Tag Archives: Vertex Watches

Vertex – AcquaLion Diver

This watch took me a little by surprise, I like to think in pre-pandemic times I would have been a little more on the ball. Well, I was not, so surprise a diving watch from Vertex. On reflection this should not be a surprise as most watch fans would expect every self respecting watch brand to have a diver in their range, with the honorable exception of Fears of course. The difficulty is to produce a watch that can be identified/classified as a dive watch without it being a submariner homage.

M60 AcquaLion – no date

So Vertex offer us all the essentials:

  • 40mm stainless steel case
  • The usual selection of straps, steel, rubber & nylon
  • Sellita SW300-1 Chronometer automatic movement
  • Date or no-date option
  • Ceramic uni-directional bezel
  • 600m rating
  • Meeting ISO 6425 professional dive watch standard
  • Solid caseback

You will all probably now think of Vertex as a British watch company producing modern updates on the their historical military models. With this watch there is also a “back story” it is directly linked to the work of Claude Lyons who founded the firm back in 1916. A decade before establishing Vertex, Lyons borrowed £1,000 from his father-in-law to set-up another dial name called ‘Dreadnought’ which was symbolised by a mythical creature, half lion, half fish. All watches also carry a serial number on the case back and the movement that starts with ‘FN’ “Fear Nothing” being the natural translation of dreadnaught.

The M60 AquaLion – which is available with or without a date display (‘M60 D’ and ‘M60 ND’) – is also equipped with a uni-directional dive bezel made from matte-finished ceramic and featuring knurling based on the sight adjustment mechanism found on the Bren light machine gun introduced at the start of WWII. The Vertex-ness is added through the use of the moulded Super-LumiNova dial markings . In the case of the AquaLion, the Super-LumiNova used is of the latest ‘X1 Grade’ that glows considerably brighter and for up to 1.6 times longer than the standard material, offering unrivalled visibility in low light conditions both in and out of the water.

VERTEX M60 AQUALION – SPECIFICATIONS. Case: Stainless steel, diameter 40mm, thickness 14mm. Case back: Stainless steel, screw-down type with engraved AquaLion trademark. Crown: Screw down type. Bezel: Scratch-resistant matte ceramic with engraved dive scale filled with Super-LumiNova Grade X1. Dial: Matte black with moulded Super-LumiNova X1 Grade hour markers and Super-LumiNova X1 Grade coated hands. Water resistance: 60 Bar/600 Metres ISO Rating: 6425 (international dive watch standard) Movement: Sellita SW300-1 (with or without date). Hours, minutes; hack seconds. Power reserve: 42 hours. Straps/Bracelet: One stainless steel bracelet; one single-strand Zulu strap; one rubber dive strap.

Packaging: Multi-purpose Peli Case ‘Ruck’. Waterproof, buoyant. Price: £2,850 Including UK VAT £2,375 Excluding VAT

I think Don Cochrane has succeeded in presenting us a very clearly “Vertex” diver – well done

For more detail visit – https://vertex-watches.com/collections/m60

Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers

Recently British watchmaking has for sometime been regarded something of a cottage industry, like other similar industries there is an element of chummy collaboration. Often representatives of the various brands will mention other brands in interviews. They have realised that there is enough space for them all to thrive so why not co-operate. Up until now that co-operation has been informal.

During the last ever Salon QP a conversation between Mike France of Christopher Ward and Roger Smith led to the idea of taking this co-operation to another level. I understand all my favourites such as Fears, Pinion and Vertex are getting involved. The video below gives you all the background.

There was also a really nice chat with Mike France and Roger Smith on the Scottish Watches podcast

Scottish Watches Podcast #198 : Roger Smith and Mike France on The Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers Plus A Co-Axial History Lesson

To support this initative you do not have to be a watch manufacturer. Anyone with an interest in British watchmaking can join up. I for one have put membership on my Christmas list. For more information:

https://britishwatchmakers.com/join-us

Bronze Vertex!!

You will be aware that I am a fan of Vertex watches you will have also probably understood that I am also a fan of bronze watches….. and then this shows up !!!

The new watch is a limited edition of 150 pieces to mark the 75th anniversary of the final end of the Second World War with the surrender of Japan.

This edition follows the familiar design we have seen previously first with the M100 and then the M100B that being:

  • an 11mm high 40mm case
  • ETA 7001 manual wind movement
  • 100m water resistance
  • Black matt dial with SLN 7501C arabic numbers.
  • £2700

The difference being the case made from CuSn8 bronze. You will discover should you listen to the excellent interview with Vertex’s Don Cochrane o the Scottish Watches podcast that this is the same grade of bronze as used on for the bronze Tudor Black Bay. Below is a link to the podcast.

http://www.scottishwatches.co.uk/2020/08/17/scottish-watches-podcast-171-how-to-start-a-watch-company-plus-a-new-release-with-don-from-vertex-watches/

If you would like to buy one of these special watches visit :

https://vertex-watches.com/

Vertex M100B – The Black One

After reviewing and enjoying the original Vertex M100 I was intrigued to experience the limited edition blacked out version.

