Melbourne Sorrento | Watch Review

Melbourne Sorrento Watch Review

It’s been some time since I’ve had an opportunity to take a look at a watch from the Melbourne Watch Company. Direct from Melbourne Watch Company, their focus is to utilize quality materials such as surgical grade 316L stainless steel, scratch resistant sapphire crystals and high grade mechanical movements. The company strives to offer watches to consumers at an affordable price.One of if not the newest release from the company is the Sorrento. Based I what I could recall about their watches, I anticipated a fairly solid and satisfying watch with the Sorrento. There are three variations of the Sorrento and this review will focus on the blue dial. 

Melbourne Sorrento Specifications:

• Case Size – 42mm 316L Stainless Steel
• Case Thickness – 14mm
• Lug to Lug Distance – 50mm
• Lug Width – 22mm
• Movement – Miyota Cal. 9015 high-beat automatic
• Crystal – Flat Sapphire
• Functions – 12-hour time, dive bezel
• Water Resistance – 200m/20ATM (Screw Down Crown)
• Warranty – 24 Months

Price $728 USD 

https://www.melbournewatch.com.au/

When I was contemplating how to approach my review on the Sorrento, I figured I would break the watch down into Pros versus Cons. I will go right ahead up front and state more pros than cons with the very cool Sorrento. Those of you that have read some of my past reviews are probably aware that I am a dive watch kind of guy. Also, the more “toolish” the dive watch the better in my book. So, jumping right in first and foremost I consider this watch to be extremely versatile but not a “tool” or industrial style diver. The case combines both brushed and high polished finishes so this watch could definitely be considered by many including myself as a dress dive style watch. I would not hesitate to throw it on with a pair of jeans or some shorts, etc. If you are a “tool” or industrial dive watch kinda guy like me, I still believe this watch might grow on you over time as I admit I have greatly enjoyed it.

Next up with the pros is the bezel. I have to admit while I am listing the bezel as a pro, personally I have both love and hate feelings about it. The bezel is flat out cool looking giving the Sorrento a significant amount of flair with the machined wave design. I love the way it looks. However, I suggest being extremely cautious with the bezel. I have marked up standard bezels before and in many instances any damage doesn’t always seem to be too noticeable. Unfortunately, I rubbed the bezel on the Sorrento up against a door frame and the mark just seems far more noticeable to me thus my hate feelings toward the bezel. The cool factor still outweighs the delicacy factor.

Pro number three has to be the ceramic dial. The Sorrento I believe is the second watch model from the company to sport this type of dial. I’m not entirely certain what makes a ceramic dial any better than any other type of dial material but it sure sounds special doesn’t it? I guess it just adds a level of sophistication and uniqueness as ceramic, while used frequently with bezels, isn’t found all the time as the dial material. I really appreciate the depth that central ceramic disk adds to the watch. One thing for certain, the ceramic isn’t going to scratch if that matters to anyone.

Movement and the bracelet are the other pros in my humble opinion. The Sorrento is powered by the ever popular and reliable Miyota 9015 automatic. Some folks just will not buy anything but Swiss but I personally do not believe the 9015 can be beat for the cost. Swiss movements are starting to get rather pricey and finding a watch under $1000 with an ETA and great quality is becoming more and more rare. So some may actually consider the overall cost of the Sorrento a hidden pro based on the quality movement and other specifications. I am not a bracelet guy any longer as I have developed a taste for custom leather straps and Isofrane dive straps but I love the bracelet on the Sorrento. The bracelet is 22mm at the lugs but tapers slightly just below the lugs to around 21mm all the way through to the clasp. The links are assembled using single sided screws which happens to be my personal favorite. I know I’ve heard it all before, what if you strip the female side of a link? Just be careful! The single sided screws are so much easier to size and if you are like me with a not so steady hand, this is the preferable design in order to prevent scratching up the sides of the links. The bracelet also uses quick release pins so no more scratching up the bottom of the lugs. I’m not sure why more watch companies are not using this type of setup.   

There is really only one solid con to the Sorrento. While my love/hate feelings with the bezel might also be considered a con, I can overlook the hate side due to the “cool” factor. So what’s the con? The lume is just not all that great compared so some dive watches I have seen. Initially, the lume is strong but it fades out rather quickly. The issue might be the use of Japanese super-lume rather than C3 Superluminova or BGW9. I might also suggest adding significant lume to the bezel markers. Is the lume a deal breaker? Nah. I’m not certain the Sorrento is the type of watch that a professional diver is going to take on any significant dive. The amount of lume the watch provides is going to provide adequate luminosity such as in darkened rooms, movie theaters or the like.

