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The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

The simplest-looking watches aren't necessarily the most common. This one, the Luch 75349026-1801.1, is a prime example. Its dial is white with a minute track and elongated black Roman numerals, and it has only two hands, but the result is very successful. The case is made of chrome-plated brass, 36mm in diameter and 7.9mm thick, with a snap-on steel case back.

As is often the case with Luch, elegance is combined with simplicity.

The movement is tiny, as you can see when you unclip the case back. The risk with a two-hand watch is that it can be flat and static, but in my opinion, there's none of that here. There's such a sense of tension on the dial that the seconds hand doesn't feel out of place. I can't quite explain why.

The soundtrack that reminds me of this unisex watch is 90s Britpop, specifically Elastica https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHlypG2kJuc
Adjectives: classic, classy, simple, clean



High voltage

If there's one thing that's certain, it's that I dream of watches that don't exist. But they correspond to sensations I've experienced in dreams or when recalling a memory: a painting from an exhibition, a piece from a concert, a moment from a trip. Ring watches, in this respect, are a powerful dreamlike device; they're on the finger, on the projective element of the hand. It's as if they're flying, as if they're obeying us instead of remaining demurely behind the wrist like wristwatches. Unfortunately, there are few ring watches available. I've always bought cheap Chinese knock-offs, quartz watches with hands, all the while dreaming of something of higher quality.

And now, after fifty-one years in business, Casio is offering G-Shock watches to wear on your finger. The design choice for this Nano DWN-5600 is to create a miniature G-Shock wristwatch, designed to give the impression of a wrist on your fingertip. This is what makes this watch so compelling, fun, but also so weak.

Its strength lies in its convincing design and meticulous execution. It's fun because it's truly quirky and amusing. Its weakness is that, ultimately, it wasn't designed to be a ring watch. Readability isn't the best; the time only occupies the lower half of the screen, with the upper half reserved for the mode: Dual Time or Chronograph. The pin buckle strap is there to mimic a wristwatch, but in practice, it's not very practical for a ring. The main drawback of a ring watch is that you often have to remove it to wash your hands. Previous models with elastic straps are probably better suited for everyday wear, although less fun.

Interestingly, by reducing the size of the watch, you make it much more visible, eye-catching, and striking. This even harks back to the origin of the French word "montre" (watch), referring to the time-telling device that is displayed, unlike in other languages where it's the object itself that indicates the hours, or the object that signals when to raise one's guard. Naturally, on the fingers, this is noticeable. And it can be a signal: when you want to indicate to someone that time is important, rather than wearing a chronograph that day to subtly convey this message, don't hesitate to wear a G-Shock Nano; it's even clearer.

Now, I know that the word "épatage" (impressing/stunning) that I used in the title doesn't exist in French, contrary to what people who don't speak French might think, at least in this sense. The verb and the adjective do exist, but not the noun; it's a truly remarkable phenomenon in itself.

The soundtrack to listen to would be "Tonight We Fly" by The Divine Comedy, a sort of Neil Hannon reimagining Marc Chagall's Above the City. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypeegdF7GyM

Adjectives: Fun, amusing, dreamlike, desirable, demonstrative, digital, ostentatious, stunning

Nano-show-off: how G-Shock wows the crowd

Fleux is a small Canadian brand that offers convincingly affordable neo-vintage timepieces. The brand name, pronounced "Flouksse," is a tribute to diving pioneer Henri Fleuss (1851–1933).

Of course, when we talk about neo-vintage, we find familiar elements from iconic watches in horological history, but the "neo" signifies something new, something fundamentally different. This model is entirely devoid of numerals or minute track. It's an abstraction: a black disc on a white background, divided into four sections by thin white bands. It could be Suprematism, abstract art. A Malevich or Mondrian dream. Even the bezel has no markings, just a simple dot; it's bidirectional, click-free, yet stable, allowing you to place a marker on the hour disc.

