A Modern Take on a Vintage Masterpiece: The Tissot Heritage Navigator

Did I need to buy this watch? No! Was it a moment of weakness? Hell yes! Do I regret the purchase? Absolutely NOT! LOOK AT IT! My fellow watch lovers (or soon-to-be watch lovers) let me introduce you to the Tissot Heritage Navigator 160th Anniversary COSC!

I know, I am a little late with this review, but hey! I only got the watch in August 2023 so I gave myself 6 months to truly get an appreciation for this watch! 

History and Significance: The Tissot Heritage Navigator Automatic 160th Anniversary COSC pays homage to Tissot's illustrious 160-year history of watchmaking excellence. Inspired by vintage Tissot timepieces, this special edition celebrates the brand's heritage while incorporating modern features and innovations.

Sizing (including wearability on the wrist): The case diameter is 43mm with a lug to lug of 51.5mm. Yes it is big, flat and long (no no no dirty jokes here!). But on my toothpick wrists (shown below) it looks surprisingly good! It is 9.6mm thick which makes it a perfect candidate to slide under your cuff and look seriously classy! So in my opinion: This size makes it suitable for a variety of wrist sizes, offering a comfortable fit without feeling oversized or cumbersome.

Whether paired with a formal suit or casual attire, the Heritage Navigator exudes versatility, effortlessly transitioning from the boardroom to the weekend getaway. Its timeless design and understated elegance make it a versatile accessory for any occasion, adding a touch of sophistication to any ensemble.

Grade: 7.5/10

Movement: Powered by a COSC-certified automatic movement, the Heritage Navigator ensures exceptional accuracy and reliability. This high-precision movement not only upholds Tissot's reputation for precision timekeeping but also reflects the brand's commitment to quality craftsmanship. The see-through case back with the gold-plated rotor only adds to the sophistication and I have caught myself many a time just flipping the watch over and staring at it. I do understand that this watch is around 10 years old but in today's market folks might be turned off by the 40-hour power reserve. 

Grade: 9/10

Strap: The Heritage Navigator comes with a premium leather strap on a deployant buckle, adding to its vintage charm and sophistication. Crafted with attention to detail, the strap ensures both comfort and durability, making it suitable for daily wear. Additionally, its quick-release mechanism allows for easy customization with alternative straps, further enhancing versatility.

Strap: 9/10

Case and Dial: 

At first glance, the Heritage Navigator exudes sophistication with its refined design elements. The 43mm stainless steel case strikes a perfect balance between classic proportions and contemporary aesthetics. The polished finish accentuates the watch's luxurious appeal, while the intricate detailing on the bezel adds a touch of refinement.

The GMT function allows travelers to track multiple time zones simultaneously, making it an ideal companion for globetrotters and jet-setters. The rotating inner bezel, operated by the crown at 2 o'clock, enables users to adjust the city ring, providing quick and convenient access to different time zones. This feature, coupled with the GMT hand, ensures effortless timekeeping wherever your adventures take you. And I must mention here that it has Mumbai and Calcutta on the city ring! Hook line and sinker! I cannot think of another watch at this price point with that dial layout! 

Grade:10/10

Conclusion: In conclusion, the Tissot Heritage Navigator Automatic 160th Anniversary COSC is more than just a timepiece; it's a symbol of Tissot's enduring legacy and commitment to excellence. With its blend of heritage-inspired design, precision movement, and exceptional comfort, it's a watch that not only tells time but also tells a story—a story of craftsmanship, innovation, and timeless elegance.

Plus I CANNOT stress this enough! My wife said: "It is a different looking watch....".. THAT IS IT!! it is now part of the permanent collection! 

Overall Grade: 35.5/40 

10,000th Review of the Tissot PRX

I have been told my reviews are too long (how dare you)! so here is my attempt to shorten them and become more to the point and succinct! I will be changing the grading business where each category will be out of 10 and a total score out of 40. And yes, this will be 10,000th Tissot PRX review but I wanted to have a crack at reviewing a truly sentimental watch! 