The Sorrento is a reasonably priced micro-brand dive style watch. The model is comparable to or even exceeds the quality of other dive style watches in this price range. If you are looking for a dress style diver this option may be a great option. Dress it up or dress it down, it can really go either direction. I hope the Melbourne Watch Company keeps producing quality watches with this level detail at a reasonable price point. I admit I would like to see more dive style watches. I would like to thank the Melbourne Watch Company for working with WatchReport on this review. 

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Victorinox Swiss Army Titanium INOX : Watch Review

Victorinox Swiss Army Titanium INOX

The Victorinox Swiss Army Titanium INOX is one of the latest versions of the INOX, and quite possibly my favorite so far. I know they have also recently released a forged/molded carbon fiber version, and though I have not seen that one in person, I think I can still safely say my favoritism lies with the titanium. I have quite a few reasons for that, which I will explain in this review, and of course, give you the skinny on this lightweight tool watch.

Victorinox Swiss Army Titanium INOX Specifications:

• 43mm case width
• 51mm length
• 13mm thick
• 21mm lug width
• 93 grams
• Ronda 715 quartz movement
• sapphire crystal
• Orange rubber strap
• 200 meters water resistant

Retail Price $595.00 USD

https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en/Products/Watches/Mens-Watches/I-N-O-X-Titanium-43-mm/p/241758

When I say lightweight, the Victorinox Swiss Army Titanium INOX does weight less than its stainless counterpart, but not by an extreme amount, 138 grams vs 93 grams. The case is noticeably lighter, but still has some heft to it. The titanium itself is sand blasted or has a dark gunmetal coating.  I do not want to call it a hard coat as I can find no mention of this on the website, though it does feel and look like. I can say that I have not seen any scratches on it after wearing a few week, unlike the stainless model which the bezel especially scratched if you breathed on it too hard. I personally like the love the darker look to the case, it definitely gives you that tool watch vibe, the hard use rugged feel. One thing I could not find was what grade the titanium was being used. Most watch and knife companies use grade 5 titanium, (6AL4V), and are quick to point it out as well. I have seen some companies use grade 2, which, as you guessed, is a slightly lesser grade. The VSA website is somewhat vague in general though, as they do not even list the caliber of quartz movement being used either.

I have discussed the INOX at length here on Watchreport. I have even mentioned it comparing it to other watches I have reviewed, both in a good and not so good way. I have stated many times that I do not believe all the hype associated with it, as far as the marketing claims and the tests it was subjected to etc. The original stainless INOX, was touted as one of the toughest watches ever, and you can see all the testing they say they administered on their website. The thing is, in person, it is a stainless steel watch, or in this case, titanium, with a readily available quartz movement that is used in countless watches, and a build similar to their Divemaster lineup. The stainless version is not hardened, does not repel scratches, and I just do not see it living up to the claims they put out. This example, the Victorinox Swiss Army Titanium INOX, in my opinion, is the same. A quartz movement is already pretty shock resistant, and though a movement holder has been added to make it more robust, I am not sure how that translates into extreme temperatures or being crushed by a car tire. Now, do not get me wrong, I very much like the INOX, and this titanium version I might actually love. But in my opinion, it will hold up just as well as most other stainless steel sport or dive watches that have a good build quality to them. I do not see anything that is revolutionary here, other than a unique design that I find quite attractive.

The dial on the Victorinox Swiss Army Titanium INOX is unchanged from the steel version, it just has different color options. The date cutout is still crammed in there in a way I wish it wasn’t, I would rather no date to be honest. The shade of grey used is nice, it is matte finished as well and is a pure grey, not a charcoal grey or light silver. The orange accents give just a touch of color, nothing over the top, yet it does make it stand out. This is accentuated even more with the matching orange rubber strap. This colorway is a great summertime or beach watch in my opinion, and you could get a black strap for it, if you wanted to tone it down a bit. The Victorinox Swiss Army Titanium INOX also comes with a blue strap/blue accents and also a grey strap with red accents, if orange is not your thing.

As I said, this is my favorite version of the INOX, I love the matte blasted titanium case, orange is a color that I have a lot of in my wardrobe, from hats to sneakers, etc, so I instantly feel in love with the look and color. The aesthetic is also a little nicer on this model in my opinion, the matte case allows you to see all the angles and bevels of the case and bezel, which is one of the things that makes the INOX unique in it its look. I also prefer the 43mm case size of the steel and titanium versions of the INOX, as opposed to the 45mm of the diver variant I reviewed here last year. If they made a diver version in 43mm and titanium, depending on the color and design of the dial, would possibly push this titanium version down a notch, in terms of my favorite.

The rubber strap is still a little stiff, as compared to say an Isofrane or Hirsch rubber. I have found the colored straps are less pliable than the black rubber, though I would say this orange has not bothered me as much as the olive green one from the original I reviewed. The lume is still not as good as I would hope it to be, though it does seem to be brighter and last longer than the original INOX. The surface area to apply lume is small, maybe Victorinox needs to enlarge the markers and hands a bit in future versions to allow for more lume compound to be applied, or they need to start using C3 X1 lume, which is the top grade of lume at the moment.

