As the French are won't to say in their inimitable style
'Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose' - The more things change, the more things stay the same. That never felt more relevant to me than when i took possession of a recent batch of outstanding 1960's dive watches. Looking over them i was suddenly struck by an overpowering sense of familiarity. Where had i see them before? I must admit it's not a genre of watches i'm that aware of (that's now changing quickly) and i couldn't quite place where i knew them from. Then suddenly it struck me. They didn't remind me of an old watch, but rather of the recent trend for modern watches to pay homage to the past.
spot the odd one out!
Ive no doubt my own discerning audience will quickly spot the Oris Dive 65 in the above collection and there is no doubt it took the watch world by storm when launched at Baselworld 2016. But i invite you to compare it with the Squale, Camy and Caravelle watches which came as part of my 1960's dive watch collection also shown here. It doesn't take a design genius to identify the DNA of the more recent addition to the ensemble and it is remarkable how well received the new design was given it really only was a refresh of a style and genre that seemingly went out of fashion. For me there is no comparison. Give me a a genuine patina honed over 2-3 generations of loving use over the more artificial sheen often designed into contemporary tributes. I also invite you to imagine the thrill of owning the original pieces. The definition of oringinality when it comes to design and build. Watches that are still stunningly wearable, offering a topic of conversation that leaves their contemporaries in their wake!
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