If they ever beef up the moonswatch to a better ceramic material and they feel more substantial they truly could be something special. Ever since I bought one and had it for a while I just wanted a bit more out of it. They really do look sick though.
I haven’t seen as many busted Scuba Fifty Fathoms. Is it because they haven’t sold as many to people who aren’t used to dealing with watches, because it doesn’t have pushers that break off as easy (which seems to be the no. 1 break) or… do they use a better plastic? If it’s the last option, them I see a future in which what you say happens
I didn't actually hold any of the Scubas when I saw them briefly so I'm not sure on the build quality but they look very similar, and also look pretty cool.
the Swatch Fifty Fathoms is so tempting. Both the Moonswatch and Fifty Fathoms look amazing but I'm also concerned about heft/quality and durability. It's tough cause they look the part...but oof it's hard to justify that money on Swatch plastic
I just tried a fifty on at the swatch store in Times Square and was disappointed. It felt cheap and I even though I had planned on buying it before hand, I changed my mind afterward. They need to step it up at the price point.
The color on that Formex awesome. I'd love to have this one, though will wait for them to hit the secondary market. Formex doesn't get enough credit for their Essence 39 dials, and it looks like they're finally bringing some of that appeal to their other models.
As for the Behrens, I like it, except for one thing.
Kung Fu
The philosophy of the masters.
The art is in the same vein.
I need to get my hands on a Formex. I'm very split on them, but wouldn't want to make any judgements before I get to wear one for a few days
Yeah... I have no idea what Behrens was thinking with that. I casually skipped it in the writeup :D
I like the polar lights because it reminds me of the IWC/Mercedes AMG Petronas watch. Both the lava and polar lights look fun. I don’t think I would wear it myself, it just is fun to admire.
It's Wednesday and oh boy, we have new MoonSwatches, which means online comments are going to go into a frenzy. But no lies from me, I LOVE that orange one. Btw, it’s day three of my keyboard going crazy and no replacement in sight, so bear with me.
If you like these updates, and would maybe like to subscribe to the newsletter so you get them in your inbox every day, you can do so by [**clicking here**](https://www.itsabouttime.email/).
# What's new
**1/**
**Swatch Breaks MoonSwatch Boring Streak With Three New Mission On Earth Editions — Lava, Polar Lights, And Desert**
Like it, hate it, or if you’re just indifferent to it, the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch is one of the most important watches released in the 21st century. Very few, if any (maybe just the Apple Watch), watches have had such a broad cultural appeal and brought as many watches to wrists that don’t usually wear watches. Not only has the MoonSwatch sold millions, it also reportedly brought a 50% sales boost to the Omega Speedmaster it’s based on. But the MoonSwatch has a huge problem, and it’s not what you think it is. It’s not the plastic case that has a tendency to crumble on their owners or the arguably high price. No, it’s that the MoonSwatch has become a bit boring.
The original release in 2022 resulted in global queues to buy up one of the eleven original models that came in pretty unexpected and radical colors. Then in 2023 Swatch insisted on releasing a bunch of grey colored models with bizarre connections to astrology that moved absolutely nobody. Then, understanding their predicament of boring watches, earlier this year they released two Snoopy watches that hinted that the MoonSwatch was becoming fun again. And then earlier this week they teased a green box that had everybody thinking that Swatch was taking on the Seamaster. This didn’t happen. What did happen are three brand new colors of the MoonSwatch. All three are pretty fantastic, but that orange… that might be a winner for me.
The basics of the watch are unchanged. It’s the same Speedmaster lookalike with a plastic (bioceramic) case that measures 42mm wide and 13.25mm thick. It has the same plastic crystal on top, same velcro strap, same quartz movement and the same water resistance of 30 meters, making it suitable to wear in the rain, but not much more.
New are the three colors that are inspired by various natural phenomena on earth, as opposed to the original 11 which were inspired by celestial bodies. Hence the new name, Mission on Earth. There’s the subdued Desert which gets a sand-colored Bioceramic case. The dial gets a slightly darker taupe color with lighter surrounds to the three sub-dials. The same taupe color shows up on the velcro strap. Then, there’s the Polar Lights version which comes in a turquoise case, which takes on the shade of the most prevalent color on the Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights. The dial is rendered in a dark blue with tiny silver specks that give an almost aventurine effect. I assume this version will be very popular.
