TimeTexas

Damn, these are gorgeous. Which are your favorites? 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 10 are my favorites. Not sure I have an order for those but 2, 4, and 10 really stand out. 9 is also intriguing and completely different. Amazing the variations that are possible with Fordite.

We are continuing to add some independent watchmakers. Very happy to announce Arcanaut Watches, Strom Watches and Zeitwinkel! Please sign up for their clubs. We are just getting started adding watchmakers and we are working on content and some exciting features in the coming months highlighting these brands.

The Agonium Collection While Daniel Strom masters all the intricacies of watchmaking, he first and foremost regards watches as a vast field of expression. Far more than a distillation of technical sophistication and design, he sees in them a reflection of what we truly are, deep down inside. A watch viewed not as a means of expressing social status, but rather a certain vision of life – and secondarily also telling the time. He had dreamed of his Agonium collection for years before finding the perfect alchemist’s blend of watchmaking and silversmithing required to create it. The watch becomes a sculpture, an authentic work of art on the wrist that evokes our innermost questions regarding life, death, the finite nature of our existence, as if to remind us to live our time to the full, rather than seeking to control it.

THE CRUIZER COLLECTION A clever blend between a sporty and lifestyle-oriented watch. Neither round, nor square, but instead cushion-shaped. Edgy, stylish lines that appeal to both men and women. Various sizes, movements and functions, and of course different colours and materials. But always the same relaxed mind-set, the same thirst for escapism, the same wish to make the most of life. The contemporary and sophisticated Cruizer draws inspiration from the world of motorsports in resolutely following its own route, released from any restraints and opening up new vistas of freedom. Witness the new container-based case construction of the watches; as well as the decision to place someone knew at the controls in the person of Daniel’s son Loris Strom, representing the third generation of this watchmaking family.

Continuing... Iconic Probably a toss-up for me between the Breitling Navitimer and the Zenith Defy Revival. I've been enamored with the new Navitimer lineup so that's my pick. Truly a great new look for an absolute icon. Tourbillon I know the GS Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon is the winning choice here. But the Moser Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton has my heart. The implementation of the small dial making it incredibly readable and the 3D lume really complements the wonderfully arranged skeletonization. Calendar & Astonomy As much as I want to vote for the Sarpaneva and the Moser, it has to be the Krayon Anywhere. Simply amazing. Mechanical Exception The Bovet is incredible and fascinating in its complications. I just can't say I really love how it looks. So for me its the Armin Strom. Mechanical innovation and a unique, sleek, industrial design. To be continued....

Revenge meeting with @watch_ape here in Houston. Got to see the incredible Kudoctopus firsthand.

Today's choice. Strap from @artifexleather out of El Paso, Texas. Great quality.

I have to admit some ignorance as to how the entire process works. I will say that there are definitely times when I'm baffled by the choices. In other instances, it seems the finalists are very deserving. I'm sure politics does play a significant part in the overall process. That said, it is interesting to look through the choices.

I really can't say enough about this Fears Topper Edition. I really love this watch. And it's a strap monster. Came on a very nice dark brown strap for a formal look. But throw it on this GREAT White Hybrid strap from @under_the_cuff_official and it's a completely different watch. One perk is buying a Fears is the opportunity to join the Fears Owners Club where you can buy other straps. So I've ordered a black strap with yellow stitching that falls somewhere in between. The black is formal looking but the yellow stitching are a sporty touch. I'll post photos soon.

I actually like this version of the Watchmon the best of all of them. For the ladies watch, I get why you need one. I think the execution of the diamond markers on the ladies' version is well done and understated. It is consistent with the overall aesthetic concept of the watch. So while I usually have an issue with just adding diamonds, in this case I think it's appropriate and well done. And it looks like a true watch, not a piece of jewelry.

https://monochrome-watches.com/introducing-speake-marin-openworked-tourbillon-v2-for-2022-specs-price/

I'll preface this as just my opinion which counts as much as you paid for it. I like Ladies watches that are willing to look at watches as more than simply jewelry with a movement. This was tough as I think the PF, the A&S, and the Chaykin are all watches first. I also appreciate that PF didn't overdo it with the diamonds like the Chopard. While the A&S is extremely impressive, this really comes down to the PF and Chaykin for me. The moonphase tongue licking the lips on the Harley Quinn version makes this a tough choice. At the end of the day, I think ladies' watches should be more focused on the watch and I think the restrained use of diamonds on the PF and the brown on gold is perfect. PF Tonda Automatic for me. The Van Cleef & Arpels is an incredible complication. The Hermès is amazing as well, but the Van Cleef & Arpels is on another level. Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arepels Heures Florales Cerisier. The Akrivia is probably the favorite here and an absolutely beautiful watch. I also love the Sylvain Pinaud Origine. I also love the PF. This was tough, but I really love the innovation of the Trilobe and it is beautifully finished. Trilobe Une Folle Journée Black Edition. I really like the Singer but a one minute chrongraph seems relatively useless. I also like the Armin Strom but there are other AS watches I prefer. The Hermès is fantastic and a very useful complication. However, when I saw the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante, that was the one I fell in love with. The entire concept of the Rattrapante GMT is new and is entirely consistent with the sparse theme of the Tonda PF. The ability to hide the GMT hand and further highlight the dial is a consistency in purpose and function and aesthetics. So the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante gets my vote. Alright, I'll follow up with more later. Interested in others thoughts.

I highly recommend checking out the Cronotempvs Clubhouse Martinson the Week in Watches. Generally they have a great discussion every week or two. This week the discussion revolved around their selective for GPHG. Clubhouse is just a voice chat app you can download for Apple or Android. Alright, off to look at the finalists in more detail.

That's great. I finally ordered my first Ochs und Junior last week. Unfortunately due to my many purchases this year I had to go with the pre-designed Fifth Wrist version. I like it but I'd make a few changes. Really want the Two Time Zones. Love the implementation. But I'll take what I can get for now. Yours really looks great!

Agreed. This would be an incredible project to do something like this in the future. I watch Bill's channel some but recently while building this site I haven't had a lot of time for YouTube and I completely missed this. I'm also not on Facebook much.