Review of Graham ‘Silverstone’ GMT Automatic

Model # 2TZAS-S01A-L99S

Brand/Model:  Graham Silverstone GMT Automatic

Movement:  Swiss automatic

Material:  stainless steel case, leather strap

Complications:  date display, independently adjustable 24 hour hand

Price:  MSRP:  $4,550 USD

Plenty of photos follow the review. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

When I think of Graham brand watches, I usually envision absurdly large fighter style chronographs with oversized pushers and busy dials.  They always seemed like clown watches to me.  So when these Graham Silverstone GMT models started showing up on the grey market about a year ago at deeply discounted prices, my interest was piqued because, wonder of all wonders, this watch was ‘only’ 42mm in size!  A sensibly sized Graham?  Who knew!

Graham is an English watch company playing off the history of George Graham, who in the early 1700s was a master clockmaker in London.  All Graham watches are Swiss Made and utilize the highest quality materials with thorough engineering incorporated into each watch they make.

The Silverstone GMT gets its name from the famed Silverstone racetrack that hosted its first race in 1947 in England.  In 1950, the first Formula One race was held at Silverstone.  The track has since become known as the home of British racing and Graham saw fit to honor this grand dame of racetracks with a watch bearing its name.

So of course, since I discovered I could get a Graham for one-third the retail price, I got me-self one and truth be told, I have been very impressed with this watch since day one.  The overall quality, look and feel of this piece is superb and I wish and hope that Graham decides to make more watches in this size range.  Currently, it looks like their smallest watch is about 44mm.

The Graham Silverstone GMT came in a black or silver dial; I chose the silver.  The dial is a nice shade of silver that is surprisingly easy to read, but I’m getting ahead of myself.  

The Graham GMT starts with a beautifully fully polished stainless steel case that measures the aforementioned 42mm (actually 41.9mm) without the screwdown crown; 45.5mm with the crown included.  The case is shaped with a nice rounding to the case sides and nifty curved down lugs that help the watch hug the wrist.  

Believe me, they did not skimp in the manufacture of this case, although the screwdown crown is a curiosity for two reasons.  Why on earth use a screwdown crown on a watch rated at only 50 meters of water resistance?  Seems silly to me.  Also, the crown is incredibly plain, it is not signed nor does it have any distinctive features, like a larger size, deep knurls, etc.  I would have liked a nicely signed crown to compliment the unique look of this watch.

The caseback is brushed and polished stainless steel on the outer edge and is a display type held in place by 6 small screws.  The very nicely finished movement is easily examined through the caseback with a totally cool signed black rotor.

Case thickness is a svelte 10.7mm and lug spacing is 20mm.  As just mentioned, the watch is factory rated for a modest 50 meters of water resistance.

A fixed black 24 hour bezel insert surrounds the dial, a dial which does exhibit some of the traditional Graham excess, namely the somewhat oversized arabics and large pointer style GMT hand.  But the excess is restrained and it actually works well while telling the world this is not your usual watch.

The shade of silver on the dial is just about right, not too bright, and with the finely crafted hands with their thin pointed tips, this watch is easy to read.  The seconds hand has a luminous pointer about two-thirds of the way out, with a long red tip after the pointer.  It’s a nice long seconds hand, one that extends fully in the chapter ring that features small arabics every five minutes and minute markers between the arabics.

The large screened arabics on the dial look like they are luminous, but they are not.  Only the hour, minute and seconds hand glow in the dark.  Lume quality is good, but it would be nice to have some sort of lume on the dial, such as dots, markers, etc.  

While there is minimal printing on the dial, the texts are a bit large, but again, not too garish.  The name ‘Graham’ is prominently displayed under the 12, with a much smaller ‘Silverstone’ text underneath.  Above the 6 position is a small ‘automatic’ with a large red ‘GMT’ above that.  It might sound a bit loud, but it really isn’t.

I’m not sure why they didn’t make the GMT hand luminous, perhaps because the bezel with the 24 hour markings is not luminous or maybe they don’t think you need second timezone tracking in the dark.  Regardless of this somewhat odd oversight, the GMT hand is a plain black stick with an oversized open red pointer tip that is super easy to see.  Again, daytime legibility is a strong point on this watch.

Another unique feature of the Graham GMT is the location of the date window.  It’s at the unusual position of about 36 on the dial (or 7 o’clock depending on how you look at it).  Not sure why they chose this position, but it does the job and works fine.

The quickset date mechanism works well, the date wheel is black on white and is visible through the recessed window that frames the date nicely.

