safe for one adjustment every year, especially useful when traveling and using the two timezone function which allows both local time and home time to be read at a glance.The entire date mechanism follows local time.

Retail price for the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel Time Ref. 5326G-001 is SGD 101,300 inclusive of GST.

So here are the 3 picks, with adjusted blindness to brands which are potentially too hard to get, like the new leftie Rolex GMT. And in that light, the final 5326G is pretty much aspirational at this point.