The Test of Time

Ten years ago TODAY, October 31, 2007, we added the Citizen Eco-Drive TITANIUM RACING CHRONOGRAPH, model BL5250-02L to our on-line catalog on Gem of the Day.  In the world of watches, especially from the large (gigantic!!!!) Japanese Watch Companies, it is rare for a model to continue to be produced for so many years.  Slow sellers are discontinued almost immediately,  In fact Citizen Watch Company discontinues nearly a third of their line every year!

Yet the Eco-Drive Racing Chronograph has endured for all these years and shows no sign of slowing down.  It has always been one of our top best sellers, and I'm betting it's been a consistent best seller for Citizen, too.

The real question is "Why?" Citizen has produced several hundred (you read that right) models with the identical features of alarm, chronograph, perpetual calendar and dual time zones.  These models have come an gone.  Far fewer have had a TITANIUM CASE and that may well be part of the secret.  Titanium is lightweight and stronger than steel. 

The Eco-Drive Racing Chronograph is water resistant to 200 meters or 660 feet below sea level.  It is suitable for deep diving (although not with the racing leather strap).  The key here is the BL5250-02L is incredibly tough and no one is afraid to wear it under any conditions or circumstances. 

Beyond that you quickly get into subjective features of looks, styling and comfort.  I always felt it was (and still is) one of Citizen's best looking watches,  The gray dial and easy-to-read hands and numbers and subdials create an understated elegance.  

I certainly don't want to underestimate the importance of the battery-free Eco-Drive movement.  Combined with the nearly indestructible Titanium Case, the watch never needs maintenance.  It simply runs and keeps perfect time forever!  The Citizen Eco-Drive Quartz Movement, Caliber E820, is one of the most tested and proven watch movements Citizen has ever made. The power reserve is nearly 6 months and recharges in two hours of sunlight.

How long with the BL5250-02L Citizen Racing Chronograph be available.  Obviously we don't know, but if you buy one today you'll have yours forever!

Available from both Gem of the Day and Top Flight Watches just by clicking the links.

Traser Creates a True GMT Pilot's Watch... and It's Beautiful

Finally, H3 mb-microtec, the Swiss parent of Traser Watches, who are, by the way, the world leader in Tritium Technology, has added true GMT Pilot's Watches with independent fourth hands and a 24 hour subdials. Most importantly they've continued their leadership in watch illumination technology to create an amazingly functional and tremendously beautiful Pilot's Watch.

Top Flight Watches is pleased to introduce the all new P59 Aurora GMT Pilot's Watch Collection to our pilot's and travelers here in the U.S.A. As mentioned above the P59 Aurora is a true dual time zone watch, a 12 hour and a 24 hour timepiece with a fourth hand to easily indicate 24 hour time for any time zone you desire. The gradient color dial adds a touch of Swiss sophistication to the overall design and is great looking, too.

The watch also uses a combination of Lumi-Bright Luminous paint and Tritium Illumination to light the dial insuring maximum visibility day or night. There is Tritium Illumination on all hour markers and on ALL HANDS, including the 24 hour hand.  The 24 Hour subdial is also  fully illuminated with Tritium.

H3 mb-microtec has chosen to use their new super thin tritium gas tubes for illumination which allows more tubes to be placed closer together as you can see from the close-up above,  This means you get an illuminated marker for each of the 24 hour time indicators.  

Traser P59 Aurora GMT collection includes four model choices, all with stainless steel cases, anti-glare coated, scratchproof sapphire glass crystals and with depth tested water resistance down to 100 meters or 330 feet below sea level.  There are two dial colors and two strap or bracelet choices.  They can all be seen on either website linked below:

Top Flight Watches

Time 4 Tritium 

Citizen Altichron

The Citizen Altichron is here and it's one of the best Citizen watches to come along in quite some time.  Citizen continues to produce highly technical watches that work fluidly and intuitively.  It an impressive ability and I give a lot of credit to the Citizen engineers.  It's one thing to make a watch with a lot of technical features like digital compass and altimeter but it's something else entirely to make it easy to use.  But that is exactly what Citizen has managed to do and it's the first thing that stood out to me when I first held the watch in my hands. 

