ZENITH STRATOS FLYBACK "RAINBOW" IN STAINLESS STEEL

This watch is a long time coming.
Dilly dallying... thinking... contemplating...
In the end, I succumbed... as usual...

It is the 2014 announced and released Zenith Stratos Flyback "Rainbow"
I am a fan of the multicoloured Rainbow for ages... having owned the old 40mm black dialed Rainbow Flyback.
I have missed the chance of purchasing the old 40mm multicoloured Rainbow a couple of times and got me thinking maybe it's just not meant to be.

I was kinda excited when the Stratos Multicolour Rainbow was released 2 years ago in an all black Alchron case and was a Boutique only piece.
I did try to track down a piece during my last trip to HK to view the piece in person at the Zenith Boutique at Russell Street HK but due to some miscommunication, the piece was already sold when I got there.
Bummer... can't try it on for size... oh well... maybe it's really just not meant to be?

But then it got me thinking, maybe... just maybe... Zenith will release a regular piece in stainless steel available for purchase at ADs... and guess what?
It happened! Good things do come to those who wait I guess?
The announcement and release of this watch was done quietly though... not at Baselworld 2014 but a couple of weeks after...

Well, long story short... with the recent refurbishment of my local AD and adding in Zenith to the plethora of brands that they carry... all the "Stars" are aligned... When one was available for viewing... I immediately went in for a test "wrist" drive.

Not kidding here but initial impressions were not good.
The watch comes in a bracelet only configuration.
I find it bulky, heavy and really hefty... wondering if I can really carry all that behemoth of a 45.5mm case.

But in the end, I took a leap of faith as I really loved the solidly built watch and also the revival of the "Rainbow" dial... so... I dived right in...

Once home... the first order of the day is to make the watch a teeny bit more wearable for regular sized wrists...

As I mentioned earlier, the watch came in a bracelet only configuration.
Got to remove the bracelet and fit in a strap...

Surprise surprise... Once the bracelet has been removed... the endlinks still remain intact...
Unlike most watches in the market, where the endlinks are normally attached to the bracelet... the Stratos Rainbow actually came with separate endlink pieces independent of the bracelet...
Some of you may know me as a fan of endlinks to go with straps as they mask the gap left after mounting a watch on strap.
But due to the size of this watch, I reckon those endlinks will have to go.

So, the endlinks are actually fastened by 2 small screws to the side of the case under the lugs.

Once unscrewed, the endlinks come right off...

The endlink piece and screws...
I must say this is a novel way of construction, with such configuration... the possibilities of the owner wearing on bracelet or on strap and with or without endlinks are expanded...
It's all up to the owner's personal preference.

Take a look at how short the lugs is...
Regular and small wrists can still wear this watch.

After mounting on the strap, there is hardly any gaps visible, so no endlinks necessary...
Lug size is 23mm... not easy to buy ready made straps of this size so custom ordered strap is on the way.
The strap I currently have on is 22mm... so there is a slight 1mm gap that is visible sometimes.

And with all that out of the way... the watch looks like so.
Pretty cool eh?
Now it looks like it's ready to be strapped on by a French Fighter Pilot... just like the way the original Rainbow was designed for...
The original Flyback Rainbow was designed according to specifications put forth by the French Air Force.

I don't know if this piece still adheres to those specifications but one thing for sure, this one looks less of a tool watch (let's be real, is there any luxury watch considered a tool nowadays?) but more like a modernized luxury watch "inspired" by the old Flyback Rainbow.

It does however share all the same case and a slightly different movement as the Stratos that Felix Baumgartner wore while breaking the sound barrier jumping from the edge of the stratosphere.
So I can safely say that this watch is no slouch.

I must say that the dial design hits all the sweet spot.
Staying true to the original Rainbow colourway but updated for today's taste...
Legibility is not an issue. Even with the busy dial, time can be read out at a glance.

Bezel is 120 clicks uni-directional.
I find the clicks a little rough... maybe I am just nitpicking.
Bezel insert is anodized aluminium... I would have preferred a ceramic bezel though.
Why didn't they just use the same red accented ceramic bezel from the Limited Edition Alchron case Stratos Rainbow?

The subdial that makes me go ga-ga... Yes... simple things like these does matter... Just like Zenith's iconic Tri-colour dial, this Rainbow colourway with the Multicoloured subdials is part of Zenith's iconic look... never replicated... all original design...

Most people have the opinion that Zenith has an iconic watch movement in the El Primero but no iconic watch.
I would have to disagree there.
The tricolour dial A386, the Zenith Flyback Rainbow and in some aspects... the Montre D'Aeronef Type 20 line of pilot watches are all iconic in their looks.