If you have always liked the INOX, but the stainless steel with its brushed and high polished surfaces were not for you, the Victorinox Swiss Army Titanium INOX might be one to look at. It is all business and no bling and definitely has that rugged appeal to it. I try and be as honest as possible, and it is true, I questions a lot of the claims VSA makes and I stand by that some of them are more marketing than anything else, but that happens in almost every industry. It is a still a great looking watch that should be able to handle a good amount of abuse, and if you are someone that is not worried about that type of thing, it is a unique looking sport watch with a great color combo.

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Tissot Heritage 1948 Chronograph Unveiled at the Baselworld 2017

If you are still a fan of vintage styled watches, Tissot brings you a very wonderful gift at the Baselworld 2017 event. The luxury watchmaker has just announced its new Tissot Heritage 1948 Chronograph whose design cues are pretty much drawn from the classical era of watchmaking.

The watch offers very bold and distinctive features with sharp and precise hand movements. The sub-dial chronographs being perfectly placed at the 3-6-9 o’clock positions and a date indicator has been dashed between the 4 and 5 o’clock markings.

The Tissot Heritage 1948 Chronograph casing is packed under 40mm, to be precise 39.5 mm diameter. The watch features the workhorse automatic ETA 2894-2 mechanism underhood. In addition to having a vintage look, the materials used to make the Tissot Heritage 1948 Chronograph include flat pushers and domed acrylic crystal. Also, the design pattern of its twisted lugs represents the vintage design elements place to its heart.

 The opaline silver dial shines very distinctively with a single 12 o’clock marking done in the classic Roman numerals. The back of the dial features a half-and-half window design slightly flaunting the movements and showing up the Tissot Heritage engraving over it.

The Tissot Heritage 1948 Chronograph comes in two variants of steel mesh bracelet and leather band. The first one is available at a price of USD1450 while the latter one at USD 1400.

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Introducing the Hublot Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph Watch

Two giants of the watchmaking and the automobile industry – Hublot and Ferrari – has once again come together to present their new Hublot Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph Watch at the ongoing Baselworld 2017 event.

The watch designed by Ferrari and executed by Hublot, marks the 70th anniversary of Ferrari. The Hublot Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph Watch is a limited edition watch in three different of Titanium, King Gold and PEEK Carbon with each version having only 70 pieces of its own.

The watch design has been very thoughtfully and intricately implemented making it light weight though tough by using materials like Carbon and Titanium. Also, the Tourbillon movement makes it sure that you have the most precise hand movement and time-keeping machine.

The Hublot Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph Watch is packed up with the HUB6311 manual-wind movement that comprises of 253 component and offering a good-to-go 5 days of power reserve. The movement is made up of Ruthenium-coated Anthracite. The flying tourbillon offers the stability of two pivot points.

The chronograph movements are controlled with a single pusher function for stopping, starting and resetting the watch. This pusher as you can see in the image below is been made with the distinct P485 Ferrari Red color. The other pusher seen at the lugs for the easy strap changing system.

The watch casing is 45mm in diameter and is 14.5mm thick. The crown adjustment is placed at the 4 o’clock position while the chronograph pusher is placed above it with a unique design you won’t find somewhere else.

For the three versions, the titanium version is priced at $127,000, the carbon model at $137,000, and the King Gold version at $158,000.

 

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Rolex Daytona Announced In Gold & Ceramic Options with Oysterflex Bracelet

Rolex announced its now famous Daytona collection watches back last year during the Baselworld announcement, and now this renowned watchmaker is making some further additions to the Daytona line-up.

This year, the company has introduced some precious metals in the Daytona collection that includes that features the White, Yellow and Rose Gold models all featuring the Black Cerachrom bezels. All of these recently introduced models come with the rubber Oysterflex bracelet.

Rolex first introduced the Oysterflex bracelet back in 2015 with its Rolex Yacht-Master. The Oysterflex bracelet is pretty much unique in a way that rubber strap gives the watch a very sporty look in addition to giving it the strength and robustness of the metal bracelet. Its make is highly durable as it contains a metal elastic blade to its core covered with the layer of high-performance black elastomer designed to withstand tough environmental conditions.

The strap closing or attachment is done using the Oysterflex safety clasp that is made of the same metal as the case, to prevent any further accidental opening.  Rolex has also incorporated its own patented EasyLink rapid extension system that lets you increase the bracelet length by approximately 5mm.

While talking about the 2017 Rolex Daytona collection, all the three models feature the self-winding calibre 4130, that is now upgraded to get an accuracy of +/- 2 seconds.

