Ægir CD-2 Prototype By Thomas Prescher

TEMPEST Viking (dial renderings)

By TLex Presenting the proposed dial colors for the TEMPEST Viking . . .

STOLAS Harbormaster GENOA Review

BACKGROUND STOLAS are newly established boutique Watch Company based in the United States. Their first range of watches named ‘Harbormaster’ consists of three divers / sailing models. These are the GENOA, the Spinnaker and the Gennaker. The GENOA (as does its siblings) takes its name from a type of sail, and is STOLAS’ flagship model if you will. It is also a Limited Edition of just 50 pieces. And, of the three Harbormaster watches the Genoa is the only one that boasts Swiss made on its dial, which it has earned for its Swiss assembly and the Swiss movement that it houses.



AESTHETIC
When I first encountered the STOLAS brand last year I immediately recognized influences in their line of watches that had come from the Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver. There was an overall look of the Harbormaster watches particularly the Genoa that mirrored the Maxi Marine Divers design. This came from a number of elements not least of which was its handset, which was maybe a little too close to the Maxi Marine Diver for comfort. Since then STOLAS have seen fit to replace this handset with something a little less obvious.

The UN influences are still quite apparent in the GENOA, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I guess in some ways it could be considered refreshing to see something other than a Submariner being copied. So before you cast judgment have a thought for all the Sub Clones that we have become so oblivious to. On the other hand I don’t know how I’d feel though if actually owned a Maxi Marine Diver, I may well be singing a different tune!



Apart from the UN side of things the contrast of the orange on its bezel with white of its dial is kind of cool, the colors pop very nicely, so if you’re a colorful watch guy, you’re probably going to be quite taken with this. There’s also a fair amount of detail on the watch not just on the dial, but on its bezel, case-side (via an engraving) and of course the watch’s display case back.

DIAL / HANDS
The GENOA has a lovely white lacquered dial, which has been embossed with a silhouette of sail and rigging with a palm tree backdrop. The imagery on the dial can only really be noticed by its wearer. To the daydreamer this will certainly evoke thoughts of sailing off into a tropical sunset; to the cynic it might be considered a little cheesy.



Blued-steel semi-skeletonized hour and minute hands add a touch of luxury to the GENOA’s dial; they complement its SuperLuminova applied blued markers. Applied orange luminous Arabic numerals are at 6 and 12. The minute hand has been applied with bright orange lume and the hour hand with the same green lume as the hour markers. There’s a bright orange lightning-bolt second as if to say ‘We design what we like’! The lightning bolt second hand is a famous feature of the Rolex Milgauss. The STOLAS version is sans the arrow pointer.

CASE
The GENOA measures 44mm x (≈) 14.5mm. It has a 316L Stainless Steel case construction, which has been finished with a high polish. The right lateral side of the case has a smart looking engraved feature with the STOLAS name and the accompanying text ‘Limited Edition’. I really appreciate details such as this, they are interesting to me, but also add further luxury.

CROWN There’s a signed screw down crown nestled snugly between its angular crown guards. The crown, which is positioned at 4 o’clock, has a nice wide stem, but was slightly wobbly. Its operation and closure was quite fiddly, too.



BEZEL The GENOA has a unidirectional rotational diver’s bezel with elegant coin edging for its grip. The bezel is of 120-click type. Its movement is quite stiff and deliberate and because of its low-profile manipulation was a little awkward. The bezel features an elapsed dive time scale with a black intermittent wave pattern, but also a stunning (patent pending) orange lume application that runs between 12 o’clock and 4.

GLASS The GENOA has a flat sapphire crystal. Sapphire crystal is considered the toughest material used for a watch’s glass because of its high scratch-resistance. It is second only to a diamond in its hardness. The GENOA’s crystal has been coated with anti-reflective material on its inside to help avoid unwanted glare and reflections.



CASEBACK A high polished stainless steel and sapphire crystal domed exhibition caseback is one of the GENOA’s most attractive features. It’s the window through which a custom decorated STOLAS rotor can be seen driving its mechanical movement. Exhibition casebacks are still quite a rarity on dive watches, but are very much appreciated as they are not only cool, but serve to remind us of the marvel that is the mechanical movement.

WATER-Resistance
Whilst a water-resistance of 200m won’t quite get you to the abyssal plains (they lie between 3000 and 6000 meters) it is still consider suitable for most recreational water-sports, which would include snorkeling and perhaps some light recreational diving.



MOVEMENT
A 25 Jewel ETA 2824 automatic movement with a STOLAS custom decorated rotor powers the GENOA. The movement can be viewed through its exhibition caseback. The watch keeps good time.