The two main technical features of this watch are the Electronic Compass and Altimeter and each is as easy to use as the other.  One of the first things you'll notice is the two color coded buttons on the left side of the case.  One is orange and one is neon yellow.  Then on the face of the watch you will also notice two additional hands.  Once again, one is orange and one is neon yellow.  This is not a coincidence.  Each button corresponds with it's matching hands and automatically launches it's touted feature into action.

Pressing the orange button sends the watch into Compass Mode.  No fiddling required.  Press the orange button and the orange hand starts up and finds true north.  Simple, easy and fast.  No changing modes, no set-up, no fuss.  Just press and go.  Frankly, it's very impressive and intuitive to use.  The big large buttons also mean they are easy to use even if you are wearing gloves or other outdoor equipment.  This is truly a watch you could take into the field and use every day.  And once you are done simply press the orange button again and it goes back to normal.

So, how about the yellow button?  You guessed it.  It operates the other main function, the Altimeter.  And just like the Compass, it's every bit as easy and intuitive to use.  This time by pushing the yellow button, the watch's Altimeter function comes to life and once again does so without any complications.  One press of the button sets the yellow hand in motion and comes to rest on the current elevation displayed by the yellow numbers on the dial.  Simple, easy and efficient.

The watch also features Citizen's now famous light powered technology (Eco-Drive) and come in a variety of light-weight Titanium cases.  Model BN5030-06E is solid Titanium in the standard finish (pictured in the top image) and Model BN5035-02F has a black IP finish.  Both models come standard with a Rubber Strap.  No metal bracelet is available at this time.  Each watch is also 200 Meter Water Resistant and comes with a Power Reserve Indicator on the dial.

Retail pricing starts at $850 for the standard Titanium model and $995 for the Black IP model.  Sale prices are much lower and right now we have a special Summer Citizen Sale going on to make these deals even better!  Simply visit us at one of our sites and enter the Code: Citizen10 to get an additional 10% off the sale price.

This watch is available at both Gem of the Day and TopFlight Watches and the code is good at both sites as well.  As always, you can call us Toll Free at 1-888-243-6329 with any questions, comments or just to talk watches.  Our watch experts are available to answer any question you may have.  We'd love to hear from you.

Never Forget to Fall Back Again!

 

(Seiko Astrom Solar GPS - SAST003)

This Sunday marks the end of Daylight Savings Time (DST) in most areas of the USA.  Twice a year we adjust the time either forward or back depending on if we are going into or coming out of DST.  I always remember it by the old simple saying, Spring Forward or Fall Back.  Meaning in the Spring you set the time forward an hour and in the Fall you set it back an hour.  Most of us have done it all our lives and while we are used to doing it, it's still sometimes a pain. 

Like for me personally I have quite a few watches.  DST means having to adjust all of them at some point or another.  But it also means actually remembering that DST is happening.  How many time have we just missed it completely only to show up an hour early/late the following day?  More times than I care to admit.  But we carry on and go about our little time changing rituals.  Wall clocks, watches, car clocks, mantel clocks etc... but then there are a few clock that have started getting smarter.  Car clocks/radios and cell phones were among the first to offer automatically updating time.  If the feature is turned on, the clocks will automatically update to the correct time for you.  Wake up the next morning and your phone has already changed and ready for the new day.  It's a nice convenience and one that has started to spoil us to the luxuries of modern technology. 

Well now, watches are starting to make the leap as well.  Most notably the Atomic Controlled/Satellite Controlled watches.  Many watches have had DST features built in to them for years now but you still had to tell it to adjust the time.  Basically they just an hour adjustment when you told it to but these new AT (Atomic Time) watches are different.  They will adjust the time automatically without you doing a thing.  Just go to sleep as normal on Saturday night and wake up Sunday to find the watch is already updated and ready to go.  It's a wonderfully welcome feature to an ever evolving marketplace.  And beyond that it actually updates the time every night so it is to-the-second accurate all the time.  Time and date automatically adjust every day making these watches the most care-free watches to own.  Combined with the Solar technology you don't even have to change the battery!  Talk about easy to own and operate.