The dials of all three models are given a sunray finish with contrasting black subdials. The yellow gold model has a champagne colored dial, while the white colored model has a gray dial and the Everose model has got an Everose dial. The Everose and Whitegold model is priced at EUR 26,150 while the Yellow Gold model is priced at EUR 25,000.

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Frederique Constant Flyback Chronograph Manufacture Comes With the New FC-760 Movement

Sheer elegance and premium finish have always been one of the most noticeable attributes of the Frederique Constant watches. However, what makes the luxury watchmaker more famous is its ability to house difficult-to-produce movements at an affordable pricing.

The recent announcement coming from the watchmaker is the Frederique Constant Flyback Chronograph which houses the special FC-760 movement. This is said to be a special movement from the functionality point-of-view. While normal chronographs require several multiple clicks in order to stop, reset and again start the chronograph, the Flyback movement lets the user perform all these tasks on a single button press.

Moreover, the FC-760 Movement is special as it made up using a total of 233 components of which 96 are used to make the Flyback action module. As you can see in the above image, the movement is made up of a rose-gold plated rotor with the Frederique Constant branding, a circular Côtes de Genève, and decorated with blue screws. The movement offers a power reserve of 38 hours with a clock frequency of 4Hz.

The Frederique Constant Flyback Chronograph features a steel case having the 42mm diameter. The chronograph push buttons are placed at the 2 and 4-hour positions while the crown at the 3-oclock position. The push button at the 2-hour is used to start or stop the chronograph while the push button at the 4-hour position is used to reset the hands and trigger the flyback action. The watch is also said to water-resistant up to a depth of 50m.

The Frederique Constant Flyback Chronograph Manufacture is available in two metal variants of stainless steel and rose-gold plated stainless steel. Moreover, each of these two metal variants come in three dial options of dark grey with baton indexes, silvered, and silvered with hobnail texture and Roman numerals.

The rose-gold plated watch with the dark gray dial is priced for $3,995 while the rose-gold plated watch with the silvered dial is priced for $4,295.

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Tag-Heuer Autavia makes a Comeback at the Beselworld 2017

Launched in 1962, and named after the Automobile and Aviation industry, Tag-Heuer Autavia now makes a comeback at the ongoing Baselworld 2017 event. The unique thing about the Autavia collection from Tag-Heuer is the signature white chronograph sub-dials laid against the contrasting black dial surrounding.

The 2017 version of the Tag-Heuer Autavia is more or less the copy of the vintage collection built upon the Autavia Reference 2446 Mark 3. The case built-up is more robust measuring 42mm in diameter. the design of the watch features the reverse panda dial and pretty much draws inspiration from the heritage with the “Autavia Heuer” logo placed close to the 12-hour position. The hour marking is done on the black rotating bezel and a new date window has been incorporated at the 6-hour position and is fairly visible.

This 2017 Tag-Heuer Autavia model is a proprietary Calibre Heuer 02 automatic chronograph that comes with self-winding movements, unlike the manual movements are seen in the previous model. These movements are apparently visible and can be seen in full glory from behind the glass case back.

This is certainly a delight for all the fans of Tag-Heuer Autavia collection as it brings back and continues with the elegant, premium and a classic look taking its prestige forward. The 2017 Tag-Heuer Autavia model will come in two wristband options. One is the brown calfskin leather strap with ecru stitching and the other is the Sixties-inspired 7-row steel “beads of rice” bracelet.

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Montblanc Summit Smartwatch is the new smart-luxury timepiece

Germany-based luxury watchmaker, Montblanc, known for its premium and unique quality watches has recently entered into the smartwatch segment with its new Montblanc Summit Smartwatch. The Summit Smartwatch series draws its design inspiration from 1858 collection having a 46mm watch case design, with the dial featuring second counters, timers, and world clock.

The great thing about the Montblanc Summit Smartwatch is the fact that this is the first-of-its-kind smartwatch to come with a sapphire display. It has a 1.39inch AMOLED display with 400 x 400 pixel resolution. The smartwatch comes with a lot of digital displays being pre-loaded in it giving around 300 watch face options.

The smartwatch is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset running the latest Android Wear 2.0. The memory options are decent enough with 512MB of RAM memory and 4GB of internal storage. The battery juice is sufficient with 300mAh to last for a day-long seamless operation more specifically due to the fact that the smartwatch does not host power sucking modules like GPS and NFC.

The Montblanc Summit Smartwatch will come in four different styling patterns of stainless steel case with satin finish, grade 5 titanium case with satin finish, black PVD coated stainless steel and Bi-color stainless steel case with a black PVD-coated stainless steel bezel.

Similarly, users will get to choose from different belt options like exclusive alligator strap, rubber NATO in black, blue, green or red, black calfskin leather and brown or navy blue Sfumato calfskin leather strap from the Montblanc Pelletteria in Florence, Italy.

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