Sizing (including wearability on the wrist):

This integrated bracelet offering from Tissot has a case diameter of 40mm. Lug to lug is difficult to measure with the solid protruding end links. So if you measure out to the fixed links, it is 50mm. After removing the links it wears very nicely on the wrist so much so that the watch even slides perfectly under a business shirt. Forget lug width. It does not have one! but folks are starting to offer straps. Artisan Straps is one of them (PRX Artisan Straps Link). 

Grade: 8/10

Movement: Yes yes yes it has plastic bits. But millions of PRX (I assume) have been bought and worn and I am yet to see/hear a lot of complaints. I have the version with the Powermatic 80 providing 80h of power reserve with a Nicachron balance hairspring. And this ensures a fairly impressive antimagnetic performance. Simply said the feeling of putting it down on a Friday and then picking it back up on Monday for work and it still ticking away is just AWESOME. Accuracy for the 8 months I have had this watch has also been awesome. It is running on average at +2s/day. I also like Tissot's transparency with the replacement cost of the movement on their website. So total cost of ownership is also calculable.

Grade: 9/10

Bracelet: This is the start of the show for me! You may want to put or buy this watch on a strap, but the watch does NOT work the same without the bracelet. With a butterfly clasp, it is the star of the show just the way it shines when the light hits it. And be it indoor lighting or sunlight, it really elevates the watch into the accessible luxury realm. It is also very comfortable to wear and it does not declare war on your arm hair.

Grade: 10/10 

Case and Dial: The colour of the dial is ice blue and it is the same colour as my wife's dad's first car. No wonder this watch is more on her wrist than mine! Need I say more? OK I will give it a shot. The patterned dial adds depth and texture to the dial that elevates this watch to a new stratosphere. Simple hands and a white date dial make this watch truly a great homage to its 1970s predecessor. Simple text makes the dial look uncluttered (take notes Rolex!). To conclude: clean, simple, and classy.

Grade: 9/10

Overall Grade: 36 out of 40. 

What are your alternatives? Christopher Ward, Rolex OysterQuartz, AP Royal Oak, Patek Phillipe Nautilus, Nivada Grenchen F77 OR  Zenith Defy Skyline. And I am sure I am missing a few but none of the alternatives are as accessible and look as luxurious and classy as the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

Greatest Seiko Ever

Even my wife loves this watch! That's right ..... She likes a watch I bought. That fact alone does 50% of the heavy lifting for this Seiko to be anointed as the greatest Seiko of all time in my books! 

Is everyone done with my hyperbolies? OK, awesome. Now let us get the facts out of the way first. The technical specifications go a long way not only to elevate your wrist game but make it suitable for wrists of multiple sizes.

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 42mm (wears smaller)

Case Thickness: 13mm

Band Material: Stainless Steel

Band Width: 21mm

Movement: Quartz

Caliber: 7T62

Chronograph Function: Yes

Alarm Function: Yes

Slide Rule Bezel: Yes

Dial Color: Black

Crystal: Hardlex

Water Resistance: 200 meters (660 feet)

Luminous Hands and Markers: Yes

Clasp: Deployment Clasp

Height: 12mm tall 

Lug to Lug: 44mm

Movement: 

The movement is a 7T62 grab-and-go quartz movement. Frequency of 32,768 Hz and boasts and accuracy of plus minus 15 seconds a month. And let me tell you it runs a LOT better than the specifications state. Although the stated battery life is 3 years, I am 4 years into owning this watch and I am yet to require a battery change. But my favourite function has to be the second time zone function. If you pull out the crown to the outermost position and press the bottom pusher, you can set the watch to any time you want, which really helps me set the time to Indian timezone. And yes that is important to me cause not only is that my home country, but it is one of those half-hour timezones which makes it awkward to track using a GMT hand.