 

 (Citizen Skyhawk AT - JY0010-50E) 

So much so that I find myself wearing Atomic watches more and more.  They are just too easy and convenient compared to the other watches in my collect.  Not only is the watch always running (thanks to the solar tech), it's always got the right time and date down to the exact second.  Just pick it up and put it on. Not only that but I use it to set the time on my "less advanced" watches too.  It's the gold standard as far as accuracy and convenient to set by.  Whatever watch replaces it on my wrist gets set to the time before going back in my watch box.

Now don't get me wrong, I actually just blogged about the beauty of Automatics and how new technology watches have lost some of the "soul" you find in the beating heart of a mechanical watch but that is not to say they don't have their place right along side them.  So next time you find yourself going through the house and resetting everything for DST, remember that there is a better way.  And right now is the best time of all.  In celebration of these watches and just in time for DST ending we are launching a FALLBACK sale on all of our automatically updating watches.  All Atomic and Satellite watches are on sale from now through November 15th on Topflight Watches.  Just enter the code FALLBACK during checkout and receive an additional 10% off your purchase of any Atomic/Satellite controlled watch.

Fall Preview: Torgoen's T33 Series

"The T33 was made in commemoration of one of the most successful American planes in the history of the Airforce, the P51 North American Mustang. It was designed by Edgar Schmued and introduced in 1942 to be used in WWII, but it continued to be used in the Korean war and other conflicts. It broke many speed records for piston engine airplanes even decades after its production ended. The Mustang was used for a "fighter sweep" to clear the air for the B52 bombers. When the Mustangs started being used the Luftwaffe lost 17% of their pilots in one week." - Torgoen USA

The T33 is designed in the fashion of the P51 Mustang with features of the cockpit. It's inspiration was drawn from the legendary plane itself and is a striking looking time piece. Like most torgoen watches it was designed with pilots in mind. Clear and easy to read hands and markers are designed to be readable in the blink of an eye. The numbers, hands and markers take design ques directly from the instruments found on the P51. The idea is to not only borrow from the design of the P51 but also recreate the ideal readability. The last thing you need to do while flying is to have to stare at your instruments. You need to be able to tell at an instant exactly wehat is going on. The same is true for the T33 "Mustang" Collection.

On the inside is an all Swiss made Rhonda chronograph movement. Precise, well built and dependable. The case is solid stainless steel and it's available in a wide variety of dial colors and band options. In fact a total of 10 different options of this watch are available. Each has a nicely unique look and feel to it. With a collection this diverse, you would be hard pressed to not find a model that speaks to you personally.

Other key features include a K1 Mineral Crystal, 100 meter water resistance, true 12 hour chronograph and luminous hands and markers for night visibility. It's a truly striking Swiss made watch at a very affordable price. The watch has great fit and finish front and back as do all the newer Torgoen watches of late. Torgoen is really stepping up their game and changes company wide have set them on a new path to deliver the best quality available. The T33 "Mustang" Collection is a perfect example of the new direction and the quality they can produce.

If you would like to see all 10 models together, visit Torgoen USA. TopFlight Watches is proud to be among the first to offer this watch here in the USA. Addition pictures, specs and pricing is also available as usual. If you have any questions, comments or concerns do not hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a call. Our "Watch Guys" are ready to help with anything you might need. Real experts are just a phone call away! You can reach us Toll Free at 1-888-243-6329 or shop online with us at TopFlight Watches, Time4Tritium and Gem of the Day.

The Citizen Navihawk is Back!

The Citizen Navihawk is a classic and beloved watch from years past.  Back before the change to Eco-Drive the Navihawk was one of citizen top-of-the-line model pilots watches.  Actually, it was the equivalent of the modern Skyhawk.  In fact, the Skyhawk directly took the place of the Navihawk. The only real difference between the two models was the Eco-Drive technology.  As such, the Navihawk was phased out in favor of the new Eco-Drive model.  But now the Navihawk has made a triumphant return to the Citizen line-up and does so with style.