BRACELET
The GENOA comes presented on a pretty unremarkable looking steel bracelet, but was supplied with a rubber divers strap and a colorful nylon NATO. Its bracelet is brushed with polished center links and sides; thanks to solid end-links it fits nice and flush with the case. The bracelet feels solid, there’s plenty of weight to it. It’s a pity that it used pins over screws, though. Its clasp actually has a really lovely look to it; I love how it comes in at the sides to expose its pushers, however in all honesty I wasn’t quite feeling Swiss quality here. Still attractive, though!



BUILD
The overall build quality of the GENO doesn’t quite reflect its 1500USD price tag. I say this because I found fault with the crown and its bezel and because the bracelet clasp wasn’t as substantial as it should be. That’s not to say that the GENOA is going to fall apart on you, quite the contrary it’s a rock solid watch built from tough 316L Stainless Steel. It has sapphire crystal and a robust Swiss made mechanical movement that will ensure a very long life span. I just wasn’t bowled over with the overall build, though!



FUNCTIONALITY
Hours, mins, seconds and date feature. 120 click uni-dierctional bezel with luminous bezel markings. Swiss SuperLuminova coupled with LÜM-TEC™ lume system, AR coated glass, divers locking clasp.

LUME
The GENOA uses Swiss SuperLuminova for its dial markers and its hour hand, but for its bezel, minute hand and applied Arabic numerals it uses LÜM-TEC™’s proprietary 8 layer lume system to create an effect that is quite breathtaking as well long lasting. I would rate the GENOA’s lume at very good to excellent.



VALUE
The GENOA has an MSRP of 1500USD. For OceanicTime readers STOLAS are offering a 30% discount which equates to 450USD off that, so with discount 1050USD. At full price the GENOA is really quite expensive, the discounted price makes a little more sense, but is still fairly high for a watch like this. From a boutique company with Swiss made on the dial I would expect just a tad more for my money.30% Coupon Code:[OCEANIC30]

ALSO CONSIDER STOLAS Have two other Harbormaster models, the Spinnaker and Gennaker that house Chinese movements, these are priced around 600USD, so they would be a more affordable alternative. But with 1’500USD in your sky-rocket the world’s your oyster folks! If you must have Swiss made on the dial from a boutique brand, and you like a little color then you might also consider the new BaliHa’i GMT, which has an introductory price of just 900USD.



OVERALL RATING
There’s no escaping the design route that STOLAS took with Genoa, its design quite unabashedly imitates the look of Ulysse Nardin’s Maxi Marine Diver, not close enough to warrant a law-suit, but still pretty damn close. However the GENOA still has a number of redeeming qualities, there’s its exhibition caseback, details such as blued steel hands and markers and its case-side engraving, but for me its real saving grace has to be its clever use of LÜM-TEC™’s proprietary lume system. If nothing else this makes the watch brilliant (literally).



So, is the GENOA just a poor man’s Maxi Marine Diver? Maybe! Is the Genoa a watch for lume freaks? Absolutely! And that in itself will be enough to help it find favor among those out there who are still drawn to its somewhat extrovert charms.


© OceanicTime

Many thanks to STOLAS for the loan of this GENOA for review . . .

2012 Jaguar Type XJ

The original Type XJ was the last car designed by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons and the latest car to wear the nameplate is as innovative, beautiful and desirable as its famous forebear. Jaguar has always listened closely to customer feedback and in the case of the Jaguar XJ, this has led to a new interior colour combination. Available with the Premium Luxury and Portfolio trim levels the Jet/

2012 Jaguar Type XJ

The original Type XJ was the last car designed by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons and the latest car to wear the nameplate is as innovative, beautiful and desirable as its famous forebear. Jaguar has always listened closely to customer feedback and in the case of the Jaguar XJ, this has led to a new interior colour combination. Available with the Premium Luxury and Portfolio trim levels the Jet/

2012 Jaguar Type XJ

The original Type XJ was the last car designed by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons and the latest car to wear the nameplate is as innovative, beautiful and desirable as its famous forebear. Jaguar has always listened closely to customer feedback and in the case of the Jaguar XJ, this has led to a new interior colour combination. Available with the Premium Luxury and Portfolio trim levels the Jet/

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Sedan wallpapers

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Sedan

Ever owned a Hyundai Sonata? Ever ridden in one of these Korean mid-sized economy cars? Well, neither have I, and I never wanted to until I saw the redesigned version of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Past generations for the Sonata sold well, had a very respectable price and scored well in terms of reliability. So, it's no surprise that an old sonata made for a great car. But, let's not dwell on the past when the future looks so bright. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata looks sharp, and I know you have seen a ton of these cars around town. Let me just cut to the chase and give you the only figures you need to know. The Sonata is the cheapest (or close to it) of all its rivals in the mid-sized sedan segment. Base price is $23k. The Hyundai Sonata has the best warranty with a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty. And the fuel economy is 22mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway which also leads the class.

