These Are the Watches We’re Obsessing Over in September 2019

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.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo

I have a Bulgari Octo in steel. It’s a great timepiece. Gerald Genta design cred with a touch of Italian flair and masculinity that only Bulgari can seem to pull off. It’s a sleeper steel watch. But damn if the Finissimo isn’t a watch I’ve become smitten with ever since it was released in 2017. Lately, I find myself falling in love with it again.

Our watch editor Oren and I have spiritedly debated the merits of this watch for some time now and I think I may have finally convinced him that the thinness and engineering merit respect, but here I am again gushing and he may edit this out, but I’m saying it anyway. The finissimo is titanium, svelte as an Italian Stiletto, and the triple-gray look just completely devastating. It may be the coolest titanium watch out there. Sure, I prefer my watches steel and on rubber or webbing, but the Finissimo makes me want to put on the black suit I own but rarely ever wear and whisk my wife away to a gala I rarely attend. –Eric Yang, Founder

Marathon General Purpose Mechanical

My interest has always been on the iconic pieces that have a story, particularly dress watches lately. But I was digging through some samples of Marathon watches and I’m certainly enjoying the General Purpose in Stainless Steel. Built to government specs for military issue, it’s got an ETA 2801 movement, tritium illumination, a sapphire crystal and a beautifully curved 315L stainless steel case. I’ve never been into military watches, but this one definitely has me thinking about them more than ever. –Brian Louie, Head of Commerce

Monta Atlas GMT

The Atlas is a perfect representative of what Monta does well and what has helped achieve its impressive rise. Namely: conservative, pragmatic tool watch design with a high level of finishing and refinement that is reminiscent of Rolex’s approach — though much more affordable and not mimicking its look. Getting to wear one recently, but only briefly, left me even more wowed by the value being offered and a lingering impression that won’t go away soon. –Zen Love, Associate Staff Writer

Patek Philippe Cataltrava ref. 2545

Though I’ve never been terribly attracted to yellow gold watches in general, I do own a few of them (two of which were my grandfather’s), as there’s really nothing that captures the platonic ideal of the dress watch, to my mind, more than a thin, yellow gold, handwound timepiece. This Calatrava from the mid-1950s is exactly that — a reference 2545 (cousin to the legendary ref. 96) with just enough patina to look make it looks properly worn, but not beat to shit. –Oren Hartov, Associate Editor

Hamilton X-Wind Auto Chrono

The sleek black watch face paired with a silver bezel looks excellent on an all-black band or brown leather band meaning it’s basically like two watches in one. Initially, the X-Wind Auto Chrono was intended for pilots to calculate crosswinds (hence the name) along their journey, but it works just as well on land as it does in the air. And while this watch would likely dwarf my wrist, it’s still lovely to look at. –Meg Lappe, Editorial Coordinator

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Regulator 5235G-001

I don’t think there is anything more elegant than a regulator — typically marked by subdials for hours and running seconds with a centrally-anchored minute hand. While I am not typically drawn to Pateks, and certainly don’t need an annual calendar, there’s something about this 5235G that I find incredibly attractive; the blued steel hands, the simple, well-proportioned, two-tone dial marry with the 40.5mm case extremely well. Now, to find that $40K I left laying around… –Jacob Sotak, Content Director, Gear Patrol Store

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  These Are the Watches We’re Obsessing Over in August 2019

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