The Watch Guys are proud to introduce the all new Citizen Eco-Drive Navihawk A-T (citizen model JY8035-04E). Back with all the trimmings, this new model is once again one of Citizens top-of-the-line watches and comes jam packed with all of their modern tech.  With Atomic Clock synchronization for superior accuracy, this radio-controlled timepiece displays digitally the time in 43 cities, and has a 99-minute countdown timer and Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) display as well as 2 world Time Alarms, Analog/Digital Display and 180-Day power Reserve.  Completely with a back-light for the digital display.

Basically, it's a Skyhawk A-T in new clothes but boy does it look good all dressed up!  The Navihawk features an all black stainless steel case (black ion plating), with a deep embossed black polyurethane strap and orange accents on the dial.  The overall effect is quite striking in person and give the watch a tougher look than it's Skyhawk brothers.  The rotating bezel has a coin-edge finish on the outer ring and provides nice grip when using the E6B Bezel for calculations.

Overall fit and finish is also top notch and really should be seen to be appreciated.  Everything from the buttons to the bezel to the case-back and nicely finished and feel good to the touch.  Citizen really out did themselves once again.  The Navihawk is a welcome edition to the Citizen watch brand and watch fans the world over.

For more information, pricing and ordering information on this model please visit our page at Topflight Watches.   Or for the complete collection of Navihawk A-T's you can visit us here.

Labor Day Sale!

Don't miss out on one of the best sales of the year.  All three of our sites are running a massive LABOR DAY SALE!  You can save an additional 15% off our alrealy low prices on everything.  Every brand!  And you can save on your entire purchase.  Go wild!  just enter the code: LABORDAY during checkout and you are good to go.  We hope you have a great weekend!

Shop with us here: Gem of the Day, Time 4 Tritium, TopFlight Watches

Traser P6600 Sand Collection

The Watch Guys are please to bring you yet another new design from Traser.  This comes once again from the ever expanding P6600 series of watch.  This has proven to be a winning design and as such, Traser continues to expand and create new designs in this catalog of watches.  The newest design is the all new TRASER P6600 Sand Tactical Tritium Collection.


Based off of the popular P6600 Type 6 series of military watches, the P6600 Sand is highly stable, shock resistant, highly visible day or night, water resistance and ready for any adventure.


The new P6600 Sand is also the latest in a long line of top notch military watches featuring a lightweight double case construction, with an all steel case housed in a lightweight carbon-fiberglass outer shell. This design allows for a true screw down crown and case back, superior water resistance and overall durability.


Of course the new Traser P6600 Sand Watch has Traser's famed Trigalight(r) Illumination system, providing the best readability in all lighting situations.


But what sets this series apart is the new color design AND the inclusion of a Sapphire Crystal.  That's right, this is the only collection in the series (apart from the P6600 Automatic for nearly twice the price) to come with a Sapphire Crystal.  So when you combine the legendary durability and performance of the P6600 Type 6 with all new "Sand" design AND a Sapphire Crystal you get a truly special collection.  One that is on our short list of watches to keep an eye on.  This one is going to be HOT!

Check out more details, pics, prices and specs by visiting us at Time 4 Tritium and TopFlight Watches.

The Watch Guys are proud to present the ALL NEW -  
Traser P6508 Shadow 

The Traser P6508 Shadow is based on the legendary Traser Code Blue watch. It has all the same great features including the incredibly popular combination of blue, orange and green tritium gas illumination tubes but is now available in the new "Blackout" style.

As you may be aware, the all black or "blackout" watches are all the rage right now.  You will find a veration in almost every brand in the world.  So, what makes the Traser different?  With the P6508 Shadow you get the legendary Traser military durability in a true Mil-Spec F watch, great styling and the superior "always-on" illumination Traser is known for.

Traser watches really are some of the best in the world and until you see a Tritium watch for yourself you really can't understand.  There is nothing else like it and once you try one, you will be hooked for life.  It truly is the perfect watch for any occasion.

For more information, pricing, pictures and specifications please take a closer look here.

Wenger, Maker of the Genuine Swiss Army Knife, is offering this LIMITED EDITION gift set which is one of the nicest we have seen in quite some time.  It comes beautifully packaged in a special collectors case and features a Squadron Rescue Chronograph Watch with two wrist straps (one orange orange silicone strap and a dress black leather strap), plus an exclusive Black RangerGrip Swiss Army Knife with orange grips.  The case itself is a treaurse all on its one and can easily be converted to a computer carrying case once the insert is removed.

