Being in the watch world is a funny thing. We covert this little machine that runs on our wrist and tells the time, quite often spending up to tens of thousands of dollars on any given piece. People can be precious about their opinions and at times, the watch world can be snobby with people buying pieces purely to show off or as a status symbol. So it’s nice that every two years, some of the greatest brands in the world get together to show off their unique pieces at Christie’s auctions for the purpose of charity.

Whilst it’s not lost on us that many brands participate to show off their haute horology and technical skills to pave the way for future commercial pieces, the fact still remains that the proceeds of each lot go to a worthy cause: Supporting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – a disease affecting 1 in 3500 boys that progressively weakens all their muscles, including the heart, the loss of the ability to walk and global autonomy as they get older. This year, Only Watch is back for 2023 and with 62 Lots, we should see it raise a significant amount for the charity. 2021’s Only Watch raised CHF 30,000,000 (Just over AUD $50,000,000), so here’s hoping the watch world and collectors can eclipse that figure this year.

The Watch Advice team has looked over each and every Lot offered at this year’s Only Watch to come up with the ten most unique pieces from the brands. Our criteria were simple; pick the pieces that we felt were either totally unique or something out of the box for that brand. Some brands do small things like change a dial colour or use a different case material for a standard production watch, so we have overlooked these and gone for those pieces where the brands have pushed themselves. We’ve started at the start, by Lot Number, so without further ado, here are our first 5 top 10 watches…

LOT 7 – BALTIC EXPERIMENTS – PREMIER QUANTIÈME PERPÉTUEL

Why We Love It

Baltic is known for its value proposition and makes good-looking, reliable, vintage-inspired watches with most of its pieces coming in under about AUD $2,000. So when we saw that Baltic has done a Perpetual Calendar and in purple no less, it stood out from the crowd!

At 37mm and only 9.8mm thick (add an extra 1mm or so for the domed crystal) it’s a good sized watch and under Baltic’s new fine watchmaking studio, Baltic Experiments, has an in house perpetual module on the Vaucher VMF 5401 Micro-rotor extra-slim movement that took 2 years to research and develop. Complete with 50hrs power reserve, moon phase accurate to 122 years and 30m water resistance, it’s a watch that we think is worthy of Only Watch and showcases Baltic doing some very cool things with their brand.

Full details: Only Watch – Baltic

LOT 9 – BELL & ROSS BR03 CYBER RAINBOW

Why We Love It

Bell & Ross are not known for their out there watches. Being a brand whose heritage is rooted in aviation, designing watches for purpose and legibility, their Only Watch entry this year took us by surprise. They have completely reinvented their BR03 series and given their Cyber Rainbow a fully skeletonised 3D dial and oscillating weight.

Bell & Ross have meticulously applied varnished pieces to the DLC titanium case, and to give the piece continuity, soft colour material to the rubber strap as well. This look is also on the rotor and they’ve then filled the pockets of the skeletonised dial with the same coloured varnish. The overall look is something you might see coming from Hublot, so it’s definitely worthy of Only Watch 2023.

Full Details: Only Watch – Bell & Ross

LOT 15 – BULGARI OCTO FINISSIMO TOURBILLON MARBLE

Why We Love It

Bulgari is known for doing some great watches and pushing the boundaries, especially with the Octo Finissimo range creating some of the world’s thinnest watches. But this one is made of Marble… A marble watch less than 7mm thick and with a Tourbillon just to top it off! The craftsmanship that has gone into this is incredible, and when you think the marble layer used is between 0.4mm and 0.6mm thin, you can start to see why we chose this.

They’ve layered Verde di Alpi green marble from the Alps between Italy and Switzerland on top of the DLC treated Titanium case and bracelet and offset this with stunning gold hands and indices. Outside of the crazy green aesthetic Bulgari has given this piece their BVL 268: The World’s thinnest manual movement with flying tourbillon and special ball bearing system. All in all, 800 hours of work, or just over 14 weeks working 8 hours a day/7 days a week went into this piece.

Full Details: Only Watch – Bulgari

LOT 19 – CZAPEK PLACE VENDÔME COMPLICITÉ – COURAGE EVERY SECOND

Why We Love It

The Czapek Place Vendome Complicite – Courage Every Second stood out to us due to the combination of the Only Watch colours blended with the dial complexity of the dual escapements and differential on display on the open worked dial. Whilst not technically majorly different from their current Place Vendome collection, what sets this part is the combination of elements from the Quai de Burges collection with the Place Vendome Collection.

Czapek deliver great works of art normally and this piece is no exception. The star is the dial with the Champlevé enamel ring created in collaboration with Donzé Cadrans and the circular satin-polished brass réhaut with Czapek’s Only Watch “Courage every second” signature framing the Czapek Calibre 8 on show, including the two sapphire glass bridges. Something tells us that it will fetch more the the CHF 80,000 – CHF 100,000 estimate.