For me, it's a successful watch. It evokes a sense of déjà vu, a fleeting feeling of familiarity even if you've never seen it before, and simultaneously, a sense of novelty in its ascetic simplicity. It has the soul of a diver's watch, but mounted on a leather-Cordura strap. In fact, the strap is the only truly flawed element. It's a Spanish strap from Seaqual made from recycled material. It's too stiff and doesn't fit the wrist well. I replaced it with a black French Sibra strap, which is a much better fit. The domed crystal is made of Hesalite, which complements the overall vintage feel, but it does have the drawback of scratching easily. The FLX004 is the fourth watch from this young brand, concluding their efforts to revisit the skin diver aesthetic. It measures 39 mm in diameter and 14 mm in thickness (12 mm case + 2 mm crystal). The movement is a Seiko NH38A at 3Hz. The luminescent coating is Super-LumiNova C3 "Old Radium," which offers a superb contrast with the deep black of the dial.

The soundtrack could be the music of Panov Stelar, a patchwork of reminiscences yet a fully original work in its own right, captivating and invigorating: https://youtu.be/ljKdbYGO62Q?si=Zwk2WMfZYTt0jo8M&t=2041

Adjective: Dreamlike, classy, abstract, danceable, grounded, minimalist

The past revisited

Circula is a small German family brand that was resurrected a few years ago in the third generation. The models are quite well-crafted and there is an interesting community spirit around the brand. Customers are consulted on the choices made for the development of new models.

The Protrail is a military field watch released in 2022. It comes in 3 versions. Sand, Black and limited edition Black old radium. It is the latter that seduced me with its simplicity, going so far as to reduce the numbers to the four essential ones, its extreme readability in all conditions.

The case is quite massive (40mm in diameter and 12 millimeters thick for 100g with a leather/fabric strap) due to the anti-magnetic shielding. But the watch also knows how to be forgotten, it is black and even more than black, its color always fascinates me. It may be because it comes from the Black Forest or because it has a DLC (Diamond-like-Carbon) coating that gives it robustness.

Depending on the lighting conditions and the distance at which you stand, you can see the circular streaks in the center of the dial, which add a nuance in keeping with the brand name, which sometimes make you think of an old vinyl, a Chuck Berry record that you would put on the turntable. And there, daydreaming about old memories, you tell yourself that time is definitely passing and that you are already old. Chuck Berry is already dead and we don't play vinyl anymore, we are in another era. Making people dream of another era while being firmly anchored in the 21st century is the bet of Cornelius Huber who was able to resuscitate Huber & Co in Pforzheim at the time when he himself became a father.

This unclassifiable watch that I bought for a reason that I did not understand myself, I like it a lot, what is more this series limited to 99 copies and numbered and by the greatest of chances I came across my favorite number. The movement is a Sellita SW 200-1 Elaboré (COMPATIBLE ETA 2824), it has a discreet but clear noise at 4Hz. There is no date, so as not to compromise the antimagnetic shielding. Of course there are many Field watches that have a long military experience with which this watch is not really comparable, and yet it brings an air of freshness so pleasant.

A watch oxymoron, a clash of generations

I've already reviewed the Raketa 821129. Well, the 821130 is the same thing, but in a night version. It's worth noting that Raketa models often come in two versions: a daytime version in light colors or white, and a nighttime version in black. Here, the dial is black like night, but also textured in a matrix pattern, like an organization present in the shadows. It's not visible except under specific lighting. The hours are indicated by indices, except for the 6 and the 12. December 6th is Ukrainian Armed Forces Day, a reference to December 6, 1919. The sound of the 2609 movement is rather loud; it's audible as soon as the watch is close to the face or in a quiet environment, but its frequency is quite pleasant to the ear. The perfect soundtrack to listen to with it would be this version of the popular song "Viorne Rouge" by Oleg Skypka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha4xNf-iTTw

The Matrix of Night

I quite like this little watch, which is so pretentious for what it is that it's no longer laughable, but truly admirable. The Samara factory makes watches as a cover for its military activities, and they've kept the old Pobeda brand and the old small-hand movement inherited from pre-war LIP watches. Watches are clearly not their priority. And yet, with this, they can offer a wide variety of models. This one is a "CV Chronograph," judging by the bezel, but if you look more closely—because it's true that a chronograph without buttons seems strange—it turns out to be just the calendar complication with the month and day of the week... and the small seconds. Of course, there are no hands for the month and day; you have to place them mentally. It's a mental exercise to do every morning. So, of course, the graduated bezel isn't bidirectional, or even unidirectional; it doesn't move, which is safer. You have to rotate it mentally—it's good for your memory.

