Fratello Talks: Swatch Group Novelties From The Watch Valley Event In Utrecht

New watches from Hamilton, Certina, Tissot, and more

April 25, 2024

comments 14

Hello, and welcome to an on-location episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Nacho, Daan, and Lex are coming to you from the Watch Valley event in Utrecht, where Swatch Group novelties for the first half of 2024 were unveiled. They’ll run through some of their favorites and give opinions on the different brand’s new watches and directions, with a sprinkle of the usual banter. You’ll have to excuse the difference in audio quality; it comes with the territory of recording outside the Fratello studio. What doesn’t change is that we kick things off with a wrist check!

Wrist check

We begin with Lex, who has borrowed his favorite watch from the show. It’s none other than the Certina DS Action Powermatic 80 GMT (ref. C032.929.26.051.00). If it rings a bell, it’s because Lex already waxed lyrical about this affordable GMT watch a few weeks ago. You can read all his thoughts on it here.

Daan is wearing a new watch too, but his choice is from Tissot. It’s the then-new (now still relatively new) 40mm Tissot Seastar Powermatic 80. He has opted to go with the black PVD-coated version of the watch. Again, for a complete hands-on look at these latest divers from the Le Locle-based brand, check out Daan’s article here.

Finally, Nacho is wearing a 42mm Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Day Date Auto. The watch is a downsized version of the brand’s classic pilot’s watch, previously only available in larger sizes. His choice is the khaki-green colorway on the brown leather strap. This was also his favorite on display at the show in Utrecht. You can get the full lowdown on these relatively new releases from our very own Mike Stockton here.

Swatch Group novelties from the Watch Valley event in Utrecht

If you want to get a 30-minute brand-by-brand rundown of some of the latest Swatch Group novelties, this episode has you covered. We kick things off with Balmain, a lesser-known brand specializing in ladies’ watches with some attractive unisex offerings. Up next is Rado, impressive as ever with its high-tech ceramic offerings, including the Anatom. Next is Tissot, from which we cover a selection of new releases. With some exciting under-embargo watches coming up soon, it’s a brand to watch. We then headed to Certina, which also had several great offerings, including Lex’s favorite two-tone GMT. Finally, we made our way to Hamilton. Many of the brand’s releases were still under embargo, but we focus on some of the latest models, namely the Khaki Aviation Pilot and Jazzmaster.

Hamilton Ventura XXL Bright Dune and Ventura Edge Dune

What were your favorite releases from Swatch Group so far this year? And what would you like to see from its brands? Let us know in the comments section.

As always, tune in next week for a new episode of Fratello Talks!

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Fratello Talks: Swatch Group Novelties From The Watch Valley Event In Utrecht

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Serious_Panther says:

Apr 25, 2024 at 08:24

Nice, a Fratello Talks episode I can listen to during breakfast before work! Always enjoyable. I’m keeping an eye on Certina, their DS Super PH1000M is on my list.

Reply
MB
MarkBu says:

Apr 25, 2024 at 14:57

Looking forward to seeing the stuff currently under embargo. If recent history is to go by, new models from Certina, Tissot, Mido and Hamilton will act as a present sorbet following the overly rich flavors of W&W.

Reply
Enuona says:

Apr 25, 2024 at 15:14

Would agree with those arguing that they probably should modify their production lines in order to position the date wheel better on the various dial sizes. Not that important to me, but they would become more acceptable to a wider (enthusiast) audience.

I remain convinced that the Swatch Group has a significant advantage to competitors in the budget market with PM80. Design and so on certainly provides room for debate as always.

What I’d like to see?

– A modernised fixed bezel 3 hand sub 40mm field watch series from Hamilton without the attachment to “dirty dozen” by double lines of numerals.

– A few “plain” dress / daily beaters in classic styles without the little blingish details which makes them a bit odd. (Little Murph would be a fine starting point, simple and nice).

– Would like to see the DSA 43 divers a tad more hardcore, loosing the bezel/dial gloss, adding bezel lume, and getting screw-in lugbars. Or perhaps Mido could do that with Ocean Star 600 Chronometer, but those are more expensive at almost similar quality.

– Would like to see a new and more hardcore DSA field watch from Certina replacing the GMT (43) and Day Date (41). Pretty sure the GMT use the same cases as the DSA 43, and I believe both could do with a reduction in size, perhaps 37/39 or 36/38. Yeah, I would have liked to see screw-in lugbars for those just below 40 too.

Reply
1. VV
  vlad_djkax says:
  
  Apr 25, 2024 at 17:09
  
  Hi there! Being someone with very little time / experience in the watch universe, and regarding GMT dimensions, may I ask:
  
  Do they “have to be” larger than 42 mm, due to readability issues and / or GMTs movements requiring more space in the case….
  