Grade: A+

Case: 

Stainless steel case with 2 screw-down pushers which help add to the 200m water resistance. Brushed lugs and a polished case, create a wonderful contrast. Two screw-down pushers at the 2 and 4 o'clock position along with a screw-down crown give this watch an impressive 200m WR (which is insane for an aviation watch like the Flighty). So it has combined the best of both worlds, a pilot's watch and a dive watch. The bezel is obvious and made of stainless steel with an aluminum insert. The sawtooth edge makes it easy to grab and rotate. The friction is also perfect for the bi-directional bezel. The colorways on the bezel match perfectly with the colours on the dial. Are you ever going to use the bezel? Most likely no. But better to have such a bezel and not need it, rather than needing it and not having it right? 

Grade: A

Bracelet: 

This is probably the weakest link of this watch. With the polished center links, it is an absolute scratch magnet. But that is not the worst of it, cause I always love to wear my watches on the bracelet, it is the second link away from lugs that really sticks out like a sore thumb and it is NOT smooth at all as you will see in the pic below. Another negative is the bracelet does not taper at all. Does not bug me too much but I can see why it might frustrate a few. However, there are 4 holes of micro-adjust and it is super comfortable, so if you can get over that one less-than-pretty link in the bracelet, it is awesome! 

Grade: B+

Dial: 

This is the start of the show! The busyness and the layering of the dial is simply spectacular. Together with the bezel, and the inner chapter ring, the number of functions available for you to play around with is an overkill. But it is not an overkill in a negative sense. It might look really busy but, somehow the use of the real estate is clean and classy. Even the details around the applied Seiko logo, the applied hour markers, and even the polished hands of the subdials is simply perfect. The design of the dial makes the Flighty perfect for a boardroom and also the beach! yes, that is the range of this watch! The hardlex crystal and the distortions it creates are also mesmerizing. And the icing is the yellow tachymeter and 12-clock subdial. Just adds a pop to the watch! 

Grade: A+ (triple plus)

Overall Grade: A. Buy it while they are still available for reasonable prices! You will not regret it! Want a tool watch for all occasions! SNA411 is the answer! 

The Classiest Tag Heuer Ever!

OK OK OK .. I know this might be a controversial opinion but I am yet to come across a Tag Heuer watch that is as classy, sporty, dressy, and timeless as the Tag Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 6. Readers beware! this watch is not in production anymore by Tag Heuer. So this is as much a public service announcement as much as it is a plea to Tag Heuer to bring this timeless classic back! 

Let me get the specifications out of the way before I shower this watch with praise and maybe set it up for some either favourable or harsh comments from my fellow watch lovers! 

Reference Number: WAV511C

Water Resistance Depth: 10Bar

Movement: Calibre 6 COSC

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Lug Width: 20mm

Case Thickness: 12mm

Dial Window Material Type: Sapphire Crystal

Dial Diameter: 40mm

Lug to Lug: 47mm

Watch Strap Type: Stainless Steel Bracelet

Dial Colour: Dark Brown

Yes Yes this will be a biased take on the watch! This was the first "serious Swiss watch" (whatever the definition of that is these days) that I purchased after moving back to Australia and developing my watch hobby. To that effect, Vintage Watch Co made this experience an absolute breeze (https://vintagewatchco.com.au/). So to say that my take on this watch is going to be slightly biased is a gross understatement. I will do my best to be objective.

Movement: 

As everyone already knows the movement is the heart of any watch. And the heart that beats in this watch is the extremely robust Calibre 6. Based on an ETA 2895-2, housing 27 jewels, COSC certified and beating at 28,800 beats per hour. It also features Côtes de Genève decorating on the rotor which is mesmerising, to say the least. Well at least for me! The power reserve is approximately 40 hours, which might seem substandard as compared to other watch releases from the past 5 years, but the whole package more than makes up for it! The movement does have hacking and hand-winding features. Unscrew the crown and it pops out and that is the hand-winding position. One more position out and that will help you quick set the date and pull it out to the last position and you can get the hours and minutes (and the seconds dial waits till you are done and patiently waits and doesn't move!)

