ARPIEM Debuts Tribute Collection To Classic Motor Racing

ArpiemTribute Collection

What makes a good racing watch? It’s a question we often ask ourselves and the truth is there have been countless excellent racing timepieces over the years. Some criteria we look for include a strong build quality, smooth design elements, and more than a touch of class. French watchmaker ARPIEM is encapsulating all of these factors and more with its stunning new Tribute collection.

Indeed, ARPIEM has done something truly interesting with the Tribute watches. The company has crafted a series of timepieces that evoke the glory days of motor racing while showcasing the best of modern craftsmanship and manufacturing.

By using unique designs inspired by the racing world of the 60s and early 70s, the ARPIEM Tribute collection is instantly desirable. With an original design and undoubted quality, the range provides original and affordable racing watches that will appeal to aficionados.

ARPIEM’s new collection is now available on Kickstarter as the company seeks to gain funding. The company is seeking just over $20,000 and is almost certain to achieve much more than that goal as the Tribute series is already making waves on Kickstarter. Pledges for a timepiece start at 179 Euros, a generous price considering the obvious quality on display.

Tribute Collection

The Tribute collection comes in four unique and interesting watches:

ARPIEM TRIBUTE TGH – Inspired by British motorsport great Graham Hill, the TGH is a romantic call-back to the sixties. The halcyon days of racing are brought back to life and you will feel the era wrapped around your wrist. ARPIEM has designed the Tribute TGH in navy blue and white to represent the color of Hill’s racing helmet. Features of the watch include an engraved buckle, stainless steel Milanese mesh strap, and a quick release strap. Little touches like a red number 5 to show the number of Monaco GPs Hill won just add to the mystique of the watch.

ARPIEM TRIBUTE TBML – New Zealander Bruce McLaren serves as the inspiration for the TBML. Despite passing away in 1970, few people have had such an influence on racing as McLaren, and the TBML is a sporty homage to the legend thanks to a sturdy silicone strap. An orange flair around the timepiece recalls the famous color of old McLaren cars, while the index #32 references the age in which Bruce died. The kiwi symbol was used on McLaren racing cars and is found here on the top of the dial.

ARPIEM TRIBUTE TJC – Jim Clark is a name that has an almost mythical effect on motorsport fans. The Scottish F1 world champion was known for driving Lotus cars, and it is the famed green and yellow livery of those machines that serve as inspiration for the Tribute TJC. This elegant color detail is enhanced by an aged brown Italian calf leather strap. Details include the engraving of “Farmer-Racer”, which was engraved on his tombstone and reflected his passion for farming. The watch also has the index #25 to highlight how many career wins he achieved in Formula 1.

ARPIEM TRIBUTE TJW – The final watch in the Tribute collection is the TJW, a timepiece that pays homage to the team owner John Wyer. An iconic name in endurance racing, Wyer became a giant of motorsport during the sixties with his unforgettable blue and orange cars. This watch recalls that famous colorway and couples it with a black Italian calf leather strap. Details on the timepiece include the index #24 to reflect the Le Mans 24-hour race, which is part of the legend of John Wyer.

Key Specifications

ARPIEM Tribute watches are not just aesthetically beautiful, they are also feats of design. Featuring a 41mm diameter and 12.5mm thickness, each timepiece features Swiss RONDA Z50 Chrono quartz movement. Elsewhere, ARPIEM used domed crystal sapphire glass to ensure a robust protection. The company says it shaped the secondary dials to remind of manometers used in cars during the sixties.

By triple layering the dial, ARPIEM ensured each Tribute watch has a noticeable dial volume, adding to the obvious quality of the product. For the main hands, the company coated the components with SUPERLUMINOVA BGW9 for a photoluminescent effect. Finally, ARPIEM configured the Tachymeter like a diving watch, with speed at each position of 5 seconds.

Link to Arpiem video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4DuTcG8pMQ

Link to Arpiem Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/617359867/arpiem-tribute-collection-true-vintage-racing-chro?ref=e2jiu8

 

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Nite Watches Icon Automatic | Hands On Review

Nite Watches Icon Automatic

There are a few notable watch brands who use tritium tubes, the big names being Luminox and Ball Watches. For those who are fans of microbrands, Deep Blue is the first one that comes to mind. Some reading this might not be familiar with the brand I am reviewing here today, the Nite Watches Icon Automatic. Nite Watches headquarters are in England, though the watch manufacture is outsourced.  Looking through their website, I was trying to find when the brand started but did not come up with a definitive year, though I did find that in 2010 they started direct to consumer sales, meaning they can not be found in any dealers or retailers. One notable thing I read on their website is the UPGRADE feature, where if you have a Nite Watch, in any condition, you can use it to trade it in a for a new model and receive anywhere from $70-$130 off the price. That is not something many brands do and it is nice to see a brand being loyal to its previous customers like that. The Icon Automatic I will be discussing today is a great looking field watch with T-100 tritium tubes all in a stainless steel case with an H-link bracelet.

