Unsung Heroes: 4 integrated steel sports watches that deserve your attention
James RobinsonFor many of us out there, the dream of one day owning a grail watch, like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15500 or Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A, is going to remain just that … a dream. And the funny part is, it’s got nothing to do with the amount of spondulicks in your bank account!
No, chances are that even if you do have the cold hard cash to buy one of these wrist-worn idols, you’re still not going to be able to get your hands on one. But never fear, all hope is not lost, because there are some great steel sports watches equipped with an integrated bracelet out there that should definitely be on your radar.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato
Now we know what you’re going to say, but you’d be wrong, because the Gerard-Perregaux Laureato was actually released one year before Patek Philippe’s Nautilus. And it is a genuinely impressive watch, not least because GP has been creating timekeeping devices for more than 160 years at their headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This variant of the Laureato, complete with its wonderful blue “Clous de Paris” patterned dial, features GP’s in-house, self-winding calibre. GP01800 movement and is capable of a minimum of 54 hours of power reserve.
Bell & Ross BR05
One of the latest steel sports watches to enter the marketplace, Bell & Ross’s BR05 has been, dare we say, quite a contentious timepiece. But the ingredients are all there: angular ’70s style, check; integrated steel bracelet with *cough* inspired design, check; appropriately sized 40mm case, check. Combine these features with an automatic movement with 38 hours of power reserve, an incredibly practical and legible dial and a price tag of $7000 AUD, and you’ve got a wristwatch that we reckon could be a bit of a hit.
Zenith Defy
OK, yes, it’s not steel, it’s titanium, but Zenith’s Defy Classic is still a deeply impressive watch. Especially when you consider it’s got an automatic in-house movement with more than 50 hours of power reserve and can be had for less than $10K. This particular model, resplendent with its captivating sunray blue patterned dial is a very hot timepiece, and represents a great modern interpretation of what a ’70s steel sports watch should look like.
Tudor North Flag
Last, but certainly not least, Tudor’s North Flag has to be one of the best value-for-money propositions in this segment, and it’s also a seriously cool-looking watch with a great many notable features. For a start, the North Flag was the first watch in Tudor’s history to house their own in-house movement, calibre MT5621. And what a movement it is: chronometer certified, 70 hours of power reserve, and accuracy levels that would make some of the other watches in this list a bit nervous.
What’s more, to show off this ace movement, Tudor bestowed the North Flag with a sapphire crystal caseback, which is quite an anomalous move for the Swiss marque.