Capping the dial is a very slightly domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.  The build quality of the dial and hands is very good; no defects or dirt were noticed under an 8X loupe exam.

Doing duty inside the Graham Silverstone GMT is the venerable Swiss Made ETA 2893-2 automatic movement, with 21 jewels running at 28,800 bph with the GMT complication (Graham Caliber # G1714).  This movement is the workhorse for most GMT automatics around and in this application, it’s treated to a nice decoration regime (perlage and blued screws) and the cool signed black rotor I mentioned earlier.  It’s a joy to behold when viewed through the display caseback.  

The watch hacks and manually winds and the GMT hand clicks around the dial in one-hour increments.  The watch winds and sets well and keeps time to a fine +4 seconds/24 hours according to my testing.  Power reserve was clocked at a totally respectable 49.5 hours, more than the expected 42 hours.  Excellent!

The Graham Silverstone GMT comes on a high quality black leather strap with white contrast stitching.  The strap is smooth leather and is signed, as is the highly polished stainless steel buckle.  The strap measures 20mm at the lugs and tapers to 18.2mm at the buckle.  

There are two keepers, one fixed and one floating.  The strap is a bit thick and mildly padded, but still soft and flexible.  A perfect companion to the rest of the watch.

Presentation is rather over-the-top, as would be expected of Graham.  A two piece black cardboard outer box encloses another oversized outer box has a damped hinged auto-open cover (once the latch is slide back) with yet another smaller zippered box inside that actually contains the watch.  The zippered box could be used as a travel box if needed.  

Full documentation in the form of a hardcover ‘watch passort’ is included.  The passport contains hand-written serial numbers and movement numbers, which is a nice touch.  No complaints with this presentation.

Often times a high priced watch from a smaller company like Graham will come off as either overdone or overstyled (which their Chronofighter models are, IMHO) or all flash and no substance.  This Graham Silverstone GMT exceeded my expectations of what I thought it might be and has been a great introduction to this English brand.  

While I can safely say that I will probably never own an oversized overwrought Graham Chronofighter, if they produce more smaller sized watches like this Silverstone GMT, I would definitely take a look and have interest.  This Graham Silverstone GMT is a superb watch in most all respects and if you can snag one for one-third of retail, consider it well-bought.

Pros:  great overall quality, highly legible in daylight, nicely decorated movement, superb case shape, manageable size, unique looks

Cons:  why a screwdown crown on a 50M watch?  crown too plain, modest water resistance rating, crazy MSRP, sparse lume

Verdict:  the Graham Silverstone GMT gets the job done with outstanding style, functionality and unique details that set it apart from other GMT watches on the market; overall, a high-grade watch for discriminating collectors.  Well done!

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pics.

Excelsior!

-Marc

Review of Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Cal. 8500 Ceramic

Model # 232.30.42.21.01.001

Brand/Model:  Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Cal. 8500 Ceramic

Movement:  in-house Swiss automatic

Material:  stainless steel case and bracelet, ceramic bezel insert

Complications:  date display

Price:  MSRP $6,200 USD

Plenty of photos follow the review.  Click on the pictures to enlarge.

First off, welcome to review number 100 on my watch reviews blog!  Thank you to all my visitors and regulars for helping to make this blog one of the most popular watch review blogs on-line.  It’s been a great ride and I appreciate your support.

For this special milestone review, I thought a simply superb watch would be appropriate to mark the occasion.  Hence, I selected the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean with the new in-house Caliber 8500 automatic movement.  I reviewed the first-generation Planet Ocean (launched by Omega in 2005) a couple of years ago and I gave that watch high marks.  

The new Cal. 8500 Planet Ocean (‘PO’ for short) continues the excellence started with the first model and improves on many points, and I will say it right now, this is one outstanding watch.  It’s one of those pieces that if I had to own just one watch, this could certainly be it.

The overall design of the Planet Ocean, with its broad arrow-style hands, stylish slightly thinner bezel insert, simple but functional bracelet and superb quality all conspire in a positive way to create a watch that is the perfect all-around timepiece, at home in the office, the country club or on date night.  It exudes presence, prestige and class.  Don’t I sound adoring when I gush about something?

The updated PO has several fairly significant cosmetic changes.  The most obvious are the fatter handset, applied arabics on the dial, an applied Omega logo and slight changes to the applied markers.  The lume is now blue, with a green lume bezel dot and minute hand. 

