Tag Archives: Discount Fake Watches

Out of This World: Reviewing the Seiko Astron GPS Watch

The Seiko Astron, released to great discount fake watches online fanfare in 2012, tells time by receiving GPS signals anywhere on Earth. Was it a world-beater in our test? Click here to read our in-depth review of the Seiko Astron GPS solar watch, with original photographs by Robert Atkinson.

The last time Seiko called a new watch “Astron,” the future of timekeeping changed forever. Launched on Christmas Day, 1969, the original Seiko Astron watch was the world’s first commercially available quartz wristwatch. At the time, Seiko said of the Astron, “Someday, all watches will be made this way.” Today, it’s saying the same thing about the new Astron. Is Seiko right? Let’s find out. If you have not read about it, the new Astron is an analog, solar-powered watch that receives GPS satellite signals and adjusts to the precise local time anywhere on Earth. It recognizes all 39 time zones, besting the top mechanical watches, which can display 37, with a manual reset. The Astron covers the globe by first determining its location using GPS, then comparing that information with an onboard database that divides the Earth’s surface into one million squares, each of which is assigned to a particular time zone. That is something no other watch can do.

The Seiko Astron differs from watches that receive terrestrial radio signals from atomic clocks. So-called RC (radio-controlled) watches receive signals when they are within range of stations in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, so they do not offer global coverage. The Astron works anywhere, even in the middle of an ocean or desert, in Antarctica, or on a Tibetan mountaintop. Seiko Astron watches also automatically recognizes which time zone they are in, while RC watches do not.

The Astron also differs from Citizen’s limited-edition Satellite Wave, which receives GPS signals, but lacks a GPS geo-location function so it does not change time zones automatically. Finally, though the Astron is a GPS receiver that knows precisely where it is, it can’t direct you to that new restaurant downtown, or tell you how far it is to the 14th green. It uses GPS solely to tell time.

When you take an Astron out of the box, it may have to be charged. The Astron is powered by light – any type of light will charge its battery, but sunlight is the most efficient energizer. The charging status is displayed via an “E – F” (Empty – Full) indicator between 9 and 10 o’clock. The power reserve when fully charged is two months in active mode and six months in sleep mode. In sleep mode, the Astron does not display the time until it “wakes up” discount watches replica y being exposed to light.  It takes only six minutes of sunlight to provide enough power for the Astron to run for one day, but going from empty to fully charged requires 65 hours of sunlight. The GPS receiver will not operate when the watch is low on power, so regular charging is important. The Seiko Astron performs two basic types of operations with GPS signals: it can automatically and manually sync to a single satellite to make sure its local time display is accurate, and it can be manually triggered to change time zones, which requires at least four satellite signals.Seiko Astron front view

The Astron automatically attempts to sync with a single GPS signal once each day. The sync can be set in motion by exposure to the sun or another strong source of light. The Astron’s programming tells it that if a strong light source is present, there’s a good chance it can receive a signal. If the Astron acquires a signal, it remembers when that happened. On subsequent days, if the watch is covered by clothing or otherwise blocked from light, it searches for the signal at the same time as the last successful attempt, assuming the chances for reception are good. To make sure it’s always on time, the Astron can also receive leap-second data. Leap seconds are added about every luxury fake watches online store 18 months to account for the Earth’s slowing rotation. The most recent was added on June 30, 2012.

 

6 “Tribute to the Military” Watches

Watches have long been used cheap watches replica online store by soldiers, sailors, airmen, and other military operators in the line of duty. Here we showcase six watches made by various brands especially to honor certain branches of the armed forces and those that support them. Herewith, our six “Tribute to the Military” watches.