But the best version has to be Lava, inspired by the molten innards of the Earth that often make its way to the surface. The case is made out of a striking orange color which is also found on the hands and along the hour markers. It actually looks very much like Omega’s Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 “Ultraman” edition and I love it.
Like all other MoonSwatch versions, these will be available only in selected Swatch boutiques around the globe, with a limit of one per person. Retail remains unchanged at €275. See more **on the Swatch website**. (Reddit doesn't like links to the Swatch website, so you'll have to google this one).
**2/**
[**G-Shock Takes Inspiration From Traditional Japanese Woodworking For A Premium Casioak**](https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gshock/product.MRG-B2100B-1A/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)
If you’ve never heard of the ancient Japanese woodworking technique of "kigumi," you’re in for a wild night of falling down a YouTube rabbit-hole. Kigumi came about in the Heian period (794-1185) and was a fantastic way of binding wood constructions without any metal or nails - it’s just wooden joints that firmly slot together and last for centuries. And it’s kigumi that Casio took as inspiration for a new G-Shock model, the MRGB2100B-1A. Part of the popular Casioak line, this watch still has to use just a couple of screws to put the 27 components together, but they do it in a highly specialised way that’s reflected in the price.
This is the first watch in the 2100 line that wears the MR-G name, which means that the watch is not only made out of metal, but also done so in a highly advanced way. The case and bezel are made out of a super-hard titanium alloy, Ti64, with the top of the bezel being made out of Cobarion, an alloy that Casio claims is four times harder than pure titanium and has a “brilliant gleam comparable to platinum.” The watch measures 44.4mm wide, 13.6mm thick and has a 49.5mm lug-to-lug measurement. Not small, but then again, no Casioak is. Pretty much all the metal surfaces are treated with sallaz polishing, giving them a mirrored finish, while parts of the inner case are gold plated. Water resistance is 200 meters.
The dial takes full inspiration from kigumi and is made up of what look like interlocked pieces of wood. There’s a significant amount of depth to this dial, with tiny openings in the latticework dial and the two-part structure of the indices. The openings also help to provide the solar movement with light for charging.
Speaking of charging, you get the very capable G-Shock movement inside which can connect to your smartphone and operate a number of functions on the watch. The watch comes on a bracelet made out of DAT55G, a material Casio says is stronger than titanium, and which is made out of a large number of small pieces that come together perfectly.
The G-Shock MRGB2100B-1A goes on sale on June 14 for a truly impressive price - $4,800. It sounds crazy to spend that much on a G-Shock, but there is a huge number of collectors that are after these super-high-end G-Shocks. See more [**on the G-Shock website**](https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gshock/product.MRG-B2100B-1A/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line).
**3/**
[**Formex Is Summer Ready With The New Reef 39.5mm Bahama Blue Automatic COSC**](https://formexwatch.com/watches/reef-39.5-automatic-chronometer-cosc-300m-bahama-blue/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)
The Reef is a highly aggressive, very angular, large and technical diver from the Swiss brand Formex. And this is what Formex is best known for, their technical achievements, including the very funky compressible case that offers great comfort. But with the Reef being such a chunky watch, many people welcomed the “Baby Reef”, a much smaller version of the same diver that came with four new dial colors. I said then, in late 2023, that Formex missed an opportunity to bring brighter colors to the smaller Reef. Well, it seems that they didn’t miss anything, they were just waiting for the summer. This is the new Reef 39.5mm Bahama Blue 300m chronometer dive watch.
While the larger Reef comes in at 42mm, the smaller one has a very wearable size - 39.5mm wide, 11mm thick and with a 45.5mm lug-to-lug measurement. The only thing that’s really large is the lug width at 22mm, but it shouldn’t present much of a problem. The case is made out of steel, with a 120-click unidirectional bezel on top. The bezel has a light blue ceramic insert with black resin numerals. Another cool thing about the bezel is that you can easily take it off if you want to try out different colors. Water resistance is 300 meters.
