By Harlan Chapman-Green
Hello there and welcome to another fun packed Top 5 from the home of the series, WristReview of course! In this month’s issue we’re going to do a countdown of the five sports watches that we like the most, but with a catch, they must be made of titanium. Just to clarify it a bit, we really don’t mind whether the watch has a titanium bracelet on it, although it might just mean extra brownie points due to the extreme amount of work needed to handle titanium and put it into the correct shape. These watches can be any price when new but, as with most sports watches, they will be pretty affordable as that’s the way the sports watch market is at the moment, but I digress. Without further ado here are WristReview’s top 5 recommended titanium sports watches.
5. Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Ceramic
Hublot is a newcomer to our Top 5 segment and this is their first piece to feature on it, and what a piece it is too I might add. Hublot has been stepping up its game a lot in recent years and is really improving its brand image thanks to sponsorships of sports events and football teams such as Manchester United (note though that this has ended now to be replaced by Bulova). One of the ways they’re doing this is by adding ever more challenging complications and materials to their watches, this one sports a chronograph with a ceramic bezel and an open worked dial, and it’s pretty good looking to boot. hublot.com
4. Breguet Type XXI
It’s ironic how we transition from the newest kid on the Top 5 block to the company which has probably featured the most in our lists, and it does once again now too. While I myself am not the biggest fan of the titanium version of their fantastic XXI sports watch, I understand why some people feel the need to go with the lighter and more resilient metal. Those who do are treated to a unique black titanium bezel with extruded markers on it, as well as the rest of the watch in titanium, obviously. You can get the XXI on either a leather strap or a titanium bracelet so extra marks to Breguet on that one, titanium is extremely difficult to work with. Even the titanium fluting on the side of the case has been cold rolled (the hardest way to do it) so, even more, points there, and you just know Breguet’s attention to detail, that fluting will go all the way around the watch even between the lugs. breguet.com
3. Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Titanium
Yes, believe it or not, the father of all modern diving watches, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms does have a rarer and lighter titanium cast brother. He would be that rich younger brother who lives in the big city and has a Bentley but really enjoys driving his Ferrari all around town, and quite rightly so. The titanium Fifty Fathoms watch enjoys the attention it gets from fans, some like to dress theirs down so it looks like the steel version which is something they can bring up in conversation. If you’re after something that looks like a dress watch but goes like a sports watch then this is probably one for you. breguet.com
2. Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio – 47mm
The taker of second place on our list of 5 takes centre stage a different reason, it has by far the longest name. Panerai watches are known for their rugged durability which often brings them to the attention of Rolex fans. The companies often go head to head in showrooms around the globe vying for new and returning customers and although Rolex has bigger numbers in the sales figures by far even I’ve noticed people around me are starting to sport Panerai watches. Maybe it’s their cushion shape or their intricate crown guards, the presence they give on the wrist (trust me, the 47mm Titanio is a monster), or maybe we’ll simply never know. panerai.com
1. Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M Co-Axial Master Chronometer
That’s right, the number one spot of our Top 5 titanium sports watches goes to Omega’s recently revamped Ploprof watch. The new and updated version features an all-titanium or two-tone titanium and gold case with Omega’s in-house Master Co-Axial movement actually on display on the reverse of the watch, that’s some really tough crystal there as even the outgoing non-master co-axial Ploprof watches didn’t have that. The titanium makes this watch much lighter and easier on the wrist, although having said this I will miss the ungainly bulk of the previous steel generation, something about those strange angular brick-like watches makes me happy. omegawatches.com
Stick around with WristReview, as I write this I am currently sat with our Masthead on the way to Glashütte to visit none other than A. Lange & Söhne. There’s something else to look forward to!