The bezel now has a ceramic insert in a charcoal grey shade instead of black and the clasp no longer carries an engraved ‘Planet Ocean’ signature, nor the words ‘Seamaster’ or ‘Professional’.  The clasp is ever so slightly different with oval pushbuttons and the bracelet has been upgraded using screws and pins for adjustment.

Aside from a healthy price increase (at $6,200 USD, this watch is getting very pricey!), the biggest news in the latest PO is the brand new in-house Caliber 8500 Co-Axial automatic movement.  Omega ditched the beautiful embossed caseback and added a display caseback, to show off the nicely decorated new movement.  They are obviously proud of their accomplishment and this movement is being used in a variety of other Omegas, including the Aqua Terra.

The latest PO is available in two sizes, just like the first-generation model, at 45.5mm and 42mm.  As before, I am reviewing the 42mm version here.  It starts with an all stainless steel case in a brushed and polished finish and those gorgeous signature Omega curved lugs.  The case measures 42mm without the signed screwdown crown; 45.1mm with the crown included.  Lug spacing is 20mm, thickness is 16mm.  

This newer version of the PO is substantially thicker than the first-generation model, which was 14.2mm thick.  This has been a point of contention with some people, as it does make the watch somewhat top heavy on the wrist, especially if you have a thinner wrist, as I do.  I really haven’t had any problems with the thickness, but do bear it in mind if you’re considering this watch.

The caseback, as previously mentioned, is a sapphire display type and screws down. The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean is still factory rated at 600 meters of water resistance despite the inclusion of the display back, so nothing has been lost with its addition.

The crown that sets and winds the watch is located at the 3 position, and is signed and screws down.  The helium escape valve is manually operated, signed with an ‘HE’ and is located at the 10 position on the left side of the case.

The dial on the PO is a matte to slightly glossy black and with the fatter hands and applied logo, it looks great.  The lume is not as bright as the older model, but I have yet to see a watch that uses the trendy blue SuperLuminova glow as brightly as their green lume.  Why this change was made, I do not know.  To me, it’s a bit of a downgrade.  

The broad arrow hands are silver with inset lume and the seconds hand is silver with an orange pointer-style tip.  A quickset date is at the 3 position, with a black wheel and silver numerals.  

A note on the quickset, with the new Cal. 8500 movement, the quickset works by rotating the hour hand through a 24-hour cycle (àla Rolex GMT II) to change the date.  While this does take a bit longer than a standard quickset mechanism, it has the advantage of being able to change the date in either direction, so if the date you’re looking for is closer to the displayed date by going backwards, you can rotate the hour hand counterclockwise to get the date set.  And since the hour hand moves, it makes quick timezone changes super easy without upsetting the timekeeping, as the watch continues to run while you adjust the hour hand.

The words ‘Omega’, ‘Seamaster’ and ‘Professional’ are located on the dial below the 12 position, with ‘Co-axial’, ‘Chronometer’ and ‘600m/2000ft’ listed above the 6 position.  It sounds quite busy, but it really isn’t.  The quality of the applied markers, the applied logo, the look of the hands, it’s all top-notch.

The dial is capped by a slightly domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides.

The 120-click unidirectional bezel features the new grey ceramic insert with a lume pip at 12.  The insert has a matte finish and doesn’t scream ceramic, but it looks good, with the standard timing markings to be expected of a true diver.  Bezel action is smooth with nary any backlash.

Much has been discussed about the new in-house 39-jewel Caliber 8500 movement, and I will quote from Omega’s web site as to the features of this movement:  “Self-winding movement with Co-Axial Escapement for greater precision, stability and durability.  Free sprung-balance, two barrels mounted in series, automatic winding in both directions to reduce winding time.  Bridges and the oscillating mass are decorated with exclusive Geneva waves in arabesque.”  The decoration is really quite stunning.  This movement also features Omega’s Si14 silicone balance spring for added reliability.  

Omega lists power reserve at 60 hours; during my testing, I achieved 64 hours, which is superb. The movement is of course COSC rated, which seems to be carrying less and less importance these days, even in high-end watches.  

As with my first Planet Ocean, this new version when running off the wrist in the crown up position runs at just inside the COSC spec. at +6 seconds per day.  But this summer, while on vacation, I wore my Cal. 8500 Planet Ocean pretty much 24/7 (taking it off only to shower) for nine days straight and it performed flawlessly, settling in at a consistent +3 seconds per day over the nine day period.  Just fine.

I won’t go into a technical analysis of this movement, but suffice to say that it appears to be a well-engineered design with some unique features and should stand the test of time. Well done!