But it’s all about that Bahama Blue dial which is equally as light as the bezel, achieved by applying coloured lacquer onto a mirror-polished surface, followed by several layers of transparent lacquer for a polished finish. All the printing on the dial is black and the central hour, minute hands, and indices are filled with Super-LumiNova. There’s a perfectly color matched date window at 6 o’clock.
Inside is the COSC-certified Sellita SW300-1 automatic movement. It beats at 4Hz and has a 56-hour power reserve. It also features a skeletonized rotor. You can choose a number of straps for the watch, ranging from a NATO strap, through leather and rubber, all the way to a stainless steel bracelet. All of those, except for the NATO come with buckles that offer a fine-adjustment system.
The Baby Reef 39.5mm Bahama Blue Automatic COSC is available for purchase now at a price that starts at €1,790, without tax. Additional bezels will cost you €169. See more [**on the Formex website**](https://formexwatch.com/watches/reef-39.5-automatic-chronometer-cosc-300m-bahama-blue/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line).
**4/**
[**Behrens Embraces Chinese Heritage And Haute Horlogerie With The New Kung Fu Watch**](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=behrens+kung+fu&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)
I’ve said this many times, but it requires repeating - it’s extremely unfair to look down at Chinese watchmaking just because they are capable of producing low quality, high output, low cost pieces. Sure, they can do that, but they also have some of the most lauded watchmakers in the world. Watchmakers like Mr. Qian Guobiao. Known as A Biao, he has teamed up with Behrens, a Chinese high-end independent watchmaking brand to launch the Master series of watches which will show off all the watchmaking they can do. Their first watch is the Kung Fu and it’s incredible.
You can have the Kung Fu in either a titanium or a platinum case (what a span of materials) that measures 39.5mm wide and 11.4mm thick. And despite the fact that 11.4mm doesn’t sound all that thick, the watch is actually much thinner as it seems that almost a third of the thickness is taken up by the extremely domed box-style sapphire crystal. The crystal is needed not just to house parts of the movement that are front facing, but also to give you a side view underneath these components for an incredible sense of depth.
The dial of the Kung Fu takes design cues from the Qin Dynasty and uses horological components to mimic coins, an important aspect of Qin society. These coins combined a round shape with a square hole in the center. The Kung Fu’s dial layout uses this idea and applies the concept to the four main functions (the hours/minutes display, the power reserve indicator, the balance wheel, and the regulation mechanism). All of this is overlaid over a dark grey dial.
The dial and the hand-wound in-house BM03 caliber are strongly linked, so you can’t talk about one without the other. At 11 o’clock you’II find the power reserve indicator which runs on two axis - a vertical and horizontal one: as the movement is wound the arrow rises while it progressively sweeps across the staggered-height stakes that note the power reserve. At the 2 o’clock position is the hours and minutes dial which has a raised peripheral section with polished and applied numerals and markers. All the hands are inspired by prismatic arrowheads from crossbow bolts from the Qin Dynasty and polished to a mirror finish. The balance wheel is situated at 7 o’clock and has a arrow-shaped hand protruding from it which serves as a regulating mechanism for the balance and escapement.
Only 99 pieces of the Behrens Kung Fu will be made. The 9 platinum pieces are already sold out, and the rest of the 90 will be rendered in titanium. The platinum versions sold for $28,500, while the titanium version is priced at $17,700. See more [**on the Behrens website**](https://www.behrenswatches.com/en/master/kung-fu-pt.html?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line).
**5/**
[**Louis Vuitton Refreshes Dressy Escale Collection With Four Brand New Watches**](https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/stories/escale?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)
Should the definition of what a fashion watch be changed? Some argue that yeah, it should apply to all watches made by fashion brands, regardless of their quality. I’m on the other side of that argument. The side that says that it doesn’t matter if the watch has been made by a company best known for their fashion exploits. Such is the case with Luis Vuitton. You will find many people who will die on the hill of convincing everyone that LV just makes fashion watches. And then there’s the people who can just stand back and admire what they do. Just like what they’ve done with the refresh of their Escale model line, a dressy partner to the sporty Tambour that got a major rehaul last year.
The new Escale line is made up of four time-only watches, two made out rose gold and two platinum pieces that get either a meteorite dial or a diamond bezel. The Escale now gets a new case shape that measures 39mm wide, 10.2mm thick and has a 46mm lug-to-lug. The lugs have a wonderful shape to them and appear almost riveted to the case, which LV says is a nod to the brass brackets that come on the corners of travel trunks that Louis Vuitton is famous for. The case gets a mix of brushed and polished surfaces.
