3 Watch Collection under $2,500: Earth, Air and Sea
Everywhere you go, from the internet to the office to dinner conversations, you’ll hear the question asked: ‘if you only had to take one of X to a deserted island, what would it be?’. Queue the competitive comparisons between albums, books, even household items, as passionate exponents state their cases. These conversations are as fun as they are pointless, but pointless fun is a hallmark of the human condition. Here at Second Hour we thought we’d take a similar approach and ask our team for their thoughts on the perfect one watch collection. If you were forced to narrow your watch collection down to just one watch that you had to live with for the rest of your days (in paradise), what would it be? Well, naming just one watch proved too difficult a task and it quickly grew to two. Eventually, slackers we are, we changed it to a three watch collection based on the theme of earth, air and sea, allowing for one watch from each style bracket.
So, this is the start of a series we’ll do where we look at watches in different price brackets, with each one drawn from the theme of earth, air and sea: a field watch, one in an aviation style, and the third a diver. For this first bracket we’re looking at three watches under $2,500 USD, which allows for some pretty choice offerings. As is likely fairly obvious these are all tool watches, so keep that in mind as we plunge, dig and zoom in to the earth, air and sea series.
EARTH: Longines Heritage Military
The Longines Heritage Military is a vintage inspired field watch based on a pilot’s watch originally made by Longines and Omega for the British Royal Air Force in World War II. An elegant creature, and hardly seeming robust enough to endure the rigours of trench warfare, the Longines Heritage Military is nonetheless a fairly faithful recreation, although some may find the faux patina inclusions a little on the nose. No doubt spurred on by the success of its 2017 release Heritage 1945, featuring a modern case diameter of 40mm and a self winding movement, Longines returned in 2018 with the Heritage Military.
Wisely resisting the common urge to create an over-sized modern reissue, the Heritage Military has a restrained case diameter of 38.5mm, but sports a crown for the ages. This is clearly a crown you’ll have no difficulty finding during the blackout and terror laden screams of an air raid. The slim, 12mm case gives the watch a compact wrist presence that, along with the modest width, make the watch an excellent companion for formal attire, such as suits and dress shirts.
The black speckled dial, handcrafted and unique may be a distraction for some, but I feel that it gives the watch a great deal more interest than would otherwise be provided by what is a fairly nondescript dial. The Arabic numerals also have a real vintage feel, the blue tinged hour hand tipped with a spade shape, and the minute hand sporting more of an elongated arrow head. Seconds are tracked by a thin, unadorned needle that runs through the simple line drawn seconds track, which I feel may have benefited from Arabics counting the elapsed seconds at major intervals. But, Longines have remained faithful.
The somewhat plain, historical Longines logo is applied beneath the 12 o’clock position. The rest of the dial is unadorned, except for the ubiquitous Swiss Made text wedged either side of the base of the 6 o’clock position. The case back is as simple and historically accurate as the dial and hands, with the text ‘The Longines Heritage Military’ etched in bold capitals in the top half and some basic specs and a serial number beneath. The watch is strapped with a lovely vintage stitched leather, which is thick enough to be durable in a range of situations. The watch is powered by the L619/888 (the ETA A31.L01, modified by Longines), a high beat automatic, with seconds hacking and a substantial 64-hour power reserve.
If you enjoy the simplicity and utility of military vintage pieces then the Logines Heritage Military has some high end specifications and quality, vintage finishing to please.
Specifications
Model Number: L2.819.4.93.2
Release Year: 2018
Price: $2,150 USD
Movement: L888 Automatic, 21 jewels with hacking (25’200 vibrations per hour)
Power Reserve: 64 hours
Water Resistance: 3 bar (30 metres)
Diameter: 38.5mm
Length (lug to lug): 47.6mm
Thickness (height): 12.1mm
Lug Width: 19mm
Viewing Glass: Sapphire crystal, with anti-reflective coating
Lume: None
Dial Colour Options: Cream (speckled with black lacquer)
Straps: Leather strap (calf leather)
Visit: https://www.longines.com/watches/heritage-collection/l2-819-4-93-2
AIR: Fortis Flieger Professional Chronograph
A powerhouse in aviation themed watches, Fortis have been pumping out their robust, utilitarian Swiss made watches in the same factory since first opening in 1912. Beloved worldwide for their serviceability, durability and sharp looks, Fortis have produced watches for both NASA and the Russian space programs. The Fortis Flieger Professional Chronograph is an undeniable combination of functionality and stunning good looks, wrapped up in a package that could withstand the full onslaught of a Star Destroyer…should you encounter one. An automatic chronograph with all functions and features laid out in a highly legible white on black dial configuration, this Fortis ensures that dial legibility will never be an issue. Legibility is the backbone of the Fortis stable, which is of course not negotiable if you want your watches to be used by aviators, military and space program staff alike.