The bracelet on the newest PO is pretty much carry-over, with a brushed finish and a pushbutton clasp with machined deployant and fold-out machined diver extension.  

The bracelet features Omega’s patented screw and pin link adjustment, which is so much easier than the old pin and collar system.  As I previously mentioned, the clasp is just signed ‘Omega’ only, with no ‘Planet Ocean’, ‘Seamaster’ or ‘Professional’ script as in the first generation.  

A bracelet half link is also included for a better fit, but as before, there is still no micro-adjustment on the clasp, which earns this watch one of its very few demerits.

The bracelet measures 20mm at the lugs and tapers to 18mm at the clasp.

Presentation is standard Omega red box with vinyl holder for the warranty card, chronometer card, pictogram card, etc.  It works well and looks good, but as Omega’s prices continue to rise, will they spice up the box?  We’ll see.

Overall, the newest version of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean with the Caliber 8500 movement is a worthy upgrade to the original.  Yes, it costs more, but the new movement is a work of art and performance is robust and accurate.  If you’re wanting one watch that can go anywhere and look great, the PO is a fine choice.

Pros:  in-house movement with great decoration and long power reserve, high quality fit and finish, ceramic bezel looks good, high water resistance rating

Cons:  watch case is rather thick, too thick for some, blue lume is not super bright, bracelet somewhat uninspiring and lacks microadjustment, getting rather pricey

Verdict:  the Planet Ocean is truly a ‘must have’ watch and Omega pretty much knocks it out of the park with this one.  You can’t go wrong with this watch and you won’t be disappointed when you get one, it’s that good.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pics.

Excelsior!

-Marc

Review of Damasko DA45 Black Automatic

Model # DA45

Brand/Model:  Damasko DA45 Black Automatic

Movement:  Swiss automatic

Material:  hardened stainless steel case with black Damest layer, leather strap

Complications:  day/date display

Price:  $1,550 USD

Plenty of photos follow the review.  Click on the pictures to enlarge.

This is one of those reviews I was looking forward to writing.  When I purchase a watch that exceeds my expectations and has such a unique look and set of features compared to other watches, I am happy and excited to write about it.  This is the case with the watch being reviewed here, the Damasko DA45 black automatic.

Damasko is a German company that makes a fairly wide range of technologically advanced, extremely well-built tool watches that are designed to withstand environmental extremes and hold up well during everyday wear.  The list of features that are built into Damasko’s watches reminds me of reading a Mercedes Benz catalog for one of their cars...loaded with useful, real technology that is not a lot of marketing puffery.  It’s technology that’s real, thoroughly engineered and it’s built into everyone of their watches.  It’s also pretty darn cool.

Damasko has been around since 1994.  Their engineers have spent a lot of time designing watch cases that can be hardened way beyond a watch case made of standard 316L stainless steel.  The stainless alloy that Damakso employs in their cases is entirely nickel free and is hardened to a value up to four times harder than any other watch case used in modern watch production.   The value is up to 800 Vickers.  The DA45’s case is ice hardened to 710 Vickers.

Damasko also has taken considerable lengths to design and patent a superior gasketing system for the screw down crown mechanism.  Their secret is a lubrication cell inside the crown tube and double Viton™ o-rings.  The screw down crown mechanism is also patented.

The DA45 also has a very high resistance to magnetic fields (due to an inner cage), a super durable black Damest coating on the case, superior design and construction of the bezel, etc.  I could go on and on, but let’s just say this is a very bad-ass watch and these technological advancements help place Damasko watches at a higher echelon than other watches.

There are also many other innovations that are featured in higher end models of Damasko watches (but not the model reviewed here), such as an oil-free escapement mechanism and a proprietary balance spring.  You can read more about all of these nifty design features in-depth at Damasko’s web site.

The DA45 black automatic has the super hard stainless steel Damest layer case that measures 40mm without the signed screwdown crown; 44.9mm crown inclusive.  Thickness is 12.3mm and lugs are the nice standard 20mm (which makes aftermarket strap shopping much easier).  The lugs are also drilled, which makes strap changes easier as well.  

The screwdown crown has small shoulders protecting it.  One note on the crown, despite the patented design with the lubrication cell, etc., the feel of the crown as it screws down should be smoother in my opinion.  It screws down fine, but to me, there is still a slightly gritty feel to it, which the design is supposed to take care of.  Not a huge nitpick (as long as the screwdown action continues to seal the crown properly and nothing strips out), but it definitely bears mentioning.