IWC Big Pilots Watch TOP GUN Miramar

IWC Schaffhausen, a watch brand with deep roots in making military-grade pilots’ watches, introduced its Big Pilot’s Watch Top Gun collection in 2007. Created in cooperation with the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, known widely as “Top Gun,” the collection was expanded in 2012 with the addition of the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Miramar, a distinctly military-styled watch named for, and paying tribute to, the area in California where the Navy’s elite Top Gun pilots receive their training. The Top Gun Miramar (also available in a chronograph version) has a big, 48-mm ceramic case and anthracite dial. The hands and chapter rings are in a camouflage beige color and the military-green textile strap is reminiscent of the fabric webbing belts in an aircraft cockpit. More on the watch.

Developed under a special trademark agreement with the United States Navy, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Automatic Navy SEALs is a rough-and-tumble timepiece designed to be worthy of the elite combat unit for which it is named. The watch is engineered to withstand extremely harsh conditions and features on its dial a new form of Super-LumiNova that is particularly visible underwater or in the dark. It also contains an in-house Jaeger-LeCoultre automatic movement intended to provide a high degree of accuracy. Jaeger-LeCoultre solicited the input of actual Navy SEALs in its development of the watch; some of its features, including the matte black bezel that reduces glare, are a direct result of these consultations. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Automatic Navy SEALs is discount fake watches online limited to 1,500 pieces. You can download our test of the watch by clicking here.Jaeger-LeCoultre MC Diving Navy Seals

Released in 2013, the Breitling Navitimer 01 Honor Flight Limited Edition is a watch made in tribute to the Honor Flight Network, which flies World War II veterans to the memorial dedicated to their service in Washington, DC. This special version of the Navitimer — an iconic pilots’ watch from a brand with a rich history of producing watches for aviation — has a deep blue dial with the Honor Flight logo just beneath the 12 o’clock position, and a solid steel caseback with an engraved “wreath and bracket” from the World War II memorial in the nation’s capital and the inscription, “Honor Flight — One Last Mission.” The watch, which contains a Breitling chronograph movement, is limited to just 56 pieces, representing the 56 U.S. states and territories that participated in the Second World War. Click here for more details on the Honor Flight Limited Edition.

The striking skull-and-crossbones dial on the Bell & Ross BR01 Airborne is based on the patches worn by American paratroopers of World War II, who wore it on their uniforms as a defiant symbol of courage in the face of death. The skull on the dial is coated with Super-LumiNova so that it glows in the dark. On June 8, 2009, the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, Bell & Ross introduced the 500-piece limited edition of the BR01 Airborne at a boutique in Paris. The brand has since followed up the original model with a 999-piece limited edition, the Airborne II, with a “phantom black” dial and “rifle barrel” patina finish.

While not a military unit per se, the cryptologists at Britain’s Bletchley Park played a crucial role in the Allied war effort with their deciphering of the Enigma and Lorenz codes used by Nazi Germany (as those who’ve seen the Oscar-nominated film, The Imitation Game, may already be aware). The Bremont Codebreaker pays tribute to these often unsung heroes of WWII by incorporating actual historical materials from Bletchley Park and its codebreaking machines into the watch. Limited to only 240 pieces in stainless steel and 50 in rose gold, the Bremont Codebreaker features pieces of the actual German Enigma machine in the winding rotor of its automatic movement and fragments of the punch cards used in the decryption machines embedded in the case middle (to spell out the watch’s serial number). Additionally, a piece of the floorboard from the actual Bletchley Park building where the codes were broken (thus shortening the war by probably two years and saving countless lives) has been incorporated into the watch’s crown. Click here to read our full-length feature on the making of the Bremont Codebreaker watch.Breitling Honor Flight Navitimer - Side

U.S.-based Kobold takes pride in the fact that many of its watches are made in America, several with military usage in mind. The company worked with Navy SEALs to create the Kobold Phantom Black Ops Chronograph, whose black-DLC-coated, 41-mm steel case is made in the U.S.A. and contains a solid ETA 7750 chronograph movement. The rugged “stealth” timepiece also features a bidirectional rotating bezel, a domed, nonreflective sapphire crystal, a screw-locked crown, and green-tinted discount watches replica eta luminous hands and hour markers that would pair well with a set of night-vision goggles. The price is $4,150, but if you’re a SEAL or other armed service member, says Kobold, you will be offered a “healthy discount.”