M100B on rubber strap

I am sure I have read a comment from Don Cochrane of Vertex that this watch was how he imagined the dirty dozen watches might have evolved. The blacked out look making the watch even more appropriate for stealthy military operations. There is certainly no doubt that the black DLC coating does give a more modern look, especially on the superb, and subtly branded, rubber strap.

Aside from this particular watch I had been eyeing black cased watches for a time attracted by their purposeful modern. However whilst considering the merits of the M100B I realised that for me, black is not particularly new.

My previous black watches

So this brings me to my first observation, the DLC finish does actually look more stealthy. On the first morning of wearing the Vertex ,my usually attentive wife, did not notice the watch at all, when I bought it to her attention she said she had thought I was wearing the Swatch on the right in the picture above. Now for some of us that might like to keep our growing watch collections less evident, this could be a bonus feature.

Like the original watch this one comes packaged in a Peli case with three straps – however in place of the leather strap there is  a bespoke Vertex rubber two-piece strap. The two Vertex nylon NATO-straps this time are  in Red with black DLC metal parts and all Black.

M100B on red NATO

 

M100B on black NATO

The star strap has to be the new rubber one. It is super comfortable and very “elegant” exception to what I was used to expect from rubber straps. I especially like the very subtle branding. The Vertex arrow featuring on the top near to the lugs and as a grippy looking pattern on the underside.

Rubber strap detail

M100B rubber strap underside

Only 150 M100B timepieces will be produced and when I checked last week there are still some available at £2624.40. Unlike the M100 no referral is required.
The other specifications remain the same as the original. A 40mm case housing a ETA 7001 movement with a solid caseback.
 Then of course there is still the amazing lume….

 

That LUME

In conclusion this watch is a great compliment to the original with the advantage that you do not need a recommendation to buy one.

For more information and possibly to buy one visit the Vertex website.

Vertex M100B

Today I received more details of the second watch from the re-launched Vertex the all black M100B. I wrote briefly about this watch last week but lacked good quality images. Well here they are and looking pretty impressive.

M100B – photo Vertex

 

M100B + Red NATO photo Vertex

Blacked out watches are fashionable so one could be cynical and think Vertex are just following fashion but in their defence Don Cochrane has a credible explanation. The black case and rubber strap bring the M100B in line with the demands of a modern military
timepiece.
“I would like to think that, had the technology been available, the original W.W.W Cal59 made by Vertex
in WW2 would have been designed to be non-reflective. Creating the M100B has allowed us show just
how perfect that would have been and, we could not be more thrilled with the result “

As you might guess from the images above in addition to the rubber strap the watch comes with two NATO straps. The rubber strap lookes really nice in the photos, I am particularly happy to see the “easy-release” spring bars, making switching straps a breeze.

So most would agree the watch is cool, the good news is that it can be purchased , unlike the M100, without referral. The catch is there will only be 150 made, so hurry.

I am looking forward to getting to see one in the metal before they all go.

Vertex M100B specifications

• Custom ETA 7001 mechanical movement with rhodium finish and Cotes de Genève decoration
• In keeping with our previous Vertex movements, the ratchet wheel is engraved with Vertex
• Brushed steel DLC case, box crystal glass, waterproof to 100m
• Moulded Super-LumiNova™ dial
• Hand wound with 42-hour reserve
• Black dial with arabic numerals to maximise legibility, in homage to the Vertex W.W.W watch of 1944
• Packaged in a Peli case with three straps – a black rubber two-piece strap and two bespoke nylon NATOstyle
straps in Black and Red, all with black DLC hardware
• Price: £2,625 available via www.vertexblack.com

Vertex & Fears

In my waiting for the next review I have posted very little recently. So just to keep things rolling along a little I thought I should give a quick update on the latest news I have picked up.

The biggest story as far as I am concerned is the announcement on Friday of a second watch from the revived Vertex brand, the M100B. I guess the “B” standing for black as this watch is essentially the same watch as the original M100 but with a black case and a rubber strap.

The only picture I could find at the moment is this  “screen shot” from Instagram.

 

Vertex M100B

This watch will be limited to 150 pieces, as yet I am not sure of the requirements for getting hold of one. I hope to find out more once the official press release is published.

This launch co-incides with the first anniversary of the re-launched Vertex brand.

The other newsworthy event for me was the Pop- Up Fears Museum evening held at Picketts in Mayfair. This was a very enjoyable evening to which Nicholas Bowman-Scargill bought, as well his current range, also some examples of past Fears watches.

Some historical Fears watches

In the picture above you can see on the far right the watch that inspired the new Brunswick, which by all accounts is selling very well.

Some later examples of Fears

 

When I last met Nicholas he was very proud of the gold watch at the top of this collection – an inspiration for a future model ?