Full Details: Only Watch – Czapek

LOT 23 – FREDERIQUE CONSTANT x CHRISTIAAN VAN DER KLAAUW TOURBILLON PLANETARIUM

Why We Love It

Frederique Constant isn’t a name you usually associate with high horology. Sitting in the lower-end luxury segment, Frederique Constant is, in its own words, “high-quality watches at a sensible price”. This is anything but! Frederique Constant has teamed up with Christiaan Van Der Klaauw to produce the world’s most miniature planetarium and added an Adventurine dial with a Tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

All this is housed in a respectable 42mm Platinum case, and the hands and indices are all diamond cut and hand finished to add to the quality. This piece is a combination of firsts for both brands and whilst typically reasonably priced, the estimated CHF 110,000 is anything but. However, for a 14mm thick Tourbillon with planetarium and day/date counter, maybe it is?!

Full Details: Only Watch – Frederique Constant X Christiaan Van Der Klaauw

LOT 29 – HERMES ARCEAU LE TEMPS VOYAGEUR

Why We Love It

Hermes has its roots in leather goods and fashion, but in recent years has started to really make strides in its watchmaking division. Whilst you wouldn’t say Hermes was cutting edge, some designs, like the H08, are more modern than others, but their Arceau collection is on the more subdued side. This is why when we saw their Only Watch entry, the Arceau le Temps Voyager, we were slightly taken back.

There’s a lot to like about this watch. Its use of the Only Watch colours is playful but makes sense to accentuate the cities on the world time. The asymmetry of the dial is reminiscent of A. Lange & Sohne or Glashutte Original, and the small offset time dial plays tribute to the Arceau collection with the italicised numerals. The ‘travelling time’ mechanism was also developed exclusively for Hermes, and the 41mm DLC coated case with the asymmetrical Platinum lugs just add to its uniqueness.

Full Details: Only Watch – Hermes

So there you have it. The first half of our top 10 picks for this year’s Only Watch. Let us know if you agree or disagree and what your picks were in the comments section below. And stay tuned for Part 2 of our Top 10 Picks For Only Watch next week.

I was out the supermarket checkout a week or so ago, and there was a young guy serving me. On his wrist was a Tissot PRX. I casually said, “Nice watch” and he went on to explain that it was his first watch, and was the quartz model, not automatic. Now Tissot is a great first watch, in fact, the Tissot PRS200 was my first swiss watch, and as a first watch when in your teens, you could do a lot worse than a PRX!

We spoke briefly whilst he scanned the groceries and I told him what I did, so he asked me – what would be my recommendation for a first proper automatic swiss watch? The answer to this is long and varied as there are a lot of great pieces out there now and at all different price points. But it did get me thinking. If I were back at the start of my journey, knowing what I know now with what is available on the market today, what would I choose as my foray into the watch collecting world?

After much discussion with the Watch Advice team, we’ve come up with some great options at different price points as we realise that people are all different with different levels of income and stages of life. What an 18 year old would buy for their first ‘good’ watch vs someone in their 30’s who wants to celebrate a milestone with their first nice timepiece they’ll keep forever will vary greatly. Let’s dive in!

Under $500

Seiko Solar – SNE525P

The Seiko Solar SNE525P is a great starter watch. It’s solar powered, or powered by any light really, so as long as you wear it in the day, you’re good and won’t run out of battery for up to 10 months once fully charged!

With an accuracy of +/-15 seconds per month, it’s more accurate than most mechanical watches out there and with both day and date indicators it’s highly functional too. Measuring 40mm and only 9.7mm thick it will wear well and has a classic steel sports watch design with the blue dial, so it won’t date easily.

Australian Retail Price: AUD $475.

Available at Seikoboutique.com.au

$500-$1000

Baltic HMS 002

Baltic are going from strength to strength with their vintage inspired pieces due to their build quality and design at their price point, and the HMS 002 is no exception. With a 38mm case size and 12mm thick, its more dress watch than sports, but it’s design means you can wear this casually. You also have the option of choosing the preferred strap and open or closed caseback to fit your style.

Made from 316L steel, 50m water resistance, a screw down crown and an automatic movement with 60hrs power reserve, it’s a great all round watch.

Australian Retail Price: Approx AUD $725 (€360 + €80 delivery)

Available at baltic-watches.com

$1000 – $1500

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

We mentioned the Tissot PRX Quartz at the start of this article, but if you can stretch the budget to just over $1000, then the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 is a great value watch that punches above its weight.

With an integrated bracelet design and great sturdy construction and nice finishing, it rivals watches 3x it’s price. It has Tissot’s new Powermatic 80 movement, meaning you’re good for more than 3 days and with the Nivachron balance spring, it’s essentially antimagnetic.

Australian Retail Price: AUD $1,100.

Available at tissotwatches.com

$1500 – $2500

Longines Hydroconquest

For those that want the look of a proper dive watch, then the Longine Hydroconquest in 41mm is a great entry level diver. 300m water resistance, rotating dive bezel, and steel bracelet with fold out dive extension, it’s a robust watch.