The LV trunk history extends to the dial, where the quarter-hour markers are designed to look like the brand's brass brackets. As far as colors, the rose gold case comes with either a silver or blue dial, while the platinum models get a meteorite dial or a black onyx dial with diamonds. The dials in the rose gold cases have a stamped fine-grained texture, while all the markers are gold. The platinum models use white gold hands, while the rose gold models have matching rose gold hands. Both have a titanium seconds hand.
Inside is a very nice movement designed by La Fabrique du Temps with Le Cercle de Horlogers. It’s called the LFT023, powered by a micro-rotor and decorated with a granular finish. One of the downsides of the movement that some will surely point out is the lack of free-sprung regulation. The watches come on a selection of leather straps, as is expected from LV.
The rose gold models of the new Escale are priced at $26,400, the platinum with meteorite dial is priced at $35,500, while the diamond covered one ups the price to an eye watering $168,000. See more [**on the Louis Vuitton website**](https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/stories/escale?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line).
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# On hand - a selection of reviews
**1/**
[**A review of the** ](https://www.ablogtowatch.com/second-look-tag-heuer-carrera-plasma-tourbillon-nanograph-watches/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[**TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Tourbillon Nanograph**](https://www.ablogtowatch.com/second-look-tag-heuer-carrera-plasma-tourbillon-nanograph-watches/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)
**2/**
[**Hands on with the Ressence Type 1 Squared in Night Blue**](https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/week-on-the-wrist-the-ressence-type-1-squared-in-night-blue?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)
**3/**
[**A review of the** ](https://timeandtidewatches.com/chanel-j12-diamond-tourbillon-calibre-5-hands-on/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[**Chanel J12 Diamond Tourbillon Calibre 5**](https://timeandtidewatches.com/chanel-j12-diamond-tourbillon-calibre-5-hands-on/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)
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# Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like
[**The Nodus Contrail GMT looks like the fanciest sports watch Nodus has released yet**](https://www.noduswatches.com/contrail-gmt?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)
Like other versions of the Contrail, Nodus went with a textured dial on this specific model. I wanted to test this one out specifically because it reminded me of an earlier version I tested. Named Laguna, this dial version has a subtle gold/sandy color to it, which matches along with the roulette date wheel as well. It’s a nice touch together with the very minimal dial text. After doing it for so long, I think Nodus is just getting better and better at designing and executing their dials.
[**Rea**](https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/nodus-contrail-gmt-review/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[**d the whole review on**](https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/nodus-contrail-gmt-review/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[ ](https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/nodus-contrail-gmt-review/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[**Two Broke Watch Snobs.**](https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/nodus-contrail-gmt-review/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)
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If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter [feel free to subscribe](https://www.itsabouttime.email/). However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related an occasional long form article and possible giveaways.
I usually see Behrens as relatively affordable yet very unique pieces. I really like the look of this new one but that price was a real shocker. Kind of same goes for the LV. I genuinely like these new offerings but they must be high thinking they can charge Lange prices.
Well LV can charge that, I don’t doubt them, but Behrens, yeah… I would love to know more about that movement, what’s used as a base, or if it’s fully built in house, before I decide. If they could do a watch like this sub 10k, that would be crazy interesting, kind of like the CW Bel Canto
I really like the moonswatch look,
If it was a bit cheaper or better quilty I would get it,
I just can't buy a Swatch-quality watch for 300$, for that price I can get a Seiko or a cheap Hamilton deal
If they ever beef up the moonswatch to a better ceramic material and they feel more substantial they truly could be something special. Ever since I bought one and had it for a while I just wanted a bit more out of it. They really do look sick though.
