Editorial - Countdown To 2021 - Editorial

This is it, WorldTempus family — the final newsletter of the year. The next time you hear from us will be in 2021; old, dwindling calendars will have been discarded and new, full ones will have been hung up. It’s time to turn the page. Before we do so, here’s one last look at what 2020 meant to you in terms of watches. The following is a list of watches; but not just any old list. These are the 10 most-viewed watches of 2020 on WorldTempus, with close to 100,000 views between them.

In no particular order (or rather, there is an order, but I’ll let you have some fun guessing what that order is — it’s not necessarily from highest to lowest!):

Seiko Prospex SLA039J1

Solid, reliable, understated looks combined with unparalleled value for money and that mesmerising petrol-blue dial with matching rubber strap. I like to say the WorldTempus family has good taste as well as a pragmatic approach to watch appreciation, and here’s the undeniable proof.

SLA039 © Seiko

Vacheron Constantin Egerie

Personally, I love the full-set version with smoked-sapphire moon disc “clouds” — but I’ll admit it’s not exactly an everyday watch. This classic feminine beauty from the 1755-founded Geneva manufacture incorporates design cues and textures taken from fashion and couture and its presence on this list (among the top three viewed watches this year!) gives me enormous satisfaction about our growing female readership.

Egérie Moonphase © Vacheron Constantin

Longines Spirit Chronometer

There is nothing more pleasing to the eye than a well-crafted watch in the vintage aesthetic, and it seems the WorldTempus audience agrees whole-heartedly. Tough and simply designed steel case evoking military tool watches, dark calf-leather strap, high-contrast black dial with Super-LumiNova, automatic movement and chronometer rating — what more could you ask for?

Spirit © Longines

RALF TECH WRB First Edition

This brand was founded by Frank Huyghe, a guy who truly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to real-life extreme adventure. It’s no wonder that the watches he designed are the horological world’s equivalent of Jason Bourne, ready to go wherever and take on whatever. I don’t know how many of you looking at the WRB First Edition are actual adrenaline junkies, but you’ve found the right watch.

WRB First Edition © RALF TECH

MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual

Look, I can’t help it. I love MB&F. I’ve told this story a million times before, that MB&F was the first brand to help me understand how exciting modern fine watchmaking could be. It’s immensely gratifying that you guys think so too, and one of the best things I did in 2020 was to start bringing these pieces of horological kinetic art to the pages of WorldTempus more often.

Legacy Machine Perpetual © MB&F

H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic

This is one of the best-designed watches to be released recently, with the most innovative modern chronograph movement beating within, as validated by the latest edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève and the collective eyeballs of WorldTempus readers. If you don’t agree, I can’t help you there. That’s up to you and your therapist.

Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic © H. Moser & Cie

Corum Golden Bridge

This is one of those watches that just never gets old, no matter how many times they refine and refresh the design. The lightness and openness of the movement floating within its case of sapphire crystal and gold — it just feels like a breath of fresh air in a year when stress and anxiety (if not worse) made it hard to fill your lungs to their maximum. What a sight for sore eyes.

Golden Bridge © Corum

Breguet Classique 7337

Honestly, my year would have been significantly improved by having this watch in my life, so I’m totally on the same side as those of you who put this excruciatingly elegant calendar watch on the list of Top 10 WorldTempus Favourites 2020. The tender attention lavished on the guilloché dial, the serenity of the white-gold moon. Let’s face it, we all need this watch.

Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Grey Lum

The aviation-inspired watches by Bell & Ross have been a tantalising reminder of all the suspended travel of 2020, so it’s no wonder that the BR 03-92 Grey Lum ranks up there in terms of our most-viewed watches this year. The eye seeks what the heart desires. Which is not to say that the Grey Lum is merely a receptacle for our inchoate and frustrated wanderlust. There’s plenty to desire in the watch itself, as demonstrated by approximately 8,000 of our visitors.

Frédérique Constant Smartwatch Gents Vitality

I think the debate that pits classic watches against smartwatches is a stupid one. It creates a false dichotomy, implying that we have to choose one or the other. Clearly, we do not. We can have both, as shown by Frédérique Constant’s latest connected timepiece. Having a watch with all the latest digital enhancements and health monitoring functions doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice traditional design and aesthetics. This is what I like about the Vitality. Reject false choices that force you to choose between Option A or Option B. Choose both. The fact that the Vitality is on this list tells me that you guys know this already. But I just wanted to say it again anyway. Why limit yourself when you could have the World? See you in 2021, WorldTempus family; I know we’ll have the freedom to make the choices we want again.