If you open the snap-on case back, you'll find an antediluvian ZIM 2602 movement. Naturally, there are no calendar or chronograph complications on this type of movement. In short, the sheer audacity of it is impressive.

The soundtrack to listen to is Ostap Bender's song from "The Twelve Chairs." Con artists fascinate us; we see exactly what they're doing, how convincing they are, and yet we still fall for it. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vUV4ewHmDVM Adjectives: inventive, simple, imaginative, deceptive, astounding

Gros bluff

<p dir="ltr">The Russian watch brand <strong>Raketa</strong>, founded in <strong>1961</strong>, has its roots in the Imperial Manufacture of Peterhof, established in 1721 by Tsar Peter the Great. This factory, located in Saint Petersburg, is the oldest in Russia still in operation. Initially specializing in cutting precious and semi-precious stones, it contributed to iconic works such as the 1924 Lenin Mausoleum and the Kremlin ruby ​​stars.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">The Beginnings of Watchmaking</h2>
<p dir="ltr">After the Second World War, the Petrodvorets factory diversified its activities by launching into watchmaking. In 1945, it began assembling watches under the brands Zvezda ("Star") and Pobeda ("Victory"), the latter celebrating the victory over Nazi Germany.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Birth of the Raketa Brand</h2>
<p dir="ltr">In 1961, in homage to the first manned space flight by Yuri Gagarin, the "Raketa" brand (<strong>which means "rocket" in Russian</strong>) was created. This initiative reflects the spirit of innovation and space conquest of the Soviet era.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Expansion et Production</h2>
<p dir="ltr">At the peak of its production, in the 1970s, the factory employed around 8,000 people and produced up to 5 million mechanical watches per year. These watches were intended for civilians as well as soldiers, cosmonauts, polar explorers and Olympic athletes.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Post-Soviet Challenges and Renaissance</h2>
<p dir="ltr">After the fall of the Soviet Union, Raketa went through a difficult period, but was able to revive itself by modernizing its facilities and collaborating with international experts. Today, the manufacture produces its own movements in-house, including hairsprings and escapements, which is rare in the global watch industry.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Iconic Models</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Among Raketa's emblematic models, we find the "<strong>Polar</strong>", designed for polar explorers with a 24-hour dial, and the "<strong>Ba&iuml;konur</strong>", dedicated to cosmonauts. Raketa is one of the few global watch brands to entirely produce its own mechanical movements. Its range includes models such as the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/raketa/baikonur"> Raketa Baikonur</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/raketa/avant-garde"> Raketa Avant-Garde</a> or even the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/raketa/polar"> Raketa Polar</a>.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a Raketa watch cost?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The price of Raketa watches evolve and differ depending on the model. <strong>Most cost between 1,600 &euro; and 2,200 &euro; depending on the models and finishes</strong>. An Avant-Garde Raketa costs &euro;1,950, while a &ldquo;Sonar&rdquo; Raketa is priced at &euro;2,000. The second-hand and vintage markets are also an opportunity to find cheaper Soviet-era watches.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Raketa is owned by the Pobeda brand and produces around 7,000 watches per year, all models combined. To choose a Raketa that suits you best, <strong>Dialicious owners&rsquo; reviews</strong> are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real customer experience.</p>
<p dir="ltr">(Updated November 2024)</p>