The centerpiece of the set is the Limited Edition Squadron Rescue Chronograph. This meticulously detailed timepiece, dedicated to the search and rescue pilots worldwide, offers multiple features such as a 12-hour chronograph that measures elapsed hours, minutes and seconds, luminous hands, sapphire crystal and water-resistance up to 100 meters (330 feet). With a black PVD-coated stainless steel case crafted to excel in the most extreme conditions, the Squadron Rescue is well-equipped to handle any task. Bright, bold and unmistakable, the Squadron Rescue is fitted with a high-visibility orange silicone strap.

Included in the case is a fine black leather strap with orange stitching for dress occasions. Also included is a special edition RangerGrip Swiss Army Knife with black grips and orange accents. The Genuine Swiss Army Knife itself has the same blades and features as the RangerGrip52. The watch, knife, and computer case each have matched Serial Numbers. Only 1893 Numbered Sets are available worldwide.

For more details, information and pictures visit us at one of our sites:  Gem of the Day or TopFlight Watches

New today on the Top Flight Watch Website is the Longwood Collection model 96B130 of the Bulova Precisionist Watches. In our showroom (and the website, too), the Bulova Precisionists have been real favorites. Bulova Precisionists are the only Quartz watches to have ultra smooth Sweep Second Hand flowing around the dial (like a mechanical watch, only even smoother).

But Bulova Precisionists are significantly more accurate than mechanical watches. In fact they are among the most accurate wrist watches in the world with a +/- 10 seconds a year accuracy.

The Longwood Collection are the first genuinely "Dress Models" of Precisionists, with sculpted cases and curved crystals. But they're still extremely tough. 

See the Longwood Precisionist on our website here to learn more: http://www.topflightwatches.com/bulova/longwood-precisionist/96b130.html

Labor Day Sale!

You deserve to be rewarded for all your hard work! As a way of saying thank you we are having a Labor Day Coupon Sale! Enter the code: LABORDAY and get an additional discount on anything you purchase.  Good on all 3 websites: Gem of the Day, TopFlight Watches and Time4Tritium! Hurry, sale ends Monday.

Tutima Limited Edition FX GMT

For many years Tutima Watch Company has been a supplier of precision time keeping instruments to NATO and the military and ari forces in Europe. The Pilot's FX GMT/Dual Time Watch is the standard by which all GMT watches must be measured. Its precise and detailed construction and design are world renowned.

Now, in honor of this great tradition, Tutima has made a special LIMITED EDITION of this heralded watch with a limited production of just 80 pieces worldwide (Model 633-31). The Watch Guys and Gem of the Day has been fortunate enough to obtain one of these watches and can offer this watch to one of our clients in the Internet.


If you are lucky enough to obtain one of these Limited Edition Pilot FX/Dual Time Watches, you will enjoy the precision benefits of this automatic timepiece encased in polished stainless steel case. The included strap is a water resistant black alligator leather with red contrast stitching.

Beneath the sapphire glass crystal are easy-to-read numbers and luminous hands and markers. Note the central red-colored 24-hour readout for your second time zone. Finally, the 24-hour rotating bi-directional bezel has 48 lockable positions that will allow you to keep track of a third time zone. With a double sealed, screw-in crown and date display, this fine Swiss movement is ready to keep you on track. As befitting such a prestigious Limited Edition timepiece, the watch is presented in a solid oak box with certificate.

Gem of the Day™ is pleased to be chosen as one of the very few Authorized Internet Dealers for this amazing watch line. For more information, pictures and details please join us at Gem of the Day or TopFlight Watches or call us Toll Free at 1-888-243-6329. Due to the extreme limited nature of this watch, you may want to call us to verify availability, price and delivery of this watch.

UPDATE: This watch has sold out and is no longer available

The New Look of...

TopFlight Watches! That is right, www.topflightwatches.com has a brand new look. Designed in house from the ground up and sporting great new technology on the back end, TopFlight Watches is better than ever. Be sure to check us out here and leave your comment's below. Tell us what you think of the new look!