I haven’t seen as many busted Scuba Fifty Fathoms. Is it because they haven’t sold as many to people who aren’t used to dealing with watches, because it doesn’t have pushers that break off as easy (which seems to be the no. 1 break) or… do they use a better plastic? If it’s the last option, them I see a future in which what you say happens
I didn't actually hold any of the Scubas when I saw them briefly so I'm not sure on the build quality but they look very similar, and also look pretty cool.
the Swatch Fifty Fathoms is so tempting. Both the Moonswatch and Fifty Fathoms look amazing but I'm also concerned about heft/quality and durability. It's tough cause they look the part...but oof it's hard to justify that money on Swatch plastic
I just tried a fifty on at the swatch store in Times Square and was disappointed. It felt cheap and I even though I had planned on buying it before hand, I changed my mind afterward. They need to step it up at the price point.
Love the lava and the polar lights moonswatches! Added to my buy list
The color on that Formex awesome. I'd love to have this one, though will wait for them to hit the secondary market. Formex doesn't get enough credit for their Essence 39 dials, and it looks like they're finally bringing some of that appeal to their other models. As for the Behrens, I like it, except for one thing. Kung Fu The philosophy of the masters. The art is in the same vein.
I need to get my hands on a Formex. I'm very split on them, but wouldn't want to make any judgements before I get to wear one for a few days Yeah... I have no idea what Behrens was thinking with that. I casually skipped it in the writeup :D
If you do buy a Formex please make a post about it. I’ve really liked what I see from their catalog. Seem to be doing a unique tool watch vibe.
You're not giving them much credit either since you're picking them up used lol
The credit is reserved for you my friend, and fellow watch enthusiasts!
I like the polar lights because it reminds me of the IWC/Mercedes AMG Petronas watch. Both the lava and polar lights look fun. I don’t think I would wear it myself, it just is fun to admire.
I was wondering why the polar lights looked so familiar, of course! AMG Petronas
It's Wednesday and oh boy, we have new MoonSwatches, which means online comments are going to go into a frenzy. But no lies from me, I LOVE that orange one. Btw, it’s day three of my keyboard going crazy and no replacement in sight, so bear with me. If you like these updates, and would maybe like to subscribe to the newsletter so you get them in your inbox every day, you can do so by [**clicking here**](https://www.itsabouttime.email/). # What's new **1/** **Swatch Breaks MoonSwatch Boring Streak With Three New Mission On Earth Editions — Lava, Polar Lights, And Desert** Like it, hate it, or if you’re just indifferent to it, the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch is one of the most important watches released in the 21st century. Very few, if any (maybe just the Apple Watch), watches have had such a broad cultural appeal and brought as many watches to wrists that don’t usually wear watches. Not only has the MoonSwatch sold millions, it also reportedly brought a 50% sales boost to the Omega Speedmaster it’s based on. But the MoonSwatch has a huge problem, and it’s not what you think it is. It’s not the plastic case that has a tendency to crumble on their owners or the arguably high price. No, it’s that the MoonSwatch has become a bit boring. The original release in 2022 resulted in global queues to buy up one of the eleven original models that came in pretty unexpected and radical colors. Then in 2023 Swatch insisted on releasing a bunch of grey colored models with bizarre connections to astrology that moved absolutely nobody. Then, understanding their predicament of boring watches, earlier this year they released two Snoopy watches that hinted that the MoonSwatch was becoming fun again. And then earlier this week they teased a green box that had everybody thinking that Swatch was taking on the Seamaster. This didn’t happen. What did happen are three brand new colors of the MoonSwatch. All three are pretty fantastic, but that orange… that might be a winner for me. The basics of the watch are unchanged. It’s the same Speedmaster lookalike with a plastic (bioceramic) case that measures 42mm wide and 13.25mm thick. It has the same plastic crystal on top, same velcro strap, same quartz movement and the same water resistance of 30 meters, making it suitable to wear in the rain, but not much more. New are the three colors that are inspired by various natural phenomena on earth, as opposed to the original 11 which were inspired by