  Or did I just get the wrong impression about it, and maybe the trend in size reduction didn’t reach GMTs yet?
  
  I also ask because of my desire to add, at some point in the future, a GMT to my modest watchbox, and having a 16 cm / 6.25 in wrist, I guess case dimensions are a thing to consider, besides price and future service availability here in Brazil.
  
  Thank you very much.
  
  Reply
  1. Felix M. says:
    
    Apr 25, 2024 at 17:39
    
    Christopher Ward makes a sharp looking 36 mm Sealander GMT
    
    Reply
    1. VV
      vlad_djkax says:
      
      Apr 25, 2024 at 19:01
      
      Thank you very much for your answer, Felix.
      
      Just checked it at CW website, it’s a very compelling option, as is the 39 mm option.
      
      Reply
  2. Enuona says:
    
    Apr 25, 2024 at 20:55
    
    Hie and thanks for asking. You’ll find a lot more competence with others than with me, I have to say.
    
    My take on the particular GMT (Certina DSA GMT 43) and a wish for shrinkage has nothing with trends and sizes to do, it relates to it being “fieldish” fixed bezel, and for that there is a lot of sapphire to bash and break. Further, if legibility is well taken care of, with great contrast and so on, a smaller diameter would be fine.
    
    https://www.certina.com/ch-en/watch/ds-action-gmt-powermatic-80/c0324293805100
    
    A rotating bezel watch somewhat has to be seen differently, as e.g a 40 mm watch with rotating bezel typically would have a smaller light opening than the same watch with a fixed bezel.
    
    I’d argue legibility is a function between the amount of detail/patterns++, use of contrast to enhance legibility and size. A lot of details and a small light opening (dia of the sapphire) will have an impact, but that again depends upon the execution.
    
    Sticking to Certina (+Mido) only for the sake of comparison, have a close look at the one i linked to and compare it with the DSA 43 divers for sapphire dia and so on. Then compare it to one of the 41 mm GMT’s Lex was referring to in the Fratello talks video.
    
    Then compare them with both the Mido Ocean Star GMT 40.5 and 44, both divers.
    https://www.midowatches.com/en/ocean-star-gmt-m0268291804100.html
    
    In terms of legibility you’ll find that the similarly sized Ocean Star 40.5 and Certina DSA 41 GMT are very very different.
    
    You can also compare these with a straight gada GMT like the Traska Venturer:
    https://www.traskawatch.com/products/venturer-gmt-carbon-black
    
    As far as wrist sizes goes I belive it depends a bit on the shape aswell, a perfectly round wrist would provide a different answer than a very flat wrist, simply because the width of the wrist would be different whilst measuring the same wrist-size.
    
    Perhaps trying on some watches to your liking and figuring out their lug to lug length would provide you with an idea of a good place to be. Then, some really like bulky and/or big watches, others prefer sleek and/or small.
    
    My position is big is an advantage for e.g diving proper and I’d like proper divers to be big (43-45). For field I find smaller diameters advantageous, and for a fixed bezel fieldwatch I’d look for 36-38/39 mm dia. Then you’d have the amphibious stuff (probably just me using that term), which I think of as divers suitable for field.
    
    Those would be something in between in my book. Slimmer and smaller dia than a fully fledged diver. Size and shape depend upon what your priorities are. The watches that are of interest to me would be Tudor FXD US, Certina DSA and Fortis F-39/41 Original or MarineMaster, all with field focus as far as I’m concerned.
    
    Have a look at some videos of the watches you find interesting, and try them on if you get a chance. If it is comfy and and you like it, it probably is a good one for you regardless of trends. Just keep in mind that fashion becomes unfashionable and tend to have an expiry date closer than conservative colours and style provides.
    
    Diver/field/daily gada/suit – what you do (work/activities) and what you prefer is more important than what I’m chatting on about ?
    
    Reply
    1. VV
      vlad_djkax says:
      
      Apr 26, 2024 at 21:10
      
      I owe you a huge “thank you!” for taking your time to give such a detailed answer. I really appreciate it.
      
      Regarding the 3 watches you used as example for legibility, I had the impression that the Traska is far more “easy to the eyes (and brain…)” when checking the hour, no matter the dial color used..
      
      And comparing the Mido Ocean Star with the Certina DSA Diver… ooof… what a difference..
      
      Talking a little bit more about case and wrist sizes, the little experience I have with “maximum dimensions for me” consists of an old “duty free” Bulova (ref 96C32) and a RLG OceanFarer (“ocean blue” dial and bezel) ..
      