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Sedan

Safety:

The Sonata is also a very safe vehicle. Front and side curtain airbags are standard. The car also has traction control and stability control which are necessary for any car to make the IIHS list of most safe vehicles. Speaking of the IIHS, the Sonata has also received excellent scores regarding NTHSA crash tests.

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Sedan

Safety:

The Sonata is also a very safe vehicle. Front and side curtain airbags are standard. The car also has traction control and stability control which are necessary for any car to make the IIHS list of most safe vehicles. Speaking of the IIHS, the Sonata has also received excellent scores regarding NTHSA crash tests.

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Sedan

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Base Sedan Vehicle Performance

• Engine: 2.4L Theta in-linefour-cylinder DOHC with variable valve timing and four valves per cylinder
• 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Base Sedan Electric / unleaded fuel
• Fuel economy: EPA (08):, 35 MPG city, 40 MPG highway, 37 MPG combined and 636 mi. range
• Multi-point fuel injection


• 17.2gallon fuel tank2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Base Sedan
• Power (SAE): 206 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 193 ft lb of torque
• Secondary power: 166 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 154 lb ft @ 4,500 rpm

ANONIMO Professionale C.N.S.

From ANONIMO When working at great depth, the most important information for the safety of the divers is that about the minutes spent outside the hyperbaric chamber. Dedicated to the Professionals of CNS, Cooperativa Nazionale Sommozzatori (C.N.S.), one of the world’s largest professional diver companies, the new Professionale CNS has been redesigned for the comfort of the divers. The new watch is the perfect example of a design collaboration of watch specialist Anonimo with the professionals who will use it.



Produced in a limited edition series of 50 numbered watches for 2011, the watch with oversized case has a redesigned dial to increase the readability of the scale of minutes. Large Arabic numerals make the new dial very easy to check the flow of time. The crown has been rotated 180 degrees, in an even more protected position. It remains an impressive 2000 meters waterproof, or 200 atmosphere pressure resistant.

The Anonimo PROFESSIONALE series was introduced in 2003. It was created based on extensive research and input by C.N.S. professionals involved in extreme underwater conditions. These watches are conceived and engineered TOGETHER WITH, not FOR the professional people that will wear them. Before starting this project, we listened humbly to the professionals. During the design process, we had a continuous exchange of ideas.



Cooperation between the brand Anonimo and CNS began with the Model 6000 Professionale, with an innovative approach to the needs of professional divers:

1° expeditionary teams on mother ship, without the common possibilities of maintenance and after-sales services to the watch.
2° long permanence in hyperbaric chambers.
3° multiple dives up to depth commonly around 400 meters.
4° aggressive submarine environments for the presence of equipments, tools, the most various liquids. (hydrocarbon, solvent..).

These data defined a series of features for the creation of a real professional watch and brought Anonimo to a radical change of perspective.



These features are:
The extreme strength to pressure ratio of the watchcase (structural Calculus of water-resistance with safety margin about 3/5 times the standard value of diving, 400 meters)

The waterproof U-Lock system, which will not put torsion on the O-Rings and which is easily repairable in emergency conditions. This can be done without the use of specific keys and will lower the risk of loosing parts of the watch.

A very good readability in the darkness as well as in low light.

The automation of the helium expulsion valve to avoid mistakes due to the user stress.

Starting from the base of these features, Anonimo created the first PROFESSIONALE, with an oversized watch case (43,4 mm), automatic movement, tested, reliable, ergonomically finished and with a specific locking system of the watch case, unusual in the world of watch making, but similar to the sailing system used by CNS for their equipment.



The U-Lock system works only by the compression of the O-Rings, without any torsion, through external female thread bars, with great dimension Torx screws that are easily accessible and replaceable, as well as the bars themselves, if they are damaged or even if a professional user should change an O-Ring. With a traditional locking system bezel/back cover, this is almost impossible, while in this case bezel and back cover are hinged at 9 hours and they cannot accidentally come off when the watch is open for repair.

For the same reasons screws and bars allow the watch to open without being totally removed but only released: you need only to first remove the strap. The crown, which has a comfortable hold, compresses the internal gaskets with a lower torsion compared to the common screw-locked crowns and it warns the user with a warning red signal when it is not correctly closed.



MOVEMENT Automatic, caliber Anonimo 01.0 on base SELLITA SW200-1 with rotor manufactured upon Anonimo specifications; 26 jewels, colimaçon finish, adjusted 4 positions, 28.800 A/h. Power reserve about 40 hours.