The caseback is fully Damest layer coated and is screwed down, with lots of information stamped into the caseback as it pertains to the features and performance of the watch, most of which is in German.  All in all, the look of the case and the evenness and smoothness of the black Damest layer is superb and it appears that it will stand the test of time.

The DA45 is factory rated for 100 meters of water resistance.

There were two reasons the DA45 appealed to me.  The first was the superior black case and the second was the white dial.  But wait, the dial is also fully luminous!  Most full-lume dials either have a slight translucency to them or have a greenish tint, telling you right away that they’re luminous.  Not so with the DA45.  Damasko had the foresight to use pure white Superluminova C1 to evenly and perfectly coat the entire dial.  So in normal light, the dial is a great stark white. Only in dim light or darkness does the dial reveal itself to be luminous, emitting a soft green glow.  Fantastic!

The dial is a study in simplicity and readability.  The sword-style hands are pure matte black and the seconds hand is red, with just a small part (near the attachment to the pinion) being matte black.  The markers are also screened matte black.  Everything shows up well against the luminous dial.  The marker at 12 is red to add a bit of style and the wording ‘Damasko’ appears just above the day/date display at 3.  There is also a small vertical line that runs from 12 to 6 and a horizontal line that runs from 9 to 3 on the dial.  Very subtle.  

Capping the dial is a flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides.

A note about the day and date display.  The wheels are black on white (the day wheel is in English and German) but instead of being perfectly aligned at the 3 position, the windows are just slightly below, which is a unique and useful way to display the day and date on this watch. Just another detail that differentiates this watch from others.

The bezel on the DA45 rides on ceramic bearings and unlike most watches these days, the bezel is bi-directional.  This is a refreshing change.  The bezel is Damest layer black with white inset arabics every 5 minutes and white hash marks on the other minutes.  The bezel pip is a sealed pip that’s luminous (although faintly) and RED!  It looks super cool!  

The action of the bezel is one of the most precise, if not the most precise of any rotating bezel on a watch that I have ever experienced.  It has an absolutely positive, smooth and precise feel about it.  Just superb.  I wish more bezels had such a great feel and action as the Damasko DA45.

Inside the DA45 resides an ETA 2836-2 25-jewel Swiss automatic, with gold wash and a decorated rotor (you can’t see any of this because the caseback is not a display type, but the specs. say so).  The movement is a workhorse in the industry and beats at 28,800 bph.  Of course, it hacks and manually winds.  Power reserve is the expected 41 hours.  The movement winds, sets and performs as expected, with one major difference; it is extremely accurate!  This watch runs at an honest +1 second per day on or off the wrist.  I cannot fault this performance at all. Hats off to Damasko for taking the time to regulate their movements.

Even the strap on the DA45 goes above and beyond the normal.  It’s a nicely grained high quality slightly padded black leather with double colored stitching (white and red) that adds a bit of style without looking garish.  The buckle is of course signed and finished in black Damest to match the case on the watch.  

Two keepers are featured (one fixed, one floating) and a nifty extra tab of leather that sits under the buckle where it resides against your wrist.  A nice touch!  The strap measures 20mm at the lugs and tapers to 18.5mm at the buckle.

Presentation is a weak point, especially at this price point.  The box is a rather non-descript inner and outer pair that would better suit a $100 watch.  The instructions and documentation are also sub-par, being just color photocopies.  Please, Damasko, ramp up the presentation to better match the exclusivity and quality of your watches!

Damasko has other models similar to the DA45, with bead blasted cases instead of black, different dial colors, different bezel functions, various strap options, other accent colors, etc.  The selection is decent and should have something that appeals to everybody.

While the DA45 is not cheap by any means, it is a watch with a purpose.  It features real technology designed to increase the durability, performance and longevity of the watch.  You won’t see this watch everyday and it’s bound to attract attention because it looks like nothing else out there.  Congrats to Damasko for creating such a unique, robust and overall superb timepiece.

Pros:  great fit and finish, usable technology that’s not all hype, super smooth and durable black Damest coating, superb accuracy, Swiss engine, very nice strap, great bezel action

Cons:  could have a higher water resistance rating, despite lubrication, crown feels oddly gritty, presentation needs improvement

Verdict:  worth every penny, the Damasko DA45 black automatic is an engineering marvel that you wear on your wrist, with features above and beyond most watches on the market today.  A great look, great performance and high quality make this watch a real winner.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pictures.

Excelsior!

-Marc