It's been a good year in the watch world. Yes, we've had some flops and the usual conveyor belt of minor facelifts launched with the fanfare of royal babies (a slightly lighter blue dial? You spoil us!). But amid the noise, there's been much signal worth tuning into.
Happy Birthday, Nautilus
The most influential watch of all time? Perhaps. Gérald Genta's masterpiece, the Patek Philippe Nautilus, marked its 50th anniversary with a trio of ultra-thin editions powered by the 240 movement, which is normally found in the dressier Calatrava.
Aesthetically, the anniversary models tack close to Genta's design—any tweaks to the porthole case or integrated bracelet would be sacrilege, mind—but there are some material differences. As in, the materials are different. Where the original ushered in the age of luxury stainless steel watches, here we get the sports style but precious substance; your pick between white gold or platinum. Well, we say take your pick. Good luck finding even one, let alone a choice.
Casio's Naughty-less
Due in November, but leaked last month, Casio's newest G-Shock hasn't just got us excited because the brand doesn't really do full analogues. That porthole-shaped case, those broad shoulders, they remind us of something…
We're chalking this one up as a birthday tribute to Patek. And we'll also take it as a gift to us, because from around $135, it's a lot of watch for not a lot of money: 200m water resistance, shockproof magnetic hands so it's as tough as any of G-Shock's digitals, a 30-minute stopwatch, and a special battery-saving mode that stretches its runtime to five years (about half the length of a Nautilus waitlist, then). We'll take the resin model in egg yolk yellow, please and thank you.
Rolex Perpetual Padellone