If you're wondering why the subdials are marked at 3 minute increments is because when making overseas calls (especially for soldiers posted at foreign lands calling home), they were charged at 3 minute blocks... having marked them in 3 minute increments allow you to time your calls and make sure of the credit/time you have left. 

Now with the advent of modern communication devices... overseas calls charged at 3 minute blocks are all but obsolete...
By leaving the original look intact, it reminds us of the history of these watches and the relevance of dial markings in watch design.

The flange of the dial is marked with a telemeter scale as opposed to the usual tachymetre scale.
What is this for?
It is to measure the distance relative to sight and sound.

Say if I were to fire a mortar at an enemy, I start the chronograph the moment the mortar fires, and stop the chronograph when the mortar hits the ground... I now know the distance of that mortar being fired in kilometers... and I can adjust the mortar cannon to fire further or nearer depending on where the enemy is...
Cool right? Not that I am firing mortars for a living...

Or you can just time how far a lightning strike is... by starting the chronograph when you see the flash and stopping it when you hear the thunderclap, now you know how far the lightning is...

But I very much prefer the mortar example :-)

Take a closer look at the dial and you can see that the numerals are made of solid blocks of Luminova... 
It gives off a 3D effect and feel.

Another small change for this model compared to the regular Stratos is making the hour totalizer subdial smaller.
This way, the complaints that plagued the other models is addressed.
No more overlapping subdials and the chronograph functions and reading elapsed time will be accurate whereby previously, it took some guesses at best...

The chronograph seconds hands look red but is actually closer to fluorescent pink or somewhere there.
It matches the colour on the minute totalizer hand.
Go clubbing with this watch under some UV lights and I guess both the hands will stand out...

Applied Zenith Star... love those. 

Huge screw down crown.
Water resistance rated to 100m...
The old Rainbow with no screw down crown is rated the same, but does not inspire confidence. This on the other hand is much better.
Rectangular pushers are easy and nicer to operate... much nicer than the old round ones because it takes less effort to press and overall feel is much more sturdy.

The length of the case from lug to lug is 54mm by my own measurements.
The sloping cut off lugs of course makes the watch wears smaller than it actually is.

You can also make it in the background that the bezel is actually sloping inwards to the dial... concave shape... pretty cool.

Movement powering the watch is the El Primero Caliber 405B.
Good move by Zenith to blue the column wheel.
The nice contrast is very much welcomed.
Just love the complex but beautiful El Primero caliber's architecture.
Beats at the same 36,000 vph hi-beat rate... with a flyback complication.

After owning and wearing the watch for a couple of days, I find that the watch is a joy to wear although I am still coming to terms with it's size and heft.
The overall size is worse on the original bracelet... maybe it's just me.
I am just happy that Zenith choose to release a definitive version of the modern Rainbow and make it accessible... both in pricing and availability... by not making it a Boutique Edition.
All in all this watch is just awesome.
Solidly built, housing a proven, reliable and robust caliber and at a quite attractive price point for a flyback chronograph.

Question is... does this watch need to be buffed all the way to 45.5mm? I think the answer is no... but one can understand why they did it.
In this age of supersizing, everyone wants everything bigger...
I think it can do away with a few mm less...

I can confidently announce that the iconic Rainbow's revival is complete... The Rainbow is officially well and truly... BACK!!
If this is done in a 42-43mm case, then it will be "BACK WITH A BANG!!"
But I can settle for "BACK!!" at the moment.

TUDOR HERITAGE BLACK BAY REF:79220R

Am I too late for the party?

A watch announced and launched back in Baselworld 2012?

Better late than never I say...

The Tudor Heritage Black Bay Ref:79220R
This year, Tudor did a cosmetic update to the watch in a "Midnight Blue" colourway...
The watch came originally on bracelet but I think this watch looks better on strap, so on goes the OEM distressed leather strap and also 3rd party endlinks just to cover up the gaps left by the somewhat thin strap.

Mine comes with a warmer Burgundy bezel.
Burgundy, the colour of Tudor as much as green is the colour of Rolex.
Snowflake hands, matte black dial, rose gold surround markers and hands, gilt printing on dial.
Overall package? A very nostalgic and warm feel.

Nicely done crown with the flower logo.
Screwing and unscrewing felt precise... winding is smooth.
Movement is the tried and tested ETA 2824... gets the job done with minimal hassle and cost.
Tudor is one of those brands that did not rename ETA calibers to some fancy names to confuse non-wis customers.
I find this laudable.

I just love it when casebacks are done like this.
Flat and close to the middle case instead of bulging.
Wears more comfortably this way.

Bevelled lugs... this is like the norm now.
I don't think there's any reputable brand that's not doing bevelled lugs at the moment.
3rd party endlinks fits like a glove.

