Head-To-Head: The 1969 Trinity - Unlocking the Holy Grail of Automatic Chronographs

If you have been following my horological journey, you know that my appreciation for watch collecting went into full bloom back in 2010. From my career perspective as a statistician since 1990, an actuarial analyst since 1992, a financial analyst since 1994, and a financial engineer since 2008, I bring an analytical eye to technical specifications, movement architecture, value-for-money, and historical design ethos.

In the entire history of horology, no single year holds more legendary status for chronograph enthusiasts than 1969. It was the watershed year when three independent, competing horological factions simultaneously unlocked what was long considered the Holy Grail of mechanical watchmaking: the automatic chronograph movement.

Those three historic factions were:

1. Zenith, which unveiled the high-beat El Primero.
2. Seiko, which introduced the Caliber 6139—the world’s first automatic chronograph featuring both a column wheel and a vertical clutch.
3. The Project 99 Consortium (Heuer, Breitling, Buren-Hamilton, and Dubois Depraz), which developed the micro-rotor Caliber 11 "Chrono-Matic".

To mark the 50th anniversary of that momentous 1969 race, members of all three historic groups released special commemorative timepieces. After acquiring the tribute models from Seiko and Hamilton, I was finally able to complete my personal "1969 Trinity" with the addition of the Zenith Revival.

Today, we are putting these three 50th-anniversary milestone chronographs from my collection head-to-head: the Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 (Ref. 03.A384.400/21.C815), the Seiko Prospex Automatic Chronograph 50th Anniversary "Panda" Limited Edition (Ref. SRQ029J1 / SBEC005), and the Hamilton American Classic Chrono-Matic 50 Auto Chrono Limited Edition (Ref. H51616731).

Deep Dive: Tanks of the East - Tracing the ISO-Tested Evolution of Orient’s Legendary M-Force Collection

Established on July 13, 1950, Orient is currently operating as a subsidiary of the Seiko Epson Corporation and occupies a unique space in Japanese watchmaking. Unlike other manufacturers that lean heavily on external outsourcing, Orient remains fiercely independent, designing and manufacturing all of its robust movements entirely in-house.

 

At the absolute peak of Orient's tool-watch catalog sits an iconic, over-engineered lineage: the M-Force series. First launched in 1997, the "M" in M-Force stands for three definitive principles: Mechanical (running solely on kinetic energy, without batteries or solar), Massive (solid, shock-resistant architecture), and Maverick (daring, original, and visually distinct design language). In 2020, Orient introduced a fourth "M"—Magnificent—to capture the raw, volcanic power of the Earth through a revived design catalog.

To fully appreciate this "Mechanical Force," we must dive into the history of the collection. Today, I am taking an analytical look at the timeline of the M-Force series, using the four distinct models in my personal collection—the stainless steel WV0021, the left-handed WV0091E "Beast," the pioneering titanium DV01002B, and the geometric SEL07002B0 "Delta"—to trace how Orient has evolved this legendary line over the decades.

 

Brand Cluster: Supersonic Travel and Tactical Trenches - A Dual-Headed Showdown of Glycine's Ultimate Tool Watches

If you have been following my horological journey, you know that my appreciation for watch collecting went into full bloom years ago. From my career perspective as a statistician and financial analyst—with a professional background in actuarial work and financial engineering—I bring an analytical eye to technical specifications, value-for-money, and historical design ethos.

 

When it comes to historic Swiss tool watches that offer immense heritage without demanding astronomical premiums, Glycine is a brand that occupies a special place in my collection. Founded in 1914 by the ingenious Eugène Meylan in Bienne, Switzerland, Glycine has a celebrated history of manufacturing robust, purpose-built military and aviation watches. Today, we are putting two distinct, vintage-inspired Swiss automatic models from my collection head-to-head: the Combat 6 Vintage (Reference GL0122) (below left) and the Airman SST 43 GMT (Reference GL0311) (below right).

 

 

Brand Cluster: The Rado Watch Company - The Alchemists of Lengnau - A Three-Way Showdown of Rado’s Toughest Divers

If you have been following my horological journey, you know that my appreciation for watch collecting went into full bloom years ago. From my career perspective as a statistician and financial analyst, I have an analytical eye for technical precision, value-for-money, and—above all else—material innovation.

 

When it comes to mastering avant-garde materials, there is one Swiss brand that has captured my attention from a technological standpoint: Rado. Originally founded in 1917 as Schlup & Co. in Lengnau, Switzerland, the company began selling watches under the "Rado" brand name in the 1950s. Since then, they have built a reputation as the pioneering "Master of Materials".

Today, we are putting three distinct Rado dive watches from my collection head-to-head: the vintage-inspired Captain Cook 42 mm Automatic Green (Reference R32505313), the high-tech Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver (Reference R32144202), and the retro-classic Original Diastar Diver Automatic (Model R12639023).