      I have nothing to complain about how the RLG “stays” on my wrist. I DO enjoy wearing it. 40 mm diameter, 46 mm lug-to-lug..
      
      Now, the Bulova….. I don’t remember having trouble wearing it (bought in 2013) in the past… But when I rescued it from the drawer, in the beginning of 2023, I was like.. “Why?…”…. 40 mm diameter and 46-47 mm lug-to-lug (I don’t have a caliper yet..).. and it overhangs badly, due to hard-end links…
      
      The possible solution would be changing the bracelet 24 mm bracelet to a “regular” strap, but no luck finding one that fits when it has a weird 12 mm between lugs …
      
      Oh well, let’s move on, because there’s a whole watch universe to explore.
      
      For future steps, all your words will taken as valuable advice, Enuona. Again, thank you very much.
      
      Best regards!
      
      Reply
      1. Enuona says:
        
        Apr 26, 2024 at 23:45
        
        No worries mate,
        
        I find polarising useful to display differences like that. Diameters don’t tell the full story. My guess is that the “most legible part of the dial” of the Mido 40.5 would be approx the same size as a 34.5 or 36.5 mm Certina DSA diver. That’s rather small, and in terms of legibility you’d probably have to relate to it as one of the two, whilst it will wear like a 40mm. Sort of lost real estate.
        
        The Traskas should be fairly nice options for everyday usage. I quite like the no date commuters. The downside with microbrands would be non-generic spareparts. I am not familiar with how Traska handles that.
        
        That Bulova has integrated bracelet, and those are normally not made for strapswaps, the good thing is: by that you are aware of endlink caveats which you will meet if you want something on a bracelet. Keep that in mind, have look at some videos to get an idea.
        
        If I should take the liberty to propose a “procedure” finding THE watch, I’d recommend:
        
        1: Define usage and purpose to in order to find the right type of watch, the “right one” could be very different for different purposes, look for something covering the broadest spectre of exposure within common sense. Few cover all bases.
        
        2: Consider the qualities required for that usage. Robust, diver bezel, slim, small, big, colorful, discrete, representative, rough, crown guard or not ++
        
        3: Disregard prices and budget entirely. Low budget, super expensive or whatever. Find a few you really like covering the above. Doesn’t matter if its € 100 or € 1 mill. Just find a style, colours, lume, no lume, date, no date, whatever you’d like to wear. In general, pricey watches will show you quality which COULD define standards you’d want to stretch for.
        
        4: Put a few polarising/contrasting watches up against each other to figure out styles, case shape, bezel looks, numeral, bar or dot indices and so on.
        
        5: Put a few very similar ones up against each other to find your preference for finer details
        
        6: By the above, you should be starting to develop preferences, use those to look at watches closer to your budget without restricting yourself. By that, you’ll get an idea of the market you’ll be scouting for the one you really want.
        
        7: Find a few that matches your budget, usage and preferences, and start looking at specs and prices be it new or preloved to land one that fits the picture you have created.
        
        8: Do your reseach for movements, trouble, good/bad brand reputation and so on when you have nailed it down to a few.
        
        There’s a lot of nice watches out there, and you’ll find nice stuff within whatever budget you set. But if you go down the rabbit hole, make sure you don’t get lost – don’t spend more than you should that is.
        
        All the best and good luck with your chase. (That is the fun part by the way).
        
        Reply
Felix M. says:

Apr 25, 2024 at 17:36

The Best Swatch releases this year are all Longines: Spirit Zulu Time x Wempe, Spirit Zulu Time x Hodinkee, and the Central Power Reserve (off-white dial).

Reply
mot says:

Apr 25, 2024 at 22:03

That Balmain Eirini is a bit of a hidden gem IMO – having a HAQ moonphase in a rectangular case at that price is pretty cool. Highlight for me is the Certina GMT though – I’m looking forward to other Swatch Group releases with that movement.

My dream releases would be the Certina DS Powermatic 80 series (eg C038.407.18.037.00) with a Big Date at 6 o’clock and 3/9/12 numerals (instead of the awkward 3 o’clock date), an automatic version of the recently released Certina DS Pilot (C024.617.16.042.00), and a white dial 39mm Chemin des Tourelles from Tissot.

Reply
CR
Badbobby says:

Apr 26, 2024 at 06:57

An episode about Swatch where everyone is wearing Swatches? Sponsored post maybe? #ad

Reply
1. Robert-Jan says:
  
  Apr 26, 2024 at 07:48
  
  No, it was recorded at a Swatch Group event. #noad
  
  Reply
AM
tmc says:

Apr 26, 2024 at 17:01

none

Reply