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Here is a watch I saw in Basel at the Eterna/Porsche design section of the show. It is a 46MM Monster! Equipped with a ETA 2897, this big dog would be a shoe-in for multiple sales in the United States, right? NO! As of last spring, no United States distributor. I hope this watch makes it stateside soon either by raft or not. Eterna is another great company with poor American distributorship picks. With virtually no U.S. brand recognition anymore, what are we to do with companies like this? Oddly enough you can get Porsche Design in the states, just not Eterna. Huh? CTWG

For more information about Eterna watches call Chad the Watch Guy at
412-682-0226.

In a truly unique move, celebrated pop artist Burton Morris teams with Kobold to create a one of a kind timepiece to be auctioned for a 911 charity.

CTWG has secured the official press release. Check it here.

For more information about Kobold watches call Chad the Watch Guy at
412-682-0226.

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I just received the NEW limited edition Zinex watch. I love it. A real monster at 47mm, it is put together quite well. The dark dial has a real industrial look and provides great contrast to the logo and markers. Super-lumi dial is beautifully understated to offset the size of the piece. The crown alone is 10.5mm “that’s big folks“ real big. There are no knocks on this piece, sapphire crystal, 250 grams of 316L stainless, the list goes on. As a watch introduction it is a solid, workhorse watch, ETA 2824 all the fixings, get one of the 100 made in this edition. Two crowns up! CTWG

Three German Posts in a row–sorry Switzerland you’re next. I just could not resist the plump and juicy offering of the Glashutte Sport Evolution for this post. This big beauty is one of the newer offerings by Glashutte with everyone appeal. This watch “sports” the Caliber 39-31 with fifty plus jewels,(G.P. territory I tell ya) hold it next to a 7750 and call it a “girly man”. This chrono does not have a Date function, it stands true to the German design of simplicity. Silver and black dial offerings, with red accents and tachymeter bezel. The bracelet is pure and simple… the best, and I do mean the best,(Words don’t do it justice) Try one on today! Start an Evolution! Sport! CTWG

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Tetra, Oh Tetra, I love it so! The Nomos brand of watches is a steal, I mean downright steal. Check the Square Tetra, it sports the Nomos Movement Alpha (a jazzed up Peseux 7100) with 17 jewels in manual wind format. The steel is a German standard 316L, Sapphire crystal and signature Cordavan strap. A sub-second dial sits at 6:00 with a choice between mid and full size. This is an outrageous value for approx. $1500.00 U.S. dollars. I can think of no other watch company with these qualities at such a price. Contact CTWG personally if you wish to score one of these gems! Auf Wiedersehen! CTWG

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Kobold revives a favorite, with the Sir Ernest Shackleton Old Explorer’s model. If you remember the original, it featured that beautiful flesh tone dial. Now you can enjoy the smokin’ Artic blue. Michael Kobold, known for his more industrial hard German look, does a great job with this subtle dress/casual throw back timepiece. A hand-wound, Swiss-made movement, caliber K.348 (modified Unitas 6497) powers the Sir Ernest and is a technological marvel. The movement has been re-engineered to display a large center second hand and features traditional decorations, such as Geneva stripes on the bridges and an engine-turned surface. The Unitas 6497 has been a great movement for many companies, but the dressing on the Kobold is the best I have witnessed with this movement. 40+mm for the big case lovers , and limited to 50 pieces! CTWG has one for sale(so far)… first come, first serve. Locate yours quick, they won’t stay on the market long! CTWG

For more information about Kobold watches call Chad the Watch Guy at
412-682-0226.

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Here is another sneak preview of some Zinex gems:
Zinex pic 1
Zinex pic 2
Zinex pic 3
Zinex pic 4

I will have the opportunity to personally review this new line soon!!! The pictures have been tempting, I am sure the real product will be great, check back soon for the Official CTWG review. CTWG

If there is a watch heaven, this may be it. Check out the scene on sooooo many watch topics, and dig on ole CTWG coming in at #52!

Master Blaster listen to the law:
“This law is based on a concept according to which Swiss quality depends on the amount of work actually carried out on a watch in Switzerland, even if some foreign components are used in it. It therefore requires that the assembly work on the movement (the motor of the watch) and on the watch itself (fitting the movement with the dial, hands and the various parts of the case) should be carried out in Switzerland, along with the final testing of the movement. It also requires that at least 50% of the components of the movement should be manufactured in Switzerland.” Hold on a second Charlie, 50% percent of the components can be made in a singapore garage and it still can be called Swiss? Yes! So how do we assure ourselves that we get pure Swiss product. Research the product, the deeper you dive into the manufactoring process the more you will see how work is farmed out to differenet sources. Many companies use a bracelet assembled in China and a Swiss movement, or an all Chinese bracelet/ case set fitted with a Swiss movement. It can be advantageous if some circumstances when a company like Fricker(German) makes the case or any of the fine Italian gold folks make a bracelet. Still, rarely does the outsource scream quality. Swiss Made is a true mark of quality, just make sure that is what you are getting isn’t a “deal” or you may face the wheel. CTWG (a.k.a. Ragedy Man)

Have you purchased a watch with a striking and complicated working bezel, just to have a friend stump you with the question, “How does it work?” Never again my friends! Lets review some standard bezel operations. The famous Uni-Directional Bezel is the most popular and is standard on most dive watches. Simply turn the pointer to the minute hand and count down time, piece of cake, it only goes in one direction for safety (you would surface early rather than risk the bends, or worse, on a dive). Tach or tachymeter bezels measure the rate of speed of an object, units start at 500 and go clockwise to 60. Using a mile marker, as a scenario, start your chrono, when you reach the next marker, stop the function. Look to your bezel for a number that will calculate your miles per hour/kilos etc. Pulsometer chronos can monitor pulse rates for a doctor by a bezel reference. The bezel can be a great tool and it is rarely used by most customer’s, push your sales people to get information on the most complicated pieces and have them teach you about the product. As for the Breitling Navitimer/slide rule style bezels keep the instructions near by for reference untill you can master all the tricks. CTWG