 

  

 

Brand Cluster: The Ball Watch Company - the Underrated King of Over-Engineered Swiss Watches

If you’ve been following my horological journey, you already know that technical innovation and sheer, unadulterated robustness are the absolute cornerstones of my watch collection. Ever since my love for watches went into full-bloom, I've been fascinated by the clever engineering required to make a tiny mechanical object survive extreme environments.

Today, we are looking at three Swiss-made heavyweights from the BALL Watch Company—a brand whose DNA is forever welded to the American railroad safety standards of 1891. Specifically, we are comparing my Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT (Reference DG2016A-SC-BK), the monumental Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST (Reference DM3000A-SCJ-BK), and the vintage-inspired Engineer II Skindiver Heritage Blue (Reference DM3208B-P1-BE).

   

The Stages of a Watch Collector - My Own Experience

Having read Johannes Beer's "How One Watch Becomes Twenty: The Five Stages of Every Collector" I can only conclude that the author has either secretly been monitoring my browser history or has attended every watch meetup I've ever joined. The article's central premise, that nearly every collector follows the same predictable path from "I just want one good watch" to a constantly evolving collection, is uncomfortably accurate.  

Full Service: Alpina Pilot Automatic Startimer 44 mm Reference AL-525B4S6 Limited Edition of 8888 pieces (#2000)

My Alpina Pilot has started to give me problems. The seconds hand seems to be stuck around the 8 second mark and only after a gentle tap, it will start to move. However, after one circle, it get stuck at the same position. After checking when I bought the watch (December 2016), it was high time I got the watch serviced. Below is a video of the problem.

So I sent it to the AD that sold me the watch and he recommended that the watch be thoroughly serviced by Neuchatel Time, a watch service centre in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur that offers a full range of services.

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver SLGB023 (similar to SLGB025) - Precision Meets the Depths, A Review (plus Video)

I was given the opportunity to travel to Sapporo Japan in July 2026 to attend a conference. I took the opportunity to arrive four days earlier to experience Sapporo and I brought my family with me.

It was a schedule packed, my wife planned it as such that I got immersed with the island going up mountains and visiting farmlands. What she forgot to incorporate into the schedule is shopping time. I would liked to visit ADs of Japanese brands while I am in Japan. At that point of time I was resigned to the fact, that I may not be able to see any of the fine watches Japan has to offer.

With the conference running full steam, The days were full of presentations and bilateral meetings at the end of each day. Most of the ADs in Sapporo closes either at 5:00 pm or 8:00 pm (the latest) which does not leave me ample time to go shopping. 

Luckily, on the second day, no meetings were scheduled after the forum and I was able to start my hunt. The first stop is the Daimaru Sapporo Department Store which happens to be the AD for Credor, Grand Seiko, Citizen's Campanola and other brands as well. 

The first thing I noticed about the AD was the availability of some of the last models. Without needing to ask the sales person, I saw the Ushio 300 on display. Only the blue was available as the green version was sold earlier. After just holding on to the watch for a few seconds, I decided to get it. This watch was only made available since June 2026. What a find. Even then, I am almost certain an example will only be available to Malaysia in a few months time.

Hermès Cape Cod CC1.710 Automatic (Double Tour) Silver Dial @2007 - Nonchalant Parisian Sophistication, A Review

To be honest, I wan not in the hunt for a watch. My trip to Langkawi, a holiday island in the North of the the Malaysian peninsular was purely for rest and relaxation. However, the small boutique shop at the resort that I was staying in had a small section offering preowned knickknacks. In one of the boxes was five watches, a Rado, a Longines, the Hermes and two other brands that I cannot recall. The Hermes was the only watch in the batch that called to me. Visually, the watch looks legit. Unfortunately, the watch did not come with any paperwork or the watch box. However, based on the code stamped on the strap, the watch was manufactured in 2007. 

 

After investigating further (I even did a water drop test and the cold test for the sapphire crystal), I concluded that that the watch is indeed original. Without thinking further, I paid RM500 for it. 

As the watch is approximately 19 years old, I may need to send it for a total service with some buffing on the casing. Total investment will still be well below the current price of about RM8,000 for a preowned (albeit complete with papers and box).

 

On reflection, this is my first watch by Hermès. It is also on a smaller side as it is categorized as a ladies watch. 

 

Head-To-Head: The Seiko Alpinists in the Collection - History & Capabilities

Today, we are conducting a head-to-head comparison of five distinct models within the Seiko Alpinist lineage, a "living icon" that traces its history back to 1959 with the Laurel Alpinist. Designed specifically for the Japanese mountain climbers known as "Yamaotoko," this series was Seiko's first attempt at a specialist sports watch.

The Face of the Series: SARB017