All the Coolest Watches That Came Out in February 2021

The watch release season is heating up, and February saw watch brands big and small introduce some of their major releases of the year. Seiko and Grand Seiko announced flagship products, and there have been more than a couple anticipated announcements from the likes of IWC and TAG Heuer, who partnered with Hodinkee. This month brought a virtual buffet of horological goodies you won’t want to miss, so dig in below.

Yema x Worn & Wound Superman Maxi Dial Limited Edition Watch

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Collaborating with watch website Worn & Wound, Yema gave its popular Superman dive watch a “maxi” dial — meaning the markers are bolded. The somewhat quirky look results in one of the coolest versions of the (already awesome) Superman automatic dive watch yet — and a reasonable price makes it all the better.

Price: $990

Grand Seiko Heritage Series 9 SLGH005 Watch

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Fascinating textured dials are one of Grand Seiko’s trademarks — one of these, in the brand’s newest release, is meant to reference birch bark. The SLGH005 watch has all the traits the brand is celebrated for, from zaratsu polishing to exquisite detail, and it’s powered by an in-house high-beat (5Hz, rather than the more common 4Hz) automatic movement.

Price: $9,100

Oris Aquis GMT Whale Shark Dive Watch

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This version of Oris’s flagship dive watch features a GMT and was created in collaboration with underwater photographer and brand ambassador Gerardo del Villar to raise awareness of the endangered whale shark. The dial features a cool embossed shark-skin texture.

Price: $3,200

Panerai Luminor Marina Platinumtech PAM 1116 Watch

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Panerai makes tough, tool-style watches, but they are simultaneously high-end luxury items — even in steel. In platinum, the new PAM1116 is even swankier, but this is no typical soft and easily scratched platinum. Rather, it’s a special Panerai alloy made to be harder and more resistant to wear. On top of all this, it comes with a 70-year warranty.

Price: $36,900

Luminox Bear Grylls Air Series Watch

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In a continuing collaboration with celebrity survivalist Bear Grylls, Luminox completes its collection of air-land-sea outdoor watches with an aviation-themed new release. This one features a GMT complication, 200m of water resistance and, of course, tritium tube illumination.

Price: $695-$795

Hanhart Pioneer One Bronze

Hanhart

The German brand Hanhart is well-known for its pilot’s chronographs, but their latest timepiece is a limited-edition three-hand pilot’s watch in bronze with a green dial — which quickly sold out. Keep an eye out for future variations.

Price: ~$1,445

Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver Watch

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Nicknamed for its 666 feet (or around 200m) of water-resistance and based on a model from the 1960s, the Bulova Devil Diver is an enduring favorite option for an affordable vintage-inspired diver. Modern iterations have come in several colorways, the latest of which is vibrant orange.

Price: $750

Accutron Legacy 521 Watch

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There’s no shortage of vintage-styled reissue watches nowadays, but the new Accutron Legacy 521 is surely one of the most distinctive. It’s based on a model from 1960 known to have been worn by Elvis Presley.

Price: $1,450+

Shinola Steel Bracelet for Apple Watch

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Detroit-based Shinola has announced a new steel bracelet that’ll make your Apple Watch feel more like a traditional sport watch than ever.

Price: $225

Longines Heritage Silver Arrow Watch

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Swiss watchmaker Longines has revived a vintage watch that has all the charm and panache of the 1950s original. With a 38.5mm case with a thin profile and powered by an automatic movement, it’s expected to be extremely wearable.

Price: $2,100

Nixon 5th Element Watch

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Though Nixon is best-known for quartz watches, this modern three-hander is powered by a Japanese automatic movement. At 42mm wide with a contemporary style, it offers a fun and affordable alternative to the multitude of retro watches recently being released.

Price: $400

Nivada Depthmaster

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Nivada, as a recently revived modern brand, is wholly committed to bringing back one cool, historical watch after another. The latest is its Depthmaster dive watch from the 1960s, and it’s coming out soon with a few versions, including one with the awesome Art Deco “Pac-Man” numerals collectors love on vintage models.

Price: $1,000 – $1,275

Piaget Polo Skeleton

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Piaget’s luxury sport watch, the Polo, got a new twist with a skeletonized dial and movement in a couple variations. The brand is known for its record-breaking ultra-thin watches and this one, with its in-house movement. measures only 6.5mm thick.

Price: $28,500

H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Alps Watch

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In addition to showcasing its high-end independent watchmaking brilliance, H. Moser & Cie. regularly makes statement watches that poke fun at anything from the Swiss watch industry to smartwatches. The Swiss Alps watch has come in a range of versions parodying the Apple Watch, but this Final Upgrade version is said to be the last in the series. Here, the seconds indicator takes the form of a motif mimicking a loading screen, but the watch is powered by fully mechanical in-house movement. If you’ve got $30,800 to spend on an ironic watch, this might be the one to get.