Square watches combine energy and unrivaled presence, but this one has its rounded corners and particularly curved Arabic numerals. It is powered by a Raketa 2614H caliber with 19 jewels indicating the date. The case is made of chrome-plated brass, type 141 with a clipped steel back. It is a 32 mm square with rounded corners.
The light gray railroad is not very visible, it is more of a shadow on the edges that brings volume, the black hands and numbers on a white background stand out very well, giving it excellent readability in all circumstances. This watch is nothing special and yet it is very endearing, full of energy and softness at the same time. Its simplicity seems obvious and its energy is simply incredible.
It reminds me of the album "obvious and incredible" by the St. Petersburg musical ensemble Radar ( https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=MzRRvmwIJKo&si=0oLLpdRSUWCGxNOr ).
Adjectives: obvious, incredible, square, rounded, soft, energetic

The square of the guitar, the roundness of the trumpet

<p>La marque <strong>SYE</strong> [Start Your Engine] a &eacute;t&eacute; cr&eacute;&eacute;e en <strong>2020</strong> par Arnaud Pezeron &agrave; c&ocirc;t&eacute; de Paris en France. La marque inaugure le Sport Tailoring au poignet. Elle propose des montres sport-chic de caract&egrave;re, fiables, ludiques et abordables inspir&eacute;es de l'univers de la m&eacute;canique auto-moto. La gamme comprend deux mod&egrave;les distincts, la <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/sye/mot1on_automatic_24">SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24 </a>et la <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/sye/mot1on_chronograph">SYE MOT1ON Chronograph</a>.</p>
<p>Cette marque embarque une innovation sur le changement du bracelet disponible en acier ou en cuir. La montre n'offre aucun espace entre le bracelet et la boite d&ucirc; &agrave; l&rsquo;absence de cornes, ce qui am&eacute;liore son confort et sa portabilit&eacute;.</p>
<h2 class="p1">Combien co&ucirc;te une montre&nbsp;SYE&nbsp;?</h2>
<p class="p1">La gamme SYE comporte deux mod&egrave;les disponibles sur le site de la marque : La <strong>SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24</strong> est propos&eacute;e &agrave; partir de <strong>750&euro;</strong>. La <strong>SYE MOT1ON Chronograph</strong> est propos&eacute;e &agrave; partir de <strong>599 &euro;</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>SYE</strong> est ind&eacute;pendante et produit plusieurs centaines montres par an tous mod&egrave;les confondus. Pour choisir une SYE qui vous correspond le mieux, les <strong>avis clients Dialicious</strong> sont une pr&eacute;cieuse ressource pour &eacute;valuer chacun des diff&eacute;rents mod&egrave;les &agrave; travers l'exp&eacute;rience r&eacute;elle des clients.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Consultez le <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_francaises"><span class="s2">Classement des meilleures marques de montres fran&ccedil;aises</span></a> dont SYE fait partie.</span></p>
<p>(Mise &agrave; jour Novembre 2023)</p>

<p dir="ltr">The brand <strong>SYE</strong> [Start Your Engine] was created in <strong>2020</strong> by Arnaud Pezeron near Paris in France. The brand is introducing Sport Tailoring on the wrist. It offers sporty-chic watches with character, reliability, fun and affordability inspired by the world of car and motorcycle mechanics. The range includes two distinct models, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/sye/mot1on_automatic_24"> SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24</a> and the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/sye/mot1on_chronograph"> SYE MOT1ON Chronograph</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This brand has an innovation in changing the bracelet available in steel or leather. The watch offers no space between the bracelet and the case due to the absence of lugs, which improves its comfort and portability.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a SYE watch cost?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The SYE range includes two models available on the brand's website: The SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24 is offered from &euro; 750. The SYE MOT1ON Chronograph is offered from &euro; 599.</p>
<p dir="ltr">SYE is independent and produces several hundred watches per year, all models combined. To choose an SYE that best suits you, the Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real customer experience.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_french_watch_brands"><span class="s2">Ranking of the best French watch brands</span></a>, including SYE.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr">(Updated November 2023)</p>

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The square of the guitar, the roundness of the trumpet

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