The watch feels excellent on the distressed leather strap.
Buckle is also well made.
Funny why they designed it in such a way the the "tail" end of the strap is facing down at the 6 o'clock side.
Not complaining... quite unique... does not hamper comfort.

After awhile, decided to take away the endlinks and wear it on just the strap.
The gap is hardly noticeable.
Makes the watch looks smaller as a whole.

I then tried it on a thicker strap.
Looks good as well.
Proves that this watch is really flexible.

Early ownership of this watch does not yield much satisfaction.
But after giving it some time, it has started to warm up.
Beautifully made case and comfortable to wear.
For those that are not looking at Tudor nowadays is missing something really good here.
This is a watch manufactured on the same standards as a Rolex (except using a different grade of steel) and housing an ETA movement.
The whole package comes at an accessible price point even... except the Rolex brand of prestige... or stigma... depending on your point of view.
What more can you ask for?

IWC INGENIEUR REF: 3228

A friend came down for a visit recently.

We met up over afternoon tea to have a good chat.

He was wearing an IWC Ingenieur while I was wearing my Rolex Oysterquartz.

When the session was over, we decided to exchange our timepieces for a couple of days...

So I went home with this.

The IWC Ingenieur ref: 3228.

This watch is in one word... awesome.

40mm case size, wears slightly bigger due to the integrated bracelet design.

White textured dial, gold hands and indices.

Behold the finely made textured dial.

How can one not like it?

The bracelet is solid and well made.

Comfortable to wear, easy and smart system for link sizing.

Only gripe? No micro adjustments.

In other words, either it fits... or it doesn't.

There is a half link though so at least there's some fitting choices.

Case profile is on the thicker side.

Crown is big enough for easy operation.

Sloping case shape makes it easier and more comfortable to wear.

Watch is powered by the IWC in-house manufactured caliber 80110.

Features the proprietary Pellaton winding system.

Handwinding the movement feels buttery smooth.

Love the way the movement fills up most of the display caseback.

There are just too many cases of small movements being housed in gigantic cases and this is not one of them.

After wearing it for a couple of days, I must say I am thoroughly impressed at this piece.

Compared to the newer 40mm Ingenieur watches which houses the caliber 30110 (ETA-2892 or Sellita 300) and also a flatter looking dial, this model is the one to buy if I am in the market for a 40mm Ingy... Although this one is not Antimagnetic (due to the sapphire caseback), I think it is an acceptable drawback due to the fact that this is a much nicer watch with a more premium movement.

Word has it that only 600-800 of these were produced.

Well, watch is now back with the owner and I do miss it.

If given the chance to purchase one and if I have the spare funds available, I would only say "where do you want the money deposited?" :-)

ROLEX DATEJUST OYSTERQUARTZ REF:17000

Being a mechanical watch aficionado, one can't help but simply be impressed by Quartz Technology in watch movements.

This technology almost brought the Swiss watch industry down on it's knees.

This piece that I recently acquired is an awesome quartz watch.

A piece that was said to be "overengineered" and "ahead of it's time"

It's the Rolex Datejust Oysterquartz Ref:17000.

The 1st noticeable feature of the Datejust Oysterquartz is that the case and bracelet is not like the usual run of the mill Datejust.

The angular case and integrated bracelet gives away a modern feel for a watch of this age.

The integrated oyster bracelet is well made and nicely finished.

It's finished in a higher level than the usual oyster bracelet imho.

Due to the integrated nature of the bracelet, the watch wears bigger than the 36mm size.

Watch have been worn on a regular basis but some of the sharp edges and beveled angles is still around.

This particular Oysterquartz of mine is a white dial with roman applied numerals.

Hands are without lume.

It plays well with the light reflections that even in low light, under certain conditions, the hands are still visible.

Personally, I would like a black dial.

Who knows? One might be available if I am patient enough.

A closer shot of the applied roman numerals.

One single line under the Rolex Crown on the erm... Crown...

Twinlock... Water resistance rated at 100m.

Movement powering this Oysterquartz is the Caliber 5035, a certified quartz chronometer.

The movement ticks at quite a high volume.

Sitting at the office with this watch when there's no one around and you can actually hear the ticks.

Checks online seems to suggest that the last known serial for the Oysterquartz is K (2001)... But guess what? This example of mine carries a Y (2002) serial.

After owning it for a couple of months, I do like the watch.

To me, it's the perfect "grab and go" watch.

It's also a piece that signify a change in the horology landscape.

Where cheap quartz watches flooded the market and some brand jumped on the bandwagon of the so called quartz revolution.

Some brands did not recover.

Those who did, came back stronger.

I personally would love for Rolex to release a more modern iteration of the Oysterquartz, reviving this awesome angular case and integrated bracelet.

It's a long shot I know but in the meantime, this Oysterquartz may very well keep me company while I dream away.