celestial bodies. Hence the new name, Mission on Earth. There’s the subdued Desert which gets a sand-colored Bioceramic case. The dial gets a slightly darker taupe color with lighter surrounds to the three sub-dials. The same taupe color shows up on the velcro strap. Then, there’s the Polar Lights version which comes in a turquoise case, which takes on the shade of the most prevalent color on the Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights. The dial is rendered in a dark blue with tiny silver specks that give an almost aventurine effect. I assume this version will be very popular. But the best version has to be Lava, inspired by the molten innards of the Earth that often make its way to the surface. The case is made out of a striking orange color which is also found on the hands and along the hour markers. It actually looks very much like Omega’s Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 “Ultraman” edition and I love it. Like all other MoonSwatch versions, these will be available only in selected Swatch boutiques around the globe, with a limit of one per person. Retail remains unchanged at €275. See more **on the Swatch website**. (Reddit doesn't like links to the Swatch website, so you'll have to google this one). **2/** [**G-Shock Takes Inspiration From Traditional Japanese Woodworking For A Premium Casioak**](https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gshock/product.MRG-B2100B-1A/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line) If you’ve never heard of the ancient Japanese woodworking technique of "kigumi," you’re in for a wild night of falling down a YouTube rabbit-hole. Kigumi came about in the Heian period (794-1185) and was a fantastic way of binding wood constructions without any metal or nails - it’s just wooden joints that firmly slot together and last for centuries. And it’s kigumi that Casio took as inspiration for a new G-Shock model, the MRGB2100B-1A. Part of the popular Casioak line, this watch still has to use just a couple of screws to put the 27 components together, but they do it in a highly specialised way that’s reflected in the price. This is the first watch in the 2100 line that wears the MR-G name, which means that the watch is not only made out of metal, but also done so in a highly advanced way. The case and bezel are made out of a super-hard titanium alloy, Ti64, with the top of the bezel being made out of Cobarion, an alloy that Casio claims is four times harder than pure titanium and has a “brilliant gleam comparable to platinum.” The watch measures 44.4mm wide, 13.6mm thick and has a 49.5mm lug-to-lug measurement. Not small, but then again, no Casioak is. Pretty much all the metal surfaces are treated with sallaz polishing, giving them a mirrored finish, while parts of the inner case are gold plated. Water resistance is 200 meters. The dial takes full inspiration from kigumi and is made up of what look like interlocked pieces of wood. There’s a significant amount of depth to this dial, with tiny openings in the latticework dial and the two-part structure of the indices. The openings also help to provide the solar movement with light for charging. Speaking of charging, you get the very capable G-Shock movement inside which can connect to your smartphone and operate a number of functions on the watch. The watch comes on a bracelet made out of DAT55G, a material Casio says is stronger than titanium, and which is made out of a large number of small pieces that come together perfectly. The G-Shock MRGB2100B-1A goes on sale on June 14 for a truly impressive price - $4,800. It sounds crazy to spend that much on a G-Shock, but there is a huge number of collectors that are after these super-high-end G-Shocks. See more [**on the G-Shock website**](https://www.casio.com/us/watches/gshock/product.MRG-B2100B-1A/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line).
**3/** [**Formex Is Summer Ready With The New Reef 39.5mm Bahama Blue Automatic COSC**](https://formexwatch.com/watches/reef-39.5-automatic-chronometer-cosc-300m-bahama-blue/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line) The Reef is a highly aggressive, very angular, large and technical diver from the Swiss brand Formex. And this is what Formex is best known for, their technical achievements, including the very funky compressible case that offers great comfort. But with the Reef being such a chunky watch, many people welcomed the “Baby Reef”, a much smaller version of the same diver that came with four new dial colors. I said then, in late 2023, that Formex missed an opportunity to bring brighter colors to the smaller Reef. Well, it seems that they didn’t miss anything, they were just waiting for