Grade: A (would be a plus if power reserve was higher)

Case: 

The majority of the case is brushed with some edges and the rim of the bezel is polished, which is home to a sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating. The crown guards are pronounced and obvious which then protects a Tag Heuer branded crown, which looks like a tyre. Do not be worried about the texture of the crown, cause it is THIS texture that helps you oh so easily turn screw and unscrew the crown. The tactile feel is just fantastic! The lugs are slightly curved, but they do not add significantly to the profile of the watch due to "all wrist size" friendly dimensions. And that is just half the story. Turn this watch over and you will see a seethrough case back which gives you a peak into the heart of the watch (as mentioned before). There are two separate sapphire windows with a case back which is secured using 6 screws. 

Grade: A+

Bracelet:

The watch that I picked up came with a steel bracelet. The majority of it is polished with alternative centre links being polished (yes yes it's a scratch magnet). The bracelet has plenty of half-links for anyone to get a great fit. If you cannot get a great fit you need a new wrist, not a new bracelet (yes yes too harsh I know). The bracelet has a push-button folding clasp, brushed with the Tag Heuer embossed. The bracelet does taper. 20mm to 17mm at the clasp. That gives it that classy touch. 

Grade: A

Dial: 

The dial is brown with a Circular Guilloche. But that is not even the most mesmerising part of the dial. It is the way that the seconds are displayed that really drew me to this watch. The GT engine-inspired, rotating system makes reading the seconds hand at a glance a breeze. You will find the date window at the 3 o'clock position. That is the only minor flaw of this model, in my eyes. They should have moved the Tag Heuer logo down a few millimetres and put the date window at the 12 o-clock position. The symmetry of the dial then would have been simply perfect. There is a bit of text on the dial, but it does not feel over the top. Grand Carrera Calibre 6 are written in 3 different fonts and sizes, followed by an automatic chronometer and is officially certified below the seconds display. It is just enough without being over the top (unlike the thesis that Rolex write on their submariner dials!). If you want to get a watch for the lume, this is not the one for you. It is poor on the best of days. It is a minimalist design for all occasions for sure!  

Grade: B+

Overall grade: A minus (the date position and the lume)

That is my grade. Does that matter? Absolutely NO! My wife is NOT a fan of this watch. It is barely passable for her! Does anyone else find that relatable? 

A Homage Watch to fall in love with: Pagani Design PD-1667

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY PAGANI! 

The word "design" in the name Pagani Design is a bit of a misnomer. Established in 2012, Pagani Design is located in Guangzhou off the coast of China facing the South China Sea. Their value proposition stems from photocopying all of the marketing material of Rolex, Tag Heuer, and Omega among other luxury brands, and offering their customers spec monsters at a fraction of the price. 

The Pagani Design PD-1667 is a homage to the No Time to Die Omega Diver 300M- Co-Axial Master Chronometer 42 MM Ref Number 210.90.42.20.01.001. And the similarities are fairly obvious. A little peak at the images placed below should be a giveaway. The recommended retail price of Omega in Australia is roughly $AU14,000 on the mesh bracelet. I feel this is an important point that should be noted, given that almost all other seamasters can be purchased for <$AU8000

The watch arrived Friday (12th February) and I have worn it for 2 days non-stop (did not even take it off before I went to sleep). But before I breakdown my experience thus far, let's have a look at the specifications of the PD-1667:

Model Number: PD1667

Water Resistance Depth: 10Bar

Clasp Type: Folding Clasp with Safety

Movement: Japan Seiko NH35A

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Feature: Shock Resistant, Auto Date, Complete Calendar, Water Resistant, Swim, Luminous Hands

Lug Width: 20mm

Case Thickness: 14mm

Dial Window Material Type: Sapphire Crystal

Dial Diameter: 42mm

Lug to Lug: 49mm

Watch Strap Type: Fitted Rubber Strap

Bezel Material: Ceramic plus liquid metal

Luminous Material: Super-LumiNova

Watch Case: 316L stainless steel

The movement is the heart of all watches. The PD-1667 is powered by the Japan Seiko NH35A movement. It's one of the world's most popular movements which are used by multiple microbrands. It is basically the unbranded version of the Seiko caliber 4R35 movement and boasts a power reserve of approximately 40 hours. Although it is rated at -20 to +40s per day, mine is running at a more than acceptable -10s/day. I have set it to +3 minutes and I am all set for the next 20 days! For all my felow engineering/watch nerds, you can find more information about this movement here.