FUNCTIONS Hours, minutes, central seconds; date window.

CASES Sand-blasted AISI316 Plus stainless steel, diameter 45.00 mm, satinated bezel and back cover. The locking system of the bezel and back cover works with external female thread bars, easily replaceable and connected to the back cover, and rotation hinges at h. 9.Great dimensions crown, comfortable hold, with innovative locking system in protected position at h. 10 and warning red signal.Automatic helium expulsion valve.

GLASS Extra thick domed sapphire crystal

WATER-Resistance200 ATM

DIAL Great dimensions and extra thick dial, hour indexes treated with luminous coating for superior day/night readability. Luminous coating treated baton hands and thread central seconds hand. Date window at h. 4.

STRAP Waterproof, rubber injected strap. Anonimo engraved on reverse of stainless steel buckle.

MSRP 6'000 €

ANONIMO Marlin Bronze

From ANONIMO Looking for a very special collector’s item? Anonimo has golden advice for you. Or, rather, “bronze” advice, as the Italian brand of watches is offering a model out of the ordinary: the Marlin Bronze, a diving watch, 1500 meters waterproof (150 atmosphere pressure resistant) in a bronze case which will be sold in limited series of 300 numbered watches ! (per dial color)



With the Marlin, Anonimo launches once again a limited edition model that will delight those who appreciate a hand made mechanical watch. True to the tradition of the Florentine watchmakers, Anonimo pays great attention to the details. The robust bronze case is the most striking aesthetic element of this watch, combining design, know-how and great comfort. The central case and the back cover are made of one piece. The material used to manufacture them is also an unusual one, as Anonimo, in fact, did not use ordinary bronze, but marine bronze. This copper, iron, aluminium and nickel alloy, also known as aluminum bronze, is usually found in the nautical sector (e.g. ship propellers) and in the Navy (e.g. torpedo elements).

Resistant both to corrosion and oxidation, the watch can be used in the most extreme conditions. Besides its functional side, the naval bronze used by Anonimo will also give the Marlin a unique look. Over time, due to the personal usage to which it is exposed, the watch will gain a darker and warmer color, it will “age”.To emphasize the warm and elegant character of this model, the new dial colors for 2011 are a rich brown and deep green.

This watch has an elegance which catches the attention even in the most formal situations. At the same time, Anonimo remains true to its military origins and its dynamic character. Each watch is numbered on the back of the case, which is also engraved with the image of a marlin, the legendary swordfish that gave the name to this diving watch. The calfskin wrist strap, especially processed by our patented Kodiak treatment to resist seawater, gives a final touch of class and elegance. With this watch, Anonimo, the Florentine brand of luxury watches, honors its legacy while looking resolutely to the future.

Despite its youth, Anonimo carries with it the rich history of Florentine watch making and the long tradition of handmade watch cases. Founded in 1997, Anonimo is in the same time a jewel of the Italian luxury goods industry and a workshop specialized since 1939 in manufacturing handcrafted cases for watches intended mainly for the Italian Navy. Each year Anonimo issues only a limited number of watches.








MOVEMENT Automatic, caliber Anonimo 01.0 on base SELLITA SW200-1 with rotor manufactured upon Anonimo specifications; 26 jewels, colimaçon finish, adjusted 4 positions, 28.800 A/h. Power reserve about 40 hours.

FUNCTIONS Hours, minutes, central seconds; date window.

CASE Sand-blasted and satinated special bronze alloy.Dimensions: maximum length mm 55.50, nominal diameter mm 46.50, maximum thickness mm 15.50; wrist strap 24.00/20.00 mm.

Monobloc construction in which a sole element works as central part of the case (carrure) and back cover, closed by one bezel on the upper side.

BEZEL closing is ensured by five external stainless steel Thorx screws.

Great dimension screw locked stainless steel crown at h. 4 for comfortable hold. Automatic helium expulsion valve at h. 10 to be used in pressurized hyperbaric chambers in overpressure conditions.

GLASS Extra thick domed sapphire crystal.

WATER-Resistance150 ATM

DIAL Oversized and extra thick dial with hours indexes treated with luminous coating for superior day/night readability. Hands treated with luminous coating. Date window.

STRAP Manufactured in washable “Opera Kodiak” leather, water-resistant. Exclusive Anonimo stainless steel buckle or stainless steel folding clasp with security push button. Wrist strap is provided with hexagon-headed security screws and one lower screw with shaped head. This last screw allow the access for the release of the winding stem; a specific tool is required to unscrew it.

MSRP 5.500 €