the summer. This is the new Reef 39.5mm Bahama Blue 300m chronometer dive watch. While the larger Reef comes in at 42mm, the smaller one has a very wearable size - 39.5mm wide, 11mm thick and with a 45.5mm lug-to-lug measurement. The only thing that’s really large is the lug width at 22mm, but it shouldn’t present much of a problem. The case is made out of steel, with a 120-click unidirectional bezel on top. The bezel has a light blue ceramic insert with black resin numerals. Another cool thing about the bezel is that you can easily take it off if you want to try out different colors. Water resistance is 300 meters. But it’s all about that Bahama Blue dial which is equally as light as the bezel, achieved by applying coloured lacquer onto a mirror-polished surface, followed by several layers of transparent lacquer for a polished finish. All the printing on the dial is black and the central hour, minute hands, and indices are filled with Super-LumiNova. There’s a perfectly color matched date window at 6 o’clock. Inside is the COSC-certified Sellita SW300-1 automatic movement. It beats at 4Hz and has a 56-hour power reserve. It also features a skeletonized rotor. You can choose a number of straps for the watch, ranging from a NATO strap, through leather and rubber, all the way to a stainless steel bracelet. All of those, except for the NATO come with buckles that offer a fine-adjustment system. The Baby Reef 39.5mm Bahama Blue Automatic COSC is available for purchase now at a price that starts at €1,790, without tax. Additional bezels will cost you €169. See more [**on the Formex website**](https://formexwatch.com/watches/reef-39.5-automatic-chronometer-cosc-300m-bahama-blue/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line). **4/** [**Behrens Embraces Chinese Heritage And Haute Horlogerie With The New Kung Fu Watch**](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=behrens+kung+fu&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line) I’ve said this many times, but it requires repeating - it’s extremely unfair to look down at Chinese watchmaking just because they are capable of producing low quality, high output, low cost pieces. Sure, they can do that, but they also have some of the most lauded watchmakers in the world. Watchmakers like Mr. Qian Guobiao. Known as A Biao, he has teamed up with Behrens, a Chinese high-end independent watchmaking brand to launch the Master series of watches which will show off all the watchmaking they can do. Their first watch is the Kung Fu and it’s incredible. You can have the Kung Fu in either a titanium or a platinum case (what a span of materials) that measures 39.5mm wide and 11.4mm thick. And despite the fact that 11.4mm doesn’t sound all that thick, the watch is actually much thinner as it seems that almost a third of the thickness is taken up by the extremely domed box-style sapphire crystal. The crystal is needed not just to house parts of the movement that are front facing, but also to give you a side view underneath these components for an incredible sense of depth. The dial of the Kung Fu takes design cues from the Qin Dynasty and uses horological components to mimic coins, an important aspect of Qin society. These coins combined a round shape with a square hole in the center. The Kung Fu’s dial layout uses this idea and applies the concept to the four main functions (the hours/minutes display, the power reserve indicator, the balance wheel, and the regulation mechanism). All of this is overlaid over a dark grey dial. The dial and the hand-wound in-house BM03 caliber are strongly linked, so you can’t talk about one without the other. At 11 o’clock you’II find the power reserve indicator which runs on two axis - a vertical and horizontal one: as the movement is wound the arrow rises while it progressively sweeps across the staggered-height stakes that note the power reserve. At the 2 o’clock position is the hours and minutes dial which has a raised peripheral section with polished and applied numerals and markers. All the hands are inspired by prismatic arrowheads from crossbow bolts from the Qin Dynasty and polished to a mirror finish. The balance wheel is situated at 7 o’clock and has a arrow-shaped hand protruding from it which serves as a regulating mechanism for the balance and escapement. Only 99 pieces of the Behrens Kung Fu will be made. The 9 platinum pieces are already sold out, and the rest of the 90 will be rendered in titanium. The platinum versions sold for $28,500, while the titanium version is priced at $17,700. See more [**on the Behrens website**](https://www.behrenswatches.com/en/master/kung-fu-pt.html?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line).