Housed in a full 316L stainless steel construction with sapphire glass with a screw-down crown (giving it a rating of 100m of water resistance), transparent case back, the price tag of ~$170 is really stretched thin across all of these features that are packed into this monster of a watch. There is a tad bit of joy associated with just holding your watch and rotating it in your hands and having a look at all parts of the movement. And at this price point, it is a great feature of the watch.

The minute and the hour hand follow the skeleton design of the Omega with a lollipop seconds hand. The dial is black but it has a rough texture to it. All the text on the dial is printed on including the Pagani Design logo, Automatic, the water resistance rating, and the fact that its heart is a Japanese movement (Japan Movt at the 6'o clock marker). It has the single batons at 6 and 9 o'clock positions with a double baton for the 12'o clock marker. All of this is topped off by the very classy, elegant, and simple date window. This date window starts transitioning into the next day at around 10:30pm and over a period of 90 minutes ticks over to the next day. The polished finishing of the case and the sides of the bezel make this watch a real head-turner.

(Screenshot from YouTube Video)

I bought the PD-1667 on a fitted rubber strap. It looks brilliant and it just feels amazing on the wrist. Very snug and comfortable fit and even when I am out and about in 35 degrees Celcius with 75% humidity (I live in Brisbane) and was sweating my ba*** off. But it is fairly difficult to size the strap. The strap into the clasp is a very (very) tight fit and I hope that you can size your write and use the correct hole with your first go! Needless to say, I didn't, and took me more than 5 minutes to resize it. The Pagani Design printed logo on the clasp is a nice and classy touch.

The bezel is one of the prettiest features of the watch. It is a 90 clicks unidirectional bezel with a ceramic insert painted with a brownish fauxtina. The sounds of the clicks are very crisp and I plan to use it constantly when I time by timeboxed activities at work or at home every day. On closer inspection, the bezel appears to be very clean with a quality finish, including the brushed finish on the metallic surfaces. However, there is "one marker" worth of play in the bezel. This play, however, enables me to perfectly align the bezel with the minute markers. So silver lining I guess.

The lume is fairly impressive. The minute markers and the hands stay lit up for close to 15 minutes after I come back home from my daily walks. That is fairly impressive as watches that are an order of magnitude dearer does not have lume that lasts this long.

1-year warranty means nothing. If the watch took 6 weeks to get here, I cannot imagine going through the pain of exercising my rights that a warranty affords me given the current climate. If anything does go wrong, you are better off just getting a new NH35A movement into the watch or getting yourself new spring bars and fitting it in yourself or at your local watch repair store (Mr. Mint for my fellow Aussies).

There is one thing that would highly recommend everyone to avoid. If you got this beauty of a watch with the fitted rubber strap, the pillows in a low-cost watch box (like the one I have) is not the ideal place to store your Pagani Seamaster. I tried to force the issue and the photo below depicts the fruits of my misguided labor. I do have a toolkit and 25 minutes later, I was able to put the spring bars back into place and resuscitate my purchase.

The packaging is decent (placed below). It included an instruction manual, a warranty card (throw it away! It is of no use), a rectangular "pillow" and a wiping cloth. I was nervous when I initially saw the size of the packaging. I do not trust any handlers to treat packages with any level of care (especially when they have a fragile sticker on them). A single layer of bubble wrap in the box was all that was protecting the watch from death. I guess mine has survived (for now) and I couldn't be happier.

This one set me back $AU172 including multiple coupons from Aliexpress and import taxes. But it was very much one of those buy and forget sort of deals. Do not expect overnight or even a 72-hour delivery window. I ordered this on 1st January 2021 and it arrived on the 12th of February. I wanted to not think about it, but that was nearly impossible. I am a watch nerd and I checked tracking almost every day hoping for progress. But if you can put up with the long delivery times, it is well worth the wait. 

Overall grade: A-

Would I recommend it to a friend? In a heartbeat! I already have and 2 of them are about to purchase a couple of them! Where is my commission, Pagani?