 

Temptation Thursday by Escapement: Hands-On with the Chopard L.U.C. Regulator

In this week’s Temptation Thursday, Angus cheap watches replica uk Davies of online watch magazine Escapement gets up close and personal with the Chopard L.U.C. Regulator, a timepiece launched by the brand at this year’s Baselworld watch fair.

Conforming to standards

Throughout my early adult life, I sought to conform and be a “regular guy.” On reaching 40, I became resigned to the fact that, despite the influence of societal norms, I would always be a tad eccentric, exhibiting a notably extrovert character.

Today, aged 47, I celebrate my uniqueness. My personality frequently walks on virgin snow and my mind works at a different cadence from that of the “average person.” As my brain whirrs away at a dizzying rate, I experience racing thoughts. However, I no longer consider my obsessive traits as a weakness. Indeed, obsessive-compulsive disorder is no longer a stigma I try to hide; it is, in fact, a useful tool in carrying out my role as a watch journalist.Chopard Mille Miglia Chronograph - rose gold

I admire those who seek perfection with a near-religious zeal. Those professionals who expend a disproportionate amount of time obsessing over the minutest of details, some of which are barely noticeable to a “regular guy,” are my heroes. It is this attention to minutiae that I recognize in some of the finest examples of watchmaking, a quality that augments my affection for haute horlogerie still further.

One watch brand that always entices me to its discount fake watches uk door, courtesy of refined aesthetics and mechanical magnificence, is Chopard.

Chopard offers a variety of timepieces that appeal to me on various levels. Recently, I have had the pleasure of “hands-on” encounters with the Mille Miglia 2014 Race Edition, the G.P.M.H Chronograph, the Superfast, and, most recently, a Mille Miglia GTS Chrono in 18k rose gold.

These models proffer a plethora of attributes and yet, compared with many watches I come across, they remain remarkably affordable. There is no doubt about it: I am a self-confessed fan of Chopard L.U.C, the ultimate expression of Chopard’s watchmaking talent. It is these timepieces that make my palms become sweaty and my pupils dilate.

Remember, as I pointed out in my column last week, I am an addict, and few brands can usurp a Chopard L.U.C when it comes to tempting me to open my wallet and embrace the notion of acquisition.

The seduction process continued at Baselworld 2015…

At Baselworld 2015, the brand successfully ensnared my heart yet again, not merely with one L.U.C model, but three, all prompting words of undying love to leave my lips.

The Chopard L.U.C Quattro has been a staple of the brand’s collection for some time, but this year was released with a stunning blue dial, paired with a platinum case. This model, reference 161926-9001, is already destined for a life residing at Angus Towers, such is its profound beauty. I merely have to employ sufficient cunning to facilitate acquisition.Chopard LUC 1963

The Chopard L.U.C 1963 Tourbillon, which I came across at this year’s Baselworld, was yet another model that engendered horological lust on my part, coquettishly nuzzling my wrist with affectionate aplomb. I must stress now — take care near Chopard L.U.C timepieces, for they can seduce the unsuspecting bystander quicker than you can say, “Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson.” The Dauphine fusée hour and minute hands subscribe to the design language employed on many, but not all, L.U.C models. Positioned in the southerly portion of the white grand feu enamel dial is a freely disclosed tourbillon carriage, visible via an exquisitely polished tourbillon bridge. I will return to this beautiful timepiece later in the year after I have experienced a longer courtship.

Last year, Chopard presented two L.U.C 1963 models, both sporting very elegant dials equipped with crisp, black Roman numerals.

The L.U.C 1963 featured an hour and minutes display, together with small seconds, unusually positioned adjacent to 9 o’clock. The beautiful timepiece was offered in a limited series of 50 pieces in platinum and 50 pieces in 18k rose gold, produced to celebrate Chopard’s 50 years of ownership discount watches uk by the Scheufele family.