As watch lovers, we spend our afternoons poring over watches both new and vintage. When a new timepiece comes across our radar, one that particularly resonates with our tastes, we can’t help but obsess over it. So, here’s a taste of that process — seven timepieces that our watch-loving staff are obsessing over right at this very moment.
Omega Seamaster 1948 Small Seconds
There are few watch brands better at digging into their archives for inspiration than Omega — and, considering its history is so storied, that’s no surprise. One of its most recent revivals is the Seamaster 1948, which I haven’t stopped thinking about since I saw it at Baselworld in March. It was created to honor the 70th anniversary of the Seamaster line’s introduction, and it’s based on early models from the era without being an exact replica. Because of that, it has perfect mid-century proportions (a perfect, versatile 38mm case size) and a sub-seconds hand at 6 o’clock that’s evokes the era’s timepieces. But there’s also a modern twist: the Omega logo is etched onto the domed sapphire crystal right above the center of the dial. It’s just a beautiful thing to look at, and a connection to a time when watches didn’t scream, but spoke softly instead. — Justin Fenner, Senior Associate Editor
Grand Seiko 4520-8010
I’m not much of a gold watch guy, save for this 1971 45GS. The minimal dial, the hand-wind 36000 Hi-Beat movement, the textured linen-like 18k gold case — just the shape of it has me moving funds around to see if I could make it work. I’ve gone far down the Seiko rabbit hole (as many of my previous watch obsessions would show you), and there’s no greater expression of the Seiko portfolio than a Grand Seiko. I’ll eventually add one to my collection. I’d pair it with a JPM Shell Cordovan leather watch strap and never look back. — AJ Powell, Assistant Editor
