Here is a direct continuation of the article presenting sport chic in watches , BonneGueule has selected two new models which fully fit into this style. Some are inspired by their past, others are models surfing on neo-retro without being reissued or were designed in our time and offer their own twist. From historic brands or, on the contrary, more recent ones, the selection of chic sports watches begins.
THE TISSOT PRX
Since the arrival of the Tissot PRX in 2021, this model has become a real bestseller . I myself was rather impressed by the appeal of this watch on specialist forums. But did you know that its design came directly from the late 1970s?
The 70s were not kind to traditional watch brands. After reaching a zenith during the previous decade, brands are faced with the uncontrolled invasion of Japanese quartz .
This invasion literally hits the mechanical watch sector. Western brands have not been victims of a technological breakthrough, however: the French, Swiss and Americans had already previously developed so-called electromechanical hybrid movements combining mechanics and batteries. Subsequently, certain Swiss brands were ahead in terms of quartz movements but were slow to introduce them en masse.
What nailed the mechanical watchmaking sector was the massive arrival of inexpensive quartz watches which shook up the situation on the market. For what
Due to the violent shock of the crisis caused by the arrival and commercial success of Japanese quartz watches, all the players in the old and new world also switched to quartz. From Rolex to Tissot or the brand's website
THE MARCH LAB AM69
A selection on BonneGueule would have no meaning if I didn't help you discover or rediscover a brand that deserves to be better known.
But, first of all, I must confess one thing to you: before starting to collect watches from the 70s, I took a little time before really getting down to it because the 50s and 60s continued to have my preference. It was late in life that I became interested in the style of the 70s, which is very different from that of previous decades. If there is a French brand which, from the outset, has completely embraced the codes of the 70s: it is March Lab.
Update on the March Lab brand
March Lab is a relatively new brand founded in 2011 by Alain Marhic. Above all, he is passionate about the 70s. Before discovering the brand's products, I had interviewed another brand creator in another sector, passionate about beautiful products, and he told me that "the madness 70s is authentic at March Lab, there is work on the design and aesthetics of its products.” It was after this review that I took a closer look at March Lab. And I confirm that I found an interesting stylistic madness and some anecdotes.
When the brand was created, the first models were equipped with Swiss movements then March Lab switched to Japanese Miyota. When asked why, the founder explained to me that he had some quality issues with the movements provided, motivating me to adopt others.
In my opinion, in this case it could be a bad
My opinion ? I think the brand has its own style with watches that are fun to wear and stylistic details that make them unique compared to older brands.
The crown at 4 o’clock – very fashionable in
Recently, I also note the desire to participate in the progressive re-localization movement by trying to source their movements from suppliers assembling the movements in France via the partnership between the Swiss La Joux-Perret and the French Humbert-Droz for the production of the G100 movement.
The prices seem interesting to me for their entry level while the price of their
Having a few acquaintances and friends wearing watches from the brand, I have never heard any negative points, I think for my part that the aesthetic delirium is interesting enough to go and discover their models and to be able to fall for it if something happens. of heart.
The case and bezel are made of polished steel. I asked myself a question: would the watch have benefited from being brushed on the caseband and polished on the bezel? But, in the end, I think that the polish suits the style of the watch very well to reinforce its chic side. The latter is reinforced by the champagne dial, which exudes retro inspiration with indexes and hands reminiscent of the past.
The Seventies aesthetic delirium is very present in this model. For my part, I really like this champagne dial which reinforces the chic aspect of the watch while offering a water resistance of 100 meters
The sapphire crystal is a little special: it is neither curved like on many divers nor flat but beveled. In fact it is a combination between the domed and the flat, the glass starting as a domed but ending as a flat glass.
It is both original but also it reinforces the thickness of the watch which reaches 13.5mm, which is not unusual for a diver but here we are on a sport chic type model.
The water resistance of the watch being 100 meters, this may explain a small part of this thickness but I think it is a deliberate stylistic choice to have a watch a little thicker than usual for a diameter of 36mm to offer a twist.