Nite Watches Icon Automatic Specifications:

• 44mm Stainless Steel Case
• 51mm Lug to Lug
• 12.1mm Thick
• 22mm Lug Width
• 6.9 Ounces
• Sapphire Crystal
• Sellita SW-200 Automatic Movement
• T-100 Tritium Tubes
• Solid Link Bracelet
• 100 Meters Water Resistant

Price $1050 USD

https://www.nitewatches.com/store/us/icon-automatic/

Right out of the gate, I do have to discuss the price. This is a determining factor for many when discussing watches, especially in the microbrand world. Yes, you can find cheaper tritium tube watches out on the market, even ones with T100 tubes. At $1050, the Nite Watches Icon Automatic is definitely at the higher end of things, and creeping into Ball Watches pricing. Now, many things are subjective and some Luminox Watches are $700  and are quartz, so it really comes down to what you are looking for in a watch. I personally would not say that the Icon is overpriced, but I do realize there are many options out there these days.

Design-wise, the Nite Watches Icon Automatic is a beautiful watch. It is a classic field-style watch and has an all brushed finish that gives it a rugged appearance and also easy upkeep. When a watch is all brushed, scratches and marks are hidden more than polished or a blasted finish and easy to remove with a 3M pad. The star of the Icon for me is the gorgeous blue dial. While I like tritium tubes, I also love a watch that has great depth to it, and the sunburst dial used here is a perfect example. It has a wonderful blue tone that slightly changes depending on the lighting.

Unforutuanly, the Nite Watches Icon Automatic has a date wheel at one of the worst locations on the dial, at least for me. This is something that is absolutely subjective and I am fully aware I am biased when it comes to the date location. I prefer it to be at the 3 o’clock or 6 o’clock position or none at all, as I feel, as shown below, this placement starts to creep into the middle of the dial and the 24 hour time and dial text start to get muddled and it looks too busy for my tastes. The reason date wheels are usually placed here is because of movement and case size and it ends up that you really can not put the date anywhere else unless you want to pay for custom date wheels. This, of course, adds extra cost. The other option is no date, though I understand wanting it on tool style watch such as this.

I found crown operation to be flawless and the SW-200 automatic movement has been keeping fantastic time at -3 seconds a day over a 4 day period, which is crazy good and within COSC standards. Of course, things such as hard vibrations or drops could impact this, but as it is now, the example I have in hand is keeping excellent time for a non-certified automatic. Obviously one of the best functions of this watch are the large flat tritium tubes which need no light source to charge and glow very bright in the dark. If you do not like the green tritium tubes, this model is also offered with the blue tubes, and I particularly like the look of the blue tubes against the white dial versions.

While there are leather strap versions for the Nite Watches Icon Automatic I find the stainless steel bracelet to be the way to go. The H-link bracelet is one of my favorites and is used by many brands, but it just works and gives watches a different look than the standard multi-link or Oyster-link offerings. Yes, it does use friction pins instead of screws, which would be my preference, but sizing was easy enough and I had to remove 3 links to fit my 7 1/2 inch wrist, as they are quite large links. A standard deployant clasp with safety lock is used to keep the bracelet secure on the wrist.

Wristshot

The Nite Watches Icon Automatic does have a lot to offer, but that comes at a price. The price, of course, being just ever so slightly over $1000. The brand states on their website that there is a 28-day return policy, a 2-year warranty and shipping is free as well. Something that I found interesting is that Nite only recently started using sapphire crystal on all their watches, as recent as 2017. The bottom line is the same as usual, if you like the design, it would be a good purchase. The Icon is very solidly built and has a lot of great features, so it will just come down to if you think it is worth the price. Since Deep Blue really doesn’t have a model that looks like this, I would say it is probably worth the coin. Of course, that’s just one person’s opinion. What do you think? Leave your comments below the gallery.