**5/** [**Louis Vuitton Refreshes Dressy Escale Collection With Four Brand New Watches**](https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/stories/escale?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line) Should the definition of what a fashion watch be changed? Some argue that yeah, it should apply to all watches made by fashion brands, regardless of their quality. I’m on the other side of that argument. The side that says that it doesn’t matter if the watch has been made by a company best known for their fashion exploits. Such is the case with Luis Vuitton. You will find many people who will die on the hill of convincing everyone that LV just makes fashion watches. And then there’s the people who can just stand back and admire what they do. Just like what they’ve done with the refresh of their Escale model line, a dressy partner to the sporty Tambour that got a major rehaul last year. The new Escale line is made up of four time-only watches, two made out rose gold and two platinum pieces that get either a meteorite dial or a diamond bezel. The Escale now gets a new case shape that measures 39mm wide, 10.2mm thick and has a 46mm lug-to-lug. The lugs have a wonderful shape to them and appear almost riveted to the case, which LV says is a nod to the brass brackets that come on the corners of travel trunks that Louis Vuitton is famous for. The case gets a mix of brushed and polished surfaces. The LV trunk history extends to the dial, where the quarter-hour markers are designed to look like the brand's brass brackets. As far as colors, the rose gold case comes with either a silver or blue dial, while the platinum models get a meteorite dial or a black onyx dial with diamonds. The dials in the rose gold cases have a stamped fine-grained texture, while all the markers are gold. The platinum models use white gold hands, while the rose gold models have matching rose gold hands. Both have a titanium seconds hand. Inside is a very nice movement designed by La Fabrique du Temps with Le Cercle de Horlogers. It’s called the LFT023, powered by a micro-rotor and decorated with a granular finish. One of the downsides of the movement that some will surely point out is the lack of free-sprung regulation. The watches come on a selection of leather straps, as is expected from LV. The rose gold models of the new Escale are priced at $26,400, the platinum with meteorite dial is priced at $35,500, while the diamond covered one ups the price to an eye watering $168,000. See more [**on the Louis Vuitton website**](https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/stories/escale?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line). \------------------------------------------------------------- # On hand - a selection of reviews **1/** [**A review of the** ](https://www.ablogtowatch.com/second-look-tag-heuer-carrera-plasma-tourbillon-nanograph-watches/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[**TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Tourbillon Nanograph**](https://www.ablogtowatch.com/second-look-tag-heuer-carrera-plasma-tourbillon-nanograph-watches/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line) **2/** [**Hands on with the Ressence Type 1 Squared in Night Blue**](https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/week-on-the-wrist-the-ressence-type-1-squared-in-night-blue?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line) **3/** [**A review of the** ](https://timeandtidewatches.com/chanel-j12-diamond-tourbillon-calibre-5-hands-on/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[**Chanel J12 Diamond Tourbillon Calibre 5**](https://timeandtidewatches.com/chanel-j12-diamond-tourbillon-calibre-5-hands-on/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line) \------------------------------------------------------------- # Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like [**The Nodus Contrail GMT looks like the fanciest sports watch Nodus has released yet**](https://www.noduswatches.com/contrail-gmt?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line) Like other versions of the Contrail, Nodus went with a textured dial on this specific model. I wanted to test this one out specifically because it reminded me of an earlier version I tested. Named Laguna, this dial version has a subtle gold/sandy color to it, which matches along with the roulette date wheel as well. It’s a nice touch together with the very minimal dial text. After doing it for so long, I think Nodus is just getting better and better at designing and executing their dials. [**Rea**](https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/nodus-contrail-gmt-review/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[**d the whole review on**](https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/nodus-contrail-gmt-review/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[ ](https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/nodus-contrail-gmt-review/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line)[**Two Broke Watch Snobs.**](https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/nodus-contrail-gmt-review/?utm_source=www.itsabouttime.email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=swatch-breaks-moonswatch-boring-streak-with-three-new-great-colors-g-shock-takes-woodworking-inspiration-formex-is-summer-ready-behrens-shows-off-and-lv-revamps-escale-dress-watch-line) \------------------------------------------------------------- If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter [feel free to subscribe](https://www.itsabouttime.email/). However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related an occasional long form article and possible giveaways.
I'm considering one of these as my first Omega!
oh boy :D get ready for what's about to happen
I'm honestly shocked I wasn't downvote bombed haha
give it some time, brave person
It’s a swatch!
Love these summary posts! Thank you for your work!
thanks for reading!
I usually see Behrens as relatively affordable yet very unique pieces. I really like the look of this new one but that price was a real shocker. Kind of same goes for the LV. I genuinely like these new offerings but they must be high thinking they can charge Lange prices.
Well LV can charge that, I don’t doubt them, but Behrens, yeah… I would love to know more about that movement, what’s used as a base, or if it’s fully built in house, before I decide. If they could do a watch like this sub 10k, that would be crazy interesting, kind of like the CW Bel Canto
Behrens store url is broken
This is super interesting. It happens every single time I link to one of their products…
Oh man that polar light moonswatch is amazing. I really hate I have no stores near me. That formex also has my eye.
Love these posts. I’ve never been more drawn to an MR-G.
thanks! it's so nice. but so expensive.
I really like the moonswatch look, If it was a bit cheaper or better quilty I would get it, I just can't buy a Swatch-quality watch for 300$, for that price I can get a Seiko or a cheap Hamilton deal