With big, bold sword shaped hour and minute hands and functions including day, date, hour, minute, small seconds and (of course) chronograph, there is something available in this offering for the most demanding uses and users. Powered by the Valjoux 7750 and with a stack of (green SuperLuminova) lume crammed into those markers and hands, the Fortis Flieger Pro Chronograph has high performance to match that Swiss build quality and heritage. The seconds hand is painted in a highly visible orange (a common theme for Fortis space watches), which matches the hands on the 12 and 6 o’clock sub-dials.
The crown is an impressively large, easily gripped creature with large teeth that should make a cinch of setting under pressure. It’s another example of Fortis considering the intended use and extending that through the design language of their pieces. The strap is a thick, padded black leather affair that is as comfortable as it is stylish. You can imagine that it would still be sitting comfortably on the wrist after a long mission. An exhibition case back displays the decorated rotor with its proud proclamation.
Specifications
Model Number: 705.21.11-L01
Release Year: 2017
Movement: Valjoux 7750 (25 jewels)
Water Resistance: 100 metres
Diameter: 43mm
Length (lug to lug): 48mm
Thickness (height): 14.5mm
Lug Width: 20mm
Viewing Glass: Sapphire crystal
Lume: Green Superluminova applied to hand, hour markers and numerals
Power Reserve: 48 hours
Dial Colour: Black
Straps: Leather strap, leather performance strap, Nato-strap, metal bracelet folding clasp
Price: ~$2,460-$3,480 USD (currently available for $1,300 - see below)
Visit: https://www.fortis-swiss.com/product-page/flieger-professional-chronograph
Deal: https://www.watchbuys.com/store/pc/Fortis-Flieger-Professional-Chronograph-on-Strap-p2888.htm
SEA: Oris Aquis Date
There’s no denying the place of the Oris Aquis among the most notable sub-luxury dive watch offerings such as the Logines HydroConquest, Sinn 104 and the Tag Heuer Aquaracer. Pick one up and you’ll immediately observe the heft and build quality of a watch that is not only made to take underwater, but will provide you some of the sharpest dive watch styling for any money. And it’s no surprise Oris are able to turn out such quality at affordable price points; they’re been producing watches since 1904. I’m a long term fan of the Aquis - and Oris in general - and with some of the gorgeous colour ways now on offer, as well as the addition of chronograph and GMT models, it’s getting harder to resist the pull of the mighty Aquis. Having added a 39.5mm to their line up, the Aquis now appeals to a wider audience who may previously been left out by their larger sizing.
Featuring their ubiquitous red rotor visible through the display case back, the Oris Aquis has always been among the more visually pleasing of the class. The engine is the Oris Caliber 733, which is based on the Sellita SW 200-1, a 26 jewel movement that is the staple of many Swiss autos at this price bracket. The simple dial layout - a beautifully finished sunburst colour - allows for easy reading in pretty much any conditions, and the minimal amount of text ensures there are few distractions when getting a read. The date wheel is exposed at the 6, a simple black Arabic on a dark background which is no problem to see in most light conditions. The hands are a simple but beautifully cut masterclass, distinct and with enough real estate for a solid application of BGW9 lume. Seconds are tracked by a thin lollipop hand that is counter-weighted with a shape that is coherent with other aspects of the dial. The hour markers are also simple, once again showing that clean brushed silver framing a central strip of lume.
The broad-toothed bezel sports a high grade ceramic insert that turns and locks solidly, and now with around 37 different (colour and size) variants there is an option for just about everyone. In a rubber strap or solid steel bracelet, the Aquis sits at a respectable 12.5mm thick which, when combined with the modest lug to lug distance, has compact profile that is not imposing in a negative way. Sporting 300 metres of water resistance, it is a truly deep water capable watch, although divers will prefer to depend on a traditional LCD dive computer, such as a Suunto D4 or D9. The crown is guarded by quite aggressive, squared guards that are somewhat reminiscent of the Longines HydroConquest, but are attractive and solid looking. Of course the dial is protected by a lovely thick piece of AR coated sapphire crystal, which will ensure scratch free operation of the watch throughout its working life.
Specifications
Model Number: 01 733 7732 41
Release Year: 2018
Price: $1,800 on a strap, $2,000 on a bracelet
Movement: Oris Caliber 733 (base SW 200-1, 26 jewels)
Water Resistance: 300 metres
Diameter: 39.5mm, (also 43mm)
Length (lug to lug): 46mm
Thickness (height): 12.5mm
Lug Width: 20mm
Viewing Glass: Domed sapphire glass, anti-reflective coating inside
Bezel: 120 click unidirectional
Lume: Applied to indices and hands, Superluminova BGW9
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Dial Colour Options: Matte black, gloss black, blue gradient, brown or green
Straps: Stainless steel bracelet, leather strap, or rubber strap
Website: https://www.oris.ch/en/watch/oris-aquis-date/
We hope you enjoyed this one. Stay tuned for Earth, Air and Sea sub $1000 edition