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Phoibos Eagle Ray | Hands On Review

Phoibos Eagle Ray

The Phoibos Eagle Ray is the latest model from the young Chinese company, and as I state in the video review, a good step in the right direction. If you were to look at the Phoibos website, you will see most of their watches have been somewhat homages (some more than others), and the Eagle Ray is a departure from that. This model has a lot more of its own identity and is still a very affordable watch at $359. That $359 gets you a lot of watch, as you will see in the full spec list below, but to summarize, Miyota 9015 automatic, sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel, applied markers and two straps. Yep, a lot of bang for your buck as the old saying goes. But, I have always stated, just because on paper it looks to be a fantastic value, that is not always the case. Is the Eagle Ray a great deal at $359 or did they cut a lot of corners?

Phoibos Eagle Ray Specifications:

• REF.: PY017B
• Dial: Domed Dial -Glossy Blue to Black
• Caliber No.: MIYOTA 9015
• Case:316L Stainless steel
• Case size: 41mmX 47mm thickness 13.2mm
• Lug Width: 20mm
• Bezel:120-click unidirectional ceramic bezel
• Glass: Double Domed Sapphire crystal with 3 layers anti-reflective undercoating
• Band: Genuine leather strap
• Tropic rubber strap also included
• Water resistance: 300M(1000ft)
• Crown: Screw-Down crown
• Lume:15 layers Super-LumiNova BGW9 on hands, indices, and bezel marking
• Warranty: 2 year

Price $359 USD

http://phoiboswatch.com/categories/eagle-ray.html

When I talk about corners being cut, let me be clear, no matter what a $359 is usually not going to be able to compete with most $700 or $800 (or higher) watches. You will always find some things that are not as premium or as well done but then again, you are talking sub $400. I will say though, from what I have seen with this Phoibos Eagle Ray, the company is getting close to Obris Morgan Status. What I mean by that is, it looks and feels much more expensive than it is. It sometimes amazes me just how good of a microbrand watch you can get for under $500 these days. The industry has come a long way for sure.

Back again is the prominent Octopus logo on the dial, which I discussed in the Phoibos Reef Master Review. From the comments that followed both here and on Youtube, I was in the minority for not liking the Octopus. Seems that is one of the things many people like and hey, who am I to argue? We all have different tastes. For me, I still do not love it, but this dial has so much else going on, I can overlook it. I love the applied markers and the fume style dial is a nice touch. If this example is not your favorite though, they do have a black dial with old radium style paint and also a gradient blue to black dial, much like the James Cameron Rolex DSSD.  My favorite aspect of the dial? The date at the 6 o’clock position.

Looking around the Phoibos Eagle Ray I can say I am very satisfied with the finishing and detail. The satin brushing is well done and smooth the subtle polish chamfers are always a nice touch. To take it a step even further, Phoibos added another finish to the Eagle Ray, a bead blasted bezel and crown. This looks really great and makes the watch stand out just a little bit more. For those wondering how the saw-tooth style bezel and crown feel on the hands, fret not, they are not sharp in the least, and both are very comfortable to rotate and use.

Like many microbrand dive watches these days, the Eagle Ray is rated to 300m of Water Resistance, more than myself and most of us will ever need. At this price, are they really tested to these depths? I would assume probably not, but hopefully, with the crown screwed in and proper care taken, they could survive the depths of your pool or the country lake. I know, it is a dive watch, and unfortunately, I am a desk diver and have never taken a watch out on the dive, but I do question how well any of these watches would hold up being used as intended.  Most watch enthusiasts will never test them though, so I guess that is a moot point.

The Eagle Ray is very comfortable on the wrist for me as I am very fond of the dimensions, but the leather strap will need a lot of breaking in before I could give it a score of anything more than a C. While it is attractive with its sharkskin looking appearance, it is very stiff and also speaks a lot at the lugs. I much prefer the tropic rubber strap that is included and of course any 20mm strap you have already will fit it as well. One thing some brands still do not get is that you do not need to include multiple straps with your watches for it to be an outstanding deal. One awesome strap is better than two just okay straps.

Phoibos Eagle Ray Lume

With all the Phoibos Eagle Ray offers for the price, I have really done a lot of nitpicking here in this review.  In reality, there is nothing really bad about this watch at all and I do find it to be the most attractive watch Phoibos has released to date. The crown and bezel function very well and the Miyota 9015 has long been a favorite base movement of mine. The lume is great as well, though for some reason, even though I do not care of the octopus on the dial, I was hoping it would have been lumed. This would have added no function to the watch at all and be nothing more than a gimmick, but I still think it would be nice to see. Other than the squeaky stiff leather strap, this is really a nice example of an affordable diver from Phoibos and I can see why the brand has been growing in popularity so fast.

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