In the end, I don't find the thickness of the March Lab prohibitive because it gives it an additional character compared to the eternal three flat hands that we find in almost all brands. When worn, my aesthetic assessment is not negative so I advise trying the model and trusting your feelings.
Besides the beveled sapphire crystal, there is another detail that I was able to appreciate in terms of the finishes of this AM69: these are the details of the crown located at 4 o'clock. The crown is not ordinary, it is slightly oversized for better adjustment and it is engraved. This is the kind of detail that shows concern for the model's finishes and is an integral part of the brand's style.
Crown engraved at 4 o'clock. If placing it at 4 o'clock is a direct legacy of the early 1970s, offering a crown engraved with this motif is an originality that contrasts with the polished steel of the case and the bezel.
Another aesthetic detail, I notice the 20mm lug to be placed in relation to the 36mm case. Some will find this disproportionate, I would say the opposite, it's perfect. There are other brands which “over-size” the lug in relation to the diameter of their watches, there is of course the case of MAT Watches which uses 24mm for their 42mm models but also, it must be remember, Patek Philippe with its Calavatra model.
In watches, the relationship between the lug to the case diameter is not established by a code. In practice, 36mm watches would have an 18mm lug space applied for example, this is classic. But what makes a great watch? I would say that the main mistake is never to oversize the lug in relation to the case but the opposite, to undersize it. Nothing is more prohibitive in my opinion than a 42mm case with a lug width of “only” 18 or 20mm. Visually, it is not harmonious, the case has the impression of being gigantic compared to the bracelet. In the end, I find that the choice of 20 mm lug width is a good choice made by March Lab.
Another stylistic detail, the case back. So yes, it is apparent, something (too?) common on today's watches, but the glass on the back of the case is green, which refers to the color that predominates at March Lab. This green is a fetish of the creator of March Lab, just as cinnabar red is also a fetish for the creator of the eponymous brand. This apparent background reveals a Japanese movement.
The visible case back characteristic of March Lab's mechanical models with a green glass which reveals a Miyota 9215.
This is not a Miyota 8215 that we find in many entry-level brands, but a more recent movement that the Citizen group is seeking to highlight.
The Swatch Group, through ETA, having closed the floodgates that fed a market that depended on movements like the 2824 or the 2892, other players developed to seize the opportunity. On the one hand there are Swiss calibers like the SW200 from Sellita which produce a form of clone of the 2824, clones which also exist in Swiss or Chinese versions, not necessarily all of the same quality compared to the original caliber, and Japanese movements from Seiko and Citizen.
At the entry level, Seiko and its NH35 and Miyota with the 8215 are now very widespread. But there is a superior range from Miyota , designed to be mass industrializable and also supposed to fill the void left by the end of ETA supply in 2824: the 9015.
Miyota places the 9015 in the “Premium Movement” category while the 8215 falls in the “Standard Movement” category. If it has the same power reserve of 42 hours, it turns out to be more precise than the 8215, so it operates at a frequency of 28800 while the 8215 only runs at 21600, and this caliber is better finished. It is a good alternative to mass-produced Swiss calibers like the 2824 clones. It is also a little more affordable due to Citizen's desire to conquer Western markets.
If the mechanical model proves a little too expensive for a smaller budget, a quartz model is available for half the price, here shown on the left with a silver dial
The reservation that I make regarding this caliber is its power reserve which, if it is slightly greater by 4 hours compared to the 2824, still remains below certain calibers which exceed the 42 hours of the 9015. This remains a standard and will in no way disturb the wearer of the watch during daily use.
March Lab has chosen to offer a whole range of options in terms of straps for its watch and to adapt the prices according to the choices in this area. For my part, I have a preference for two configurations: their lizard strap seems to me a good choice to wear , this type of leather being one of those that I favor for some of my vintage watches. The one from March Lab seems to me to be of good quality too. If you want to wear your watch in dressy contexts, this is the one I recommend.
If, on the other hand, to wear the watch in more casual contexts, the March Lab range of perlons seems more appropriate to me. I note in this respect – as in a previous article the brand’s website