Price: $30,800

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “Beijing 2022” Special Edition

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As official Olympic timekeeper since 1932, Omega is looking ahead to the Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing in 2022. The brand releases commemorative watches for each Games, of which the Seamaster Diver 300M “Beijing 2022” Special Edition, with a blue dial and titanium bezel engraved in relief, is the latest. A subtle reference to the occasion is present in the form of markers at the dial’s edge in the colors of the Olympic logo.

Price: $6,150

Swatch Essentials N-Igma

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The day and date wheels on a watch are usually hidden behind a dial with only a small window framing the information you want to know. In several new models from Swatch, exposed wheels offer an interesting look, and the style is available in a couple colors and sizes.

Price: $75+

Nezumi x Ruf Voiture Chronograph

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Swedish watch brand Nezumi partnered with German carmaker Ruf Automobile on an affordable, vintage-style chronograph powered by a Seiko VK63 mecha-quartz movement. The 40mm case, green dial and sporty vintage vibe make for a great look.

Price: $464

Zodiac x Huckberry Super Sea Wolf “Farallon” Watch

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One of our favorite makers of tool watches partnered with one of our favorite gear retailers on a new version of the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf dive watch. It’s got the familiar Super Sea Wolf features and specs and a dial that’s unique, to say the least, with a motif that mimics the look of sun rays from underwater.

Price: $1,095

Marathon Arctic GSAR Automatic Watch

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One of the few makers of genuinely legit military watches has released a new variation of its most famous model, the GSAR. Though perhaps not quite as stealthy as the classic black dial, a new white dial version should be highly legible and functional. Doesn’t hurt that it’s got a Swiss automatic movement and a handsome look, too.

Price: $1,300

Unimatic U1-NR

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The Italian brand Unimatic is known for its design-centric interpretation of classic tool watch styles, but also for interesting collaborations. The latest is a version of its minimalist dive watch produced with outerwear maker Norwegian Rain featuring a striking dial. The effect is achieved by a layer of oxidized copper with cutouts that reveal a solid copper layer beneath.

Price: $974 (sold out)

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph Watch

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Omega has announced a new diver’s chronograph in celebration of the America’s Cup yacht race, which takes place from March 6th to 15th, 2021. The red subdial at 3 o’clock counts the chronograph minutes and emphasizes the first five minutes, which have to be timed precisely at the beginning of the race.

Price: $10,700

Tissot T-Touch Connect Solar

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An evolution of the brand’s unique touchscreen outdoor watch, the new T-Touch Connect Solar is one of the only smartwatches with solar charging. (It’s even more interesting since many of the technologies and features are proprietary to Tissot and Swatch Group, including its operating system.) Equipped with a “disconnect” function (I like the sound of that), it can easily go back to being a regular touchscreen-equipped, solar-charging, rugged outdoor watch.

Price: $1,050-$1,195

Junghans 1972 Automatic FIS Edition Watch

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If you know watchmaker Junghans, you likely associate the German brand with minimalist, formally styled watches of a Bauhaus persuasion. This one is so different from most of what the brand is known for that it almost feels out of character. Based on a sporty ’70s aesthetic, it features a dive-ready 300m of water-resistance, and the colorful inner bezel can be rotated to help track another time zone.

Price: ~$1,940

Breitling Top Time Deus Watch

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Breitling teamed up with the Australian motorbike and surfing lifestyle company Deus Ex Machina on a tribute to the Top Time watch from the 1960s. It’s got a very retro feel up front with a panda dial and pops of orange, and the case back features a motorcycle motif designed by Deus.

Price: $4,990

IWC Pilot’s Chronograph Edition Tribute to 3705

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Before ceramic watches were popular, IWC created the all-black 3705 chronograph — it initially sold poorly, but then became super collectible. This modern recreation updates the case to a 41mm version in Ceratanium, the brand’s proprietary ceramic-and-titanium material, and includes an in-house, automatic movement in place of the original Valjoux 7750.

Price: $11,900

Longines Avigation BigEye Titanium

Time & Tide Watches

The new Longines Avigation BigEye, named for its extra-large subdial, was initially rereleased a couple years back with a military look true to the ’70s original. Now, a new version reimagines it with a sleek modern feel with a striking blue dial and a titanium case.

Price: ~$4,200

TAG Heuer Carrera “Dato” Limited Edition for Hodinkee

Heuer Carrera

This unique design from 1963 was advertised as “a wristwatch, a stopwatch, and a calendar, too” since not many chronographs of the time offered a date display. It’s since become the kind of watch that offers just the right combination of charm, history and unique features to make it a favorite of vintage collectors — like the folks at Hodinkee who teamed up with TAG to bring it back.

Price: $7,250

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