Longines has a lot of heritage in watchmaking, and whilst they’re not a hype brand, they are a solid brand with solid credentials, and this watch is an example of this. With the L888 automatic movement, 72 hours of power reserve and screw down crown, it’s a serious watch and great bang for buck.

Australian Retail Price: AUD $2,100.

Available at Longines.com

$2500 – $5000

TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200

We’ve covered the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 last year in our hands on review, which you can read here. It’s a good entry level piece into a reputable brand that has so much history and are doing some great things today. At 40mm and only 12mm thick it wears pretty well and with a few new colours, like the green fumé dial pictured here, they look good.

It’s a highly versatile watch with 200m of water resistance and an automatic movement giving you 38hrs power reserve. Whilst that seems low, it’s designed to be a daily, so you shouldn’t have to worry the watch going dead. It also has a bright green and blue lume, so it’s highly legible in low light, adding to its versatility.

Australian Retail Price: AUD $4,150.

Available at Tagheuer.com

So there you have five watches to start your watch journey, no matter what your budget is. Whilst there a lots of others out there that would suit equally as well, too many in fact for this article, we felt these five would suit most people’s tastes and are all pretty versatile. Should you have more than $5000 saved up for your first watch, then congratulations! But this then would be another conversation.

Do you agree with these selections? Have suggestions for people? The leave us a comment below.

French micro-brand Baltic first popped up on my radar back in 2019 after making a splash on social media, and across watch media. What caught my attention was how this entry-level brand seamlessly entered the collection’s of several high profile watch collectors, and onto the wrist’s of a couple of highly-respected watch editors. Intrigued initially by the Instagram hype and drawn in by the rave reviews from trusted friends, I knew it was time to take a closer look.

Being an unapologetic fan of the dive watch who was entering the peak of Australian Summer, I thought it only appropriate to get my hands on the Baltic Aquascaphe. Of the combinations offered, I opted for the Black and Silver, with both a bracelet and additional rubber strap.

The Dial and Hands

Interestingly within Baltic’s Aquascaphe collection, the brand offers two dial variants – a grain finish and a sunray finish. The grainy dial (WHICH THIS ONE HAS) adds lots of texture, which combined with the ‘sandwich style’ markers, brings a lot of character to an otherwise subtle watch. The cleanliness of the white super-luminova markers offer contrast to the textured dial.

The double-domed sapphire crystal gives perfect clarity as you gaze at the pebbly black dial, whilst oozing vintage charm. Baltic’s use of sapphire extends to the unidirectional black bezel to add some extra-depth, and emulate the bakelite bezels of yesteryear. The curved sapphire crystal across these two important watch parts adds depth, and a bounty of interesting surfaces for light to bounce off.

The Case

Made from 316L stainless steel, the delightfully proportioned case comes in at 38mm (or 39mm including the bezel) in diameter, and 47mm lug-to-lug. On the wrist, the Aquascaphe sits comfortably, and the smaller-than-usual case feels just about perfect. The case sits at 12mm high, meaning the diver remains deliberately low-key. Baltic earn some extra points from me here, as they tug on my vintage watch enthusiast heart strings.

Powering the Aquascaphe is a Miyota 9039, with a 42-hour power reserve, which given the price point is totally acceptable. As you might expect, the Baltic has an ample water resistance of 200 meters.

The Bracelet

The Baltic Aquascaphe comes equipped with a ‘beads of rice’ style bracelet, which drapes smoothly around your wrist. Visually, the bracelet is quite dynamic thanks to the mixture of polished and brushed stainless steel links. The best part – Baltic have included ‘quick release’ endlinks, which make changing the bracelet a breeze. Honestly, it’s something which is traditionally quite painful, and this thoughtful feature reduces the risk of scratching your precious lugs, losing a springbar, and messing about with endlinks. You can remove the bracelet in just a matter of seconds.

Even better, the bracelet is actually interchangeable with all Baltic models, and available to purchase individually. You can also purchase the Aquascaphe with a black rubber (tropic) strap separately, or in addition to the bracelet. The black rubber strap accompanying the Aquascaphe is well matched to the rest of the watch and is light, comfortable and breathable – thanks to the pattern of perforation.

Final Thoughts

Priced at just over 1,000 Australian dollars for the bracelet version, it’s hard to fault the Aquascaphe package. The attention to detail doesn’t end with the watch – and extends to packaging and box – which pay tribute to dive watches of the 1970s.

Dive watches are known and loved for their versistily, and the Aquascaphe is no different. It’s a watch you can comfortably wear all week long in the office, or – as a no-fuss weekend warrior. Aesthetically, the Baltic Aquascaphe works hard to be a very thoughtful vintage-inspired dress watch.

Baltic sell the Aquascaphe as the ultimate ‘everyday’ watch, and given the price – they’ve made a strong case. It’s clear that Baltic have created the Aquascaphe in earnest, striving to solve the trade-offs we tend to see in entry level micro-brands, and have made a splash in doing so. From product to packaging to website, Baltic has clearly been created from a place of passion, and is a brand I’ll be